Marstrand is a wooden town on a car-free island, with a 17th-century fortress on top. Getting there is easy. The catch is that the old direct bus is gone, and not every Västtrafik ticket works on the ferry.
When you need this
- You’re planning a day trip from Gothenburg and want to know how to get there without a car
- You’re driving and need to know where the car stops
- You want to know which ticket works on the Marstrand ferry
- You want Carlstens fästning’s 2026 hours and prices, and a sense of its history
- You’ve heard Marstrand is a sailing town and want the event dates, not a brochure
Koön and Marstrandsön: two islands, one destination
Marstrand sits on Marstrandsön, an island off the southern Bohuslän coast in Kungälv municipality. The island is a bilfri ö (car-free island). Only vehicles in nyttotrafik (utility traffic) are ferried across, so everyone else stops on the neighbouring island of Koön. Kungälv municipality as a whole had 50,496 inhabitants at the end of 2025. That figure covers the whole municipality, not the town alone.
| Place | What it is | For a visitor |
|---|---|---|
| Koön | Island with the ferry berth, parking and the bus terminus | Where you arrive by car or bus |
| Marstrandsön | Car-free island with the town and the fortress | Reached only by the passenger ferry |
| Carlstens fästning | State-owned fortress, open to visitors | The main sight; 2026 hours and prices below |
Getting there
By public transport: the express bus is gone
Older guides and even the fortress’s own English directions describe a direct bus from Gothenburg’s Nils Ericson Terminal. That is out of date. Västtrafik turned the Marstrand express into line 302, a local Kungälv line running Marstrand–Ytterby–Kungälv. It no longer goes to Gothenburg.
Every 302 trip runs via Ytterby station and connects with the train. The bus runs every 30 minutes at weekday peaks and hourly in the evenings and at weekends. The current timetable runs from 14 December 2025 to 12 December 2026, so check again after that. Plan the whole journey in Västtrafik’s journey planner.
Kungälv is in Västtrafik zone B. Paying by tapping a bank card works only in zone A (Gothenburg, Mölndal, Partille and Öckerö). If you tap in the city and ride on, you have no valid ticket once you reach zone B. The zones and ticket types are explained in our Gothenburg public transport guide.
By car: park on Koön
Gothenburg to Koön is 48 km, about 50 minutes’ pure driving. Take the E6 north and turn onto road 168 at Kungälv. The fortress’s directions say the car parks closest to the ferry cost the most, and that most are free in the winter months. The municipality puts them 100–1,000 m from the ferry and warns that the nearest ones are often full in high season. If you’re on the west coast road trip, Marstrand is the first stop north of Gothenburg.
The ferry and its tickets
The Marstrandsfärjan (Marstrand ferry) is not one of Trafikverket’s free yellow road ferries. Kungälv municipality owns and runs it, and took over the passenger service on 1 January 2021. It charges its own fare, which it reviews every year. Two ferries carry more than 500,000 passengers a year, up to 329 at a time. The crossing takes a couple of minutes.
How tickets work:
- Every ticket is a tur och retur (return) from Koön. The trip back from Marstrandsön is free.
- Buy it at marstrandsfarja.se, which works as a web app, or at the ticket kiosk by the Koön berth.
- Children under 7 travel free with a parent or another adult.
- Groups can order tickets in advance at the same price.
Which Västtrafik tickets are valid on the ferry:
| Valid | Not valid |
|---|---|
| Period tickets (1 month, 3 months, 1 year) for zone B, AB or ABC | Single tickets bought from Västtrafik |
| 3-day tickets for zone B, AB or ABC | |
| A 24-hour ticket for zone B | |
| Senior and school tickets for zone B |
At night, sailings marked in the timetable run på beställning (on request). Press the button at the berth at least five minutes before departure. Dogs and other furred pets may not ride in the passenger saloon. Traffic is heaviest from Easter to the end of September.
Carlstens fästning
Carlstens fästning stands on Marstrandsön’s highest point. From the ferry, turn right along the quay, then left up Kungsgatan. The last stretch is a steep hill.
The history, from its state owner. Bohuslän became Swedish at the Peace of Roskilde in 1658. A small stone fortress with a square gun tower was begun in 1660 and named after King Karl X Gustav. After the war with Denmark in 1676–79, a much larger fortress was started in 1682 under Erik Dahlberg. It was reported complete only in 1860, when it was counted among Europe’s strongest fortresses. Since autumn 1993 it has been a statligt byggnadsminne (state-listed building) managed by the National Property Board, Statens fastighetsverk.
Is it a “star fortress”? That’s popular shorthand, and it’s in our title because it’s what people search for. Neither the National Property Board nor the fortress’s own history page uses the term. So we don’t classify its layout here.
What you see. The fortress also served as a prison. Under a penal sentence called Marstrandsarbetet, convicts from all over Sweden were sent to haul stone until it was abolished in 1854. At most 232 prisoners were held. The best known was the thief Lars Larsson Molin, “Lasse-Maja”, who arrived in 1813 and was pardoned in 1839. Three prison cells from the mid-1800s are preserved. Guided tours in Swedish, about 45 minutes, are included in entry, and English tours can be booked as an extra. Dogs are welcome on a leash, free of charge.
