I am currently living in Sweden and one of my favourite places to visit is Gothenburg, or to give it its Swedish name 'Göteborg' (pronounced Yur-te-boy). Gothenburg is a compact town with less than a million inhabitants, but it still has plenty to keep you occupied...
**History**
Gothenburg was designed by the Dutch in 1621 and bears more than a passing resemblance to Amsterdam, with pretty tree lined avenues running alongside the many canals. Gothenburg made its name during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as an industrial and trading centre, and the British, Dutch and German traders who settled in Gothenburg left a rich architectural and cultural legacy. The Orient also has a strong influence over Gothenburg, due to the strong trading links between Sweden and the Far East, and many Oriental design features can be spotted on the buildings around the harbour. Today Gothenburg is Sweden's second largest city and Scandinavia's largest seaport.
Gothenburg lies on the West Coast of Sweden, with the Göta River running through the centre of the town. It is made up of broad avenues and elegant squares, running alongside the numerous canals which run towards the harbour. The harbour is still a fully working harbour and many large ferries and cargo ships can be seen coming and going.
**Getting there**
The main airlines which fly to Gothenburg are Ryanair and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Ryanair fly from Stansted to Gothenburg City airport and SAS fly from Heathrow to Gothenburg Landvetter airport. Although the City airport is tiny as it is only served by Ryanair, it is much closer than Landvetter. Both airports run regular shuttle-bus services into the centre of Gothenburg.
Gothenburg can also be reached by ferry from Newcastle. The overnight journey is run by DFDS.
**Where
to stay**
There is plenty of choice when it comes to deciding where to stay in Gothenburg. You can choose between the 5 star futuristic, mirrored sky-scraper of Gothia Towers, to the traditional splendour of Eggers Hotel, which was once the meeting place for secret discussions between British and Nazi negotiators during World War 2. You could also choose to sleep aboard a ship; Barken Viking is a Danish built trading ship from 1906, which is now moored permanently and operates as a hotel.
There are also many smaller family run hotels and B&B's, plus youth hostels and a large campsite just outside the town. Many hotels offer summer reductions and nearly all of them include a huge lavish Scandinavian breakfast in the price.
**Shops**
What Gothenburg lacks in designer clothes shops in makes up for in little boutiques and market stalls. Nordstan is the largest shopping centre in Gothenburg and is made up mainly of high street clothes stores and restaurants. The clothes shops continue up Gothenburg's main street 'Avenyn', but after about a 10 minute walk you start finding yourself walking along little cobbled streets lined with fascinating little book shops, antique boutiques and interesting record and clothes shops. This area is called Haga and is the town's oldest working class suburb. To the west of Haga is Linné, which is a very cosmopolitan area. Here you will find many more interesting little shops, along with Gothenburg's red light district and sex shops! Gustav Adolf's square often has a large market at the weekend, with stalls selling many handmade crafts and foods.
**Museums**
Gothenburg is home to many interesting museums, many of them concentrating on the maritime and industrial side of Gothenburg. The Museum of Maritime History claims to be the largest ship museum in the world and comprises of many boats, submarines and other naval memorabilia. The Stadsmuseum (town museum) is set in the old offices, goods store and auction house of the Swedish East India Company, which was the only trading company in Sweden allowed to trade with China during the 1700's. There are guided tours around the building (in English) and many exhibitions showing how life used to be in Gothenburg, many Chinese treasures and an impressive section about the industrial history of the town.
There are also several art museums; the Konstmuseum contains a huge collection of international arts from various periods, while the Röhsska Museum is home to more of Sweden's works of modern arts.
For the children a visit to Universium is a definite must! Universium is Gothenburg's newest museum and is a science and technology museum, with lots of hands on displays and interactive games. Everything is signposted and explained in English, as you make you way through different environments - mountain streams, rainforest, oceans etc.
You can also visit the island fortress of Nya Elfsborg, via a short ferry ride from the harbour. The fortress was built in the seventeenth century to defend the harbour and the city, and the surviving buildings have now been turned into a museum.
**Attractions**
Gothenburg is home to Scandinavia's largest theme park, Liseberg. Opened in 1923 Liseberg is similar to Alton Towers, in that it consists of both rides and beautiful gardens. One of the best attractions is the traditional wooden rollercoaster, Balder, or the new Kanonen which fires you along a track at 60mph only to shoot you back again backwards when you reach the end! The rides are all closed during the winter months, but Liseberg is still worth a visit as everything is lit up with millions of tiny fairy lights and there is a large Christmas market during November and December.
