Kolmarden 2011 Visit
I visited Kolmarden last May and I was tremendously impressed! In fact I think they are one of the best zoos in Europe. I very much enjoyed the dolphin show and saw nothing "circus-like" in the show. Yes, it's a show and it's mostly entertainment (with lots of glitzy lights and loud music), but what's wrong with that? Shows like this keep the money flowing, which keeps the park's conservation efforts going. The opposite extreme would be the way my local zoo (Indianapolis USA) has struggled for years with their dolphin presentations. It has seemed like they've got overboard to keep them "educational" and not shows -- and the results have been a very lukewarm response from zoo visitors. But now the Zoo (Indianapolis) is making the show more entertaining and they are more popular than ever.
Over great things about Kolmarden: the cable car Safari ride is amazing! Tiger World is one of the best tiger exhibits anywhere, as is their huge snow leopard habitat. It's really interesting to see seals and penguins living together. Their wolf woods exhibit is impressive too, as are most of the animal exhibits. And yes, I even like their special kids areas, Wild Camp and Bamse's World. They also have a few real theme park rides, including the Dolphin Express roller coaster.