“Bypassing this second city would be a mistake.” – Anonymous

Sweden’s second-largest city was founded as a heavily fortified trading colony by King Gustav II Adolph in 1621, making it a young city by European standards. The location, on the Kattegat Sea, gateway to the North Sea and the Atlantic and at the mouth of the Göta River, was sandwiched between Danish and Norwegian territory, but strategically necessary as The Thirty Year’s War between Catholics and Protestants was raging. The King granted his Dutch war allies generous tax privileges and also attracted large numbers of German and Scottish traders to his only west coast city. Remarkably, the charter named the city after the river and fort in both Swedish as Göteborg and German/English as Gothenburg.

Dutch planners and engineers drained marshy land and laid out streets and canals according to Dutch city design. The 17th-century city walls have since been demolished and replaced with gardens and parks. The King’s Park and The Garden Society of Gothenburg’s Garden encircle the old moat, which in turn encircles the city center. The first is a pretty, leafy, and undulating park with paths and grass, and the latter is a well-preserved 19th-century garden complete with a notable, very fragrant rose garden, a palm house, and numerous fountains.

At the stately yet low-key King’s Gate Square, the Saluhallen indoor market encompasses specialty food stalls, small restaurants, and craft beer spots. From there, a wide boulevard, “The Avenue”, leads to Göta Square where a statue of Poseidon is flanked by the City Theater, Concert Hall, and Museum of Art, which houses an excellent Nordic art collection.

Just outside the moat lies Gothenburg’s first suburb, the Haga neighborhood, established in the mid-1600s by Queen Kristina. Two centuries later, industrialization turned it into a working-class suburb with a bad reputation. Renewal and gentrification hit in the 1980s, but the cobbled streets remain along with many traditional wooden houses. There is a farmer’s market, assorted independent artisan shops, and quirky cafés, making Haga ideal for a leisurely stroll or a stop for “Fika”, the obligatory Swedish coffee break. From here, it’s an easy climb to the hilltop Skansen Kronan fort for an expansive view over Gothenburg.

On the river, public transportation includes the water bus to outer neighborhoods on both banks, including Klippan, historically known for sugar refineries and Porter brewing. An hour-long roundtrip from Stenpiren on the water bus is well worth the time especially during a summer sunset when a local dance club rocks on the dock. At the Free Port across from downtown, an unusual sauna of recycled materials and the floating pool are both free of charge in the eco-friendly area reclaimed from the docklands for the city’s 400th anniversary. The river, always important for the fishing trade, became a significant port after the Swedish East India Company opened trade to China. In the 1800s, Gothenburg became the major departure point when 1.3 million Swedes left for the New World; now it’s the largest port in the Nordics, and where old meets new.

Don’t Miss:

A sunset “cruise” on the water taxi.

Serendipity:

Locals along the way- After climbing up a hill and over a fence to get to a fortress and asking a guy parked outside in a truck if it’s open, he says: “I have the key. Would you like to go in?”

Lunch Tip:

Bistro Salut in Saluhallen. And for “Fika” (Swedish coffee break) with a cinnamon bun, Da Mateo in Magasingattan.

Bedtime:

Hotel Royal, a lovely historic and family-owned hotel in the old city center.

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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D3100 or iPhone 12 Pro.*