To experience Gothenburg from the water take a Paddan boat trip. The Paddan boats cruise along the canals, under very low bridges and out along the harbour, while the guide points out interesting sights along the way.
and plays host to many football matches, plus concerts and ice hockey tournaments.**Parks**
For those who like a wander through a park, a bit of peace and quiet or simply a picnic spot, there is plenty of choice. The Trädgårdsforeningen park is well worth a visit and in summer is full of floral colour and picnickers. There is also a Palm House from 1878, which was designed as a copy of London's Crystal Palace. Close by is the Rosarium, which is a park full of nearly three thousand varieties of rose. It is always packed during the summer and there are often lunchtime concerts and outdoor theatre productions.
**Eating**
Whilst in Gothenburg there is very little chance of you starving. Places to eat range from cosy little cafés in Haga, offering delicious pasties and sandwiches, to the glass-walled restaurant on the top floor of Gothia Towers, with an amazing view over the town.
Swedes traditionally eat their main meal of the day at the lunchtime, so many cafés and restaurants offer a hot and cold buffet at lunchtime for a very reasonable price. Make sure you try the staple food of Sweden - huge homemade meatballs and mashed potatoes with ligonberry jam! The restaurants along the Avenyn cover cuisines from all over the world, but are quite expensive, so try wandering down a few of the cobbled streets leading away from the main tourist streets.
If you fancy taking a picnic to one of the nearby parks, stop off at Salluhallen first. Sallenhallen is a large undercover food market selling everything from meats, cheeses, fish and bread. Why not take some freshly caught prawns and some fresh garlic bread and sit out in the fresh air for a bit.
**Nightlife**
There is no shortage of choice in the evenings when you are looking for a drink. Most restaurants also have a bar, and most have a dance floor too. Many bars also have live bands playing in the evening. The majority of bars are situated along the Avenyn, but for a more studenty feel try Haga. Many bars have a happy hour, which is often advertised on a black board outside. Most of the well-known beers are sold, but for a true taste of Sweden try a Mariestad or Falcon beer.
Gothenburg seems to have a fascination with English and Irish pubs, although they might not be like any English or Irish pub you've ever been in! Instead of a fruit machine by the bar, most Swedish bars have a roulette and a Black Jack table with a very small minimum bet, so if you're lucky you might win back the price of your drinks! If you're a smoker, I'm afraid you'll have to take your cigarette outside, as Sweden has recently banned smoking in all public places.
Gothenburg is a relatively small town and just about everything is reachable by foot. The town is built on a grid system so it's easy to wander around without getting (too!) lost. For those who don't fancy a stroll, the tram is your best and cheapest bet. The tram system is incredibly efficient and frequent, and covers just about every area of Gothenburg. All the timetables and signs are in English and you simply pay the driver when you get on the tram. Word of warning though - make sure you look very carefully for trams before you cross the road as they are very quiet!!
**Prices**
Sweden is thought to be an expensive country, but I don't think it's any more expensive than London, Manchester or Edinburgh. Expect to pay around 70 kronor (about £5) for a buffet lunch, 40 kronor (£3) for a beer or glass of wine, and around 800 kronor (£60) for a double hotel room.
**When to visit**
Gothenburg is a beautiful town to visit during all times of the year, but in general May to September is a good time to visit Sweden. The hours of sunlight are long and the weather is reasonably warm during the summer months. Most Swedes head off to their summer houses during July and August, so you will find that it is probably quieter during these times.
However, Gothenburg is a fantastic place for a bit a Christmas shopping, although make sure you wrap up well and have decent shoes on, as the temperatures are often between 0 and -15 degrees with slippery snowy streets.
**Language**
Just about everyone in Sweden speaks perfect English, so you will have no problems making yourself understood and trying to get around town. Nearly all menus, maps, tourist guides etc are translated into several languages. However, the Swedes are always incredibly impressed by anyone who can speak Swedish, so you could try learning a few of the phrases below -
hej - hello tack - thank you jag heter… - my name is… jag kommer från… - I come from… talar du engelska? - do you speak English? kan jag få… - may I have… öl - beer vitt/rödd vin - white/red wine vatten - water vad kostar den här - how much is it
**Tourist Info**
For more details about Gothenburg, plus up to date prices, telephone numbers etc, visit http://www.goteborg.com/ and press the Union Jack button on the top left hand corner for information in English. It also has information of the Gothenburg Pass which entitles you to free travel on trams and buses, free entry to many museums and many two for one reductions.
**Overall**
I hope I given you a taste of what Gothenburg is all about. It is a beautiful, interesting place which would be perfect for a long weekend, or maybe longer if you fancy heading a bit further a field out of town. It has been voted Sweden's friendliest town and I'm sure that you will see why if you visit.
Tack för att du har läst den här recensera! (Thank you for reading this review!) Helen
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Sep 22nd, 2005
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