Onsala

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Onsala is a locality in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden. It sits on a 14-kilometre-long peninsula on the west coast, facing the Kattegat, about 40 kilometres south of Gothenburg. It covers 10.53 square kilometres and has around 12,400 residents (12,415 in 2020; 11,951 in 2010). Most people live on the densely built eastern coast.

The biggest village is Gottskär, once a fishing village and now home to a few restaurants and a leisure boat harbour. Onsala dates back to the Viking era, and its name means “The Halls of Odin.” The privateer Lars Gathenhielm was born here, and his wife Ingela later ran the business; they are buried in a basement crypt under the church’s smaller tower, with white sarcophagi carved with Jolly Rogers.

Onsala is home to the Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden’s national radio observatory. The area also has several local sports clubs.