When you think of Sweden, what springs to mind? There are so many cultural symbols of Sweden and Gothenburg did not disappoint. From its heritage trams, iconic ‘fish church’ and parks with moose and elk, there is so much to explore. I had slightly underestimated what it would be like in comparison to Stockholm, but it was a really lovely city with so much character.
The first thing I am obliged to tell you about, is the national Swedish tradition of having a ‘fika.’ Essentially this means having a coffee and pastry with a friend – what’s not to like?! I found some fabulous little cafés and of course an ‘Espresso House’ on every corner! Despite travelling alone, I decided to indulge in a vegan fika (or two, or three!) by myself in a cute little café. But first, onto the activities…
As you all know, charity shopping is a big past-time of mine. Gothenburg has a few charity shops, but Britain is definitely still the winner. The trams are so easy to use and you can hop on and hop off, with ticket machines on board. They also have a few vintage models still driving (?) about as you can see in the picture above. I don’t know why but it feels so exciting and novel travelling by tram – so much freedom to move around, because let’s face it, we’re not ‘tramming it’ in the UK. Except maybe Nottingham. And for our journey through Gothenburg we’re going to need a few tram visits to get our mitts on that tasty vegan cuisine; of which there was plenty!
1. Trädgårdsföreningen (Horticultural Park)
A lovely botanical garden with lots to explore – including a large greenhouse with a multitude of tropical plants. Great activity for a sunny day and bit of exercise.
2. Slottskogen (Park)
This is a very large park where you will find walking trails through natural woodlands. It took me quite a trek to get here, but there were some fantastic sights. Beware, some animals are kept here. I’m not entirely sure of their origin or purpose for being there, so I couldn’t say if they are rescue animals or not. They are in large outdoor enclosures although due to the size of the park you could easily avoid this route if you wanted to – at least I think, because I found the signage quite confusing being written only in Swedish!
3. Universeum (Science Park)
Located next to Liseberg, I hadn’t really explored this corner of Gothenburg until my last day. I decided to take a quick pit-stop in the Universeum as a local I met in the airport recommended it and I had some time to spare. Some parts were quite fun but they had a giant ‘tropical forest’ floor with lots of animals so I wouldn’t go again. I thought it was a dinosaur park but this was only one teeny part of the whole experience – probably way more fun if you are a kid.
4. Fisketorvet (Fish Market)
This is the building you will find plastered all over your postcards! It is the iconic building where fish markets were held, although I think it has diversified since then. You can access this by foot but will also see this as part of the tour if you go sightseeing via canal boat.
5. Poseidonstatyn (Poseidon Statue)
Another famous landmark of Gothenburg, located at Götaplatsen, it is obligatory to have a selfie with Poseidon. Kinda strange considering he’s Greek as I expected to see Odin or Thor, but.. Hey!
6. Järntorgsbrunnen (Five Continents Fountain)
In Jarntörget you will find the Five Continents fountain, known in Swedish as Järntorgsbrunnen. This is my favourite picture that I took from the whole trip – such a beautiful fountain although you will have to see the rest for yourself as this is just one side!
7. Paddan Tour (Sightseeing by Boat)
I’m not usually one for buying into touristic activities as I prefer to explore the area by foot over a number of days. However, it was absolutely pouring with rain on a few of the days so I decided that I would treat myself to a little canal boat tour; very fun indeed! I learnt a lot about some of the locations not accessible by foot, including the ‘lipstick’ building and some bridges so low you have to crouch on the floor of the boat.
8. Domkyrkan (Cathedral)
I believe that it’s always worth a visit to the local place of worship just to take in the difference of these buildings across cultures at least. This one was simple and bright inside, adorned with a large gold sculpture before the pews.
Places to Eat & Drink
- Espresso House – as always, a chain café offering some options of vegan food and drinks which is useful if there’s not much else around
- McDonald’s – the Scandi countries are miles ahead as I got to sample the infamous vegan burger in this global fast-food chain
- Göteburgare Vegan – a delicious burger and all options vegan. This place introduced me to my new favourite ginger beer (Stone’s, which is British ironically)
- Blackbird – I ate the most amazing dinner here of vegan ‘fried chicken,’ potato salad and corn on the cob and I only wish I could have kidnapped the chef and brought him home
- VeGofika – the home of vegan fika, this place had loads of goodies, so naturally I bought more than I should have eaten. But hey, but when in Rome…
Useful Information
- The currency used in Sweden is Krona (SEK)
- Click here for a tourist map of Gothenburg
- Remember that you will pay the extra ‘pant’ cost for cans, bottles and glasses (this will get refunded if you recycle the empty item at a designated recycle station)
The Solo Vegan 