The rest of its story. The fortress was taken in 1677 and in 1719, and both times it came back by negotiation. It closed as a military fortress in 1882. The world’s first rotating lighthouse was installed on its tower in 1781, and a coastal radar station worked there until 1993.
| 2026 period | Carlstens fästning opening |
|---|---|
| 3 April – 31 May | Weekends 11:00–15:00 |
| 1–30 June | Daily 11:00–17:00 |
| 1 July – 9 August | Daily 10:30–18:00 |
| 10–31 August | Daily 11:00–17:00 (tours by booking from 24 August) |
| September | Weekends 11:00–15:00 |
| Other times | Open all year; phone ahead for hours |
Swimming and sailing
Swimming. The municipal beach, Barnbadet, is on the south side of Marstrandsön, about 400 m from the ferry. It has sand, swimming ladders, a diving board and toilets. It is not adapted for visitors with disabilities. Most ladders go in each year in mid-May. A few stay out all year: one each on the south and north of the island, and a stair and a ramp on Hedvigsholmen. Red lion’s mane jellyfish occur on the west coast, mostly in summer and autumn. Rinse a sting with seawater, not tap water. There’s more on Sweden’s sandy coasts in our Swedish beaches guide.
Sailing, as dated facts. In 2026 the GKSS Match Cup Sweden was sailed at Marstrand from 29 June to 4 July. The fortress’s annual Fästningsspelen (fortress games) ran on 25–26 July, 12:00–18:00. Arriving by your own boat is covered in our guest harbours guide and boating guide.
Lobster is off-limits to visitors. Only Swedish citizens and permanent residents may fish lobster. Foreign citizens may fish only with hand tackle.
Mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | What happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Looking for the direct express bus from Gothenburg | It no longer runs | Train to Ytterby, then bus 302 |
| Boarding the ferry on a Västtrafik single ticket | Not valid on the ferry | Buy the ferry’s return ticket or hold a valid period, 24-hour or 3-day ticket |
| Tapping a card in Gothenburg and riding on | Tapping covers zone A only | Buy a ticket that covers zone B |
| Waiting at the berth at night | Night sailings go only on request | Press the button 5 minutes early |
| Expecting a free ferry | It is municipal and paid | Budget the ferry’s own fare |
| Turning up at the fortress out of season | Hours vary after September | Phone ahead |
Practical information
| Item | 2026 detail (checked 25 September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Carlstens fästning, adult | 120 kr |
| Carlstens fästning, child 5–15 | 60 kr; under 5 free; dogs free |
| Marstrand ferry | Return fare set by Kungälv municipality, reviewed yearly — see marstrandsfarja.se |
| Ferry, children under 7 with an adult | Free |
| Ferry, Marstrandsön to Koön | Free (included in the return) |
| Ferry ticket kiosk, Koön | May–August daily 8–20; September–April weekdays 7–16, weekends 10–15, closed 12–13 |
| Bus 302 and train | Västtrafik zone fare in its journey planner; timetable to 12 December 2026 |
| Driving | Gothenburg–Koön 48 km, about 50 min |
FAQ
How do I get to Marstrand from Gothenburg without a car?
Take the train to Ytterby station and change to bus 302, which runs Marstrand–Ytterby–Kungälv and ends on Koön. The former Marstrand express from Gothenburg was replaced by this local Kungälv line, and every trip connects with the train at Ytterby. Then cross on the municipal passenger ferry. Plan the whole trip in Västtrafik’s journey planner.
Can I drive to Marstrand?
Only to Koön. Marstrandsön is car-free: only vehicles in utility traffic are ferried across. Koön is 48 km, about 50 minutes’ driving from Gothenburg via the E6 and road 168. Car parks nearest the ferry cost most and are often full in summer; the municipality says they lie 100 to 1,000 metres from the ferry.
Is my Västtrafik ticket valid on the Marstrand ferry?
Only some are. Period tickets and 3-day tickets for zone B, AB or ABC, a 24-hour ticket for zone B, and zone B senior and school tickets are valid. Single tickets bought from Västtrafik are not. Otherwise buy the ferry’s own return ticket online or at the kiosk on Koön. Children under 7 travel free with an adult.
When is Carlstens fästning open?
All year, with seasonal hours. In 2026 it opened weekends 11:00–15:00 from 3 April, daily 11:00–17:00 in June, 10:30–18:00 from 1 July to 9 August, and weekends 11:00–15:00 in September; phone ahead outside those periods. Entry is 120 kr for adults and 60 kr for children 5–15, under 5 free.
Is Carlstens fästning a star fortress?
The official descriptions do not use the term. The National Property Board says a small stone fortress was begun in 1660, a much larger one was started in 1682 under Erik Dahlberg, and it was reported complete in 1860, when it counted among Europe’s strongest fortresses. It has been state-listed and managed by the Board since 1993.
Does the Marstrand ferry run at night?
Yes, but night departures marked in the timetable run only on request: press the button at the ferry berth at least five minutes before departure. The trip back from Marstrandsön to Koön is free, because every ticket is a return. Traffic is heaviest from Easter to the end of September.
Is Marstrand good for swimming?
There is a municipal beach, Barnbadet, on the south side of Marstrandsön about 400 metres from the ferry, with sand, ladders, a diving board and toilets, but it is not adapted for visitors with disabilities. Most ladders go in each May. Watch for red lion’s mane jellyfish in summer and autumn and rinse stings with seawater.
Related guides
- Bohuslän and the west coast — the region around Marstrand, from Gothenburg to Norway
- West coast road trip — Marstrand as the first stop on the drive north
- Gothenburg weekend — Marstrand as a day-two alternative to the city
- Gothenburg public transport — zones and which ticket to buy
- Smögen and Fjällbacka — the next coast towns north
Facts verified 25 September 2026. Sources: Kungälvs kommun (Marstrandsfärjan), Västtrafik, Statens fastighetsverk, SCB, Trafikverket, 1177, Havs- och vattenmyndigheten, GKSS and Carlstens fästning; distance measured with OSRM. Full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.