Gothenburg: November 2019
Prior to last November, I had never been on a solo holiday before. So, with a week booked off work and yearning for some contrast to the perpetual greyness and howling winds of Liverpool in winter, I decided to take the plunge and do something a bit out of the ordinary: jump on a plane to Sweden for a few days, with no other company but my own.
Having visited (and loved) the likes of Stockholm, Copenhagen, Bergen and Helsinki previously, Gothenburg seemed like the next obvious city break destination to satisfy my long-standing fondness for all things Scandinavian. A return flight for under £40 was, therefore, a no-brainer.
Staying in the old town district of Haga, the streets of which are lined with quaint wooden houses and candlelit bars and restaurants, I was immediately taken by the warm ambience of the place, in sharp contrast to the reality of the icy outside air. Whatever the Swedish equivalent of hygge is, this was it, in abundance.
Contrary to my own anxious expectations, I didn’t feel remotely uncomfortable going to a restaurant or bar alone. Quite the opposite, in fact, because there were loads of others doing exactly the same thing. Some of them reading, some with headphones in, some making conversation with others and some sat by the window simply watching the world go by.
No judgement, no staring, just a totally calm, laid back atmosphere in almost any establishment I walked into. A constant, light background hum of noise, but never exceeding a certain level where it starts to get too loud — it’s a recurring theme I’ve noticed in this particular part of Europe. Lots of friendly people who spoke perfect English, more than willing to run through the beer list in great detail (Gothenburg has a plethora of craft breweries), make food recommendations and offer suggestions of places to go and things to see.
The city centre is compact and bustling, the kind of place you can easily amble around for several hours without doing all that much besides exploring at your own pace and occasionally stopping at one of the many quintessential fika spots for a kanelbulle and hot chocolate. What I really loved about Gothenburg, though, asides from the food, drink and interesting variety of urban architecture, is just how quickly you can get out of the city and immersed in the surrounding nature.
Its tram network is cheap and typically on time, and within 20 minutes you can be hiking through tranquil forests around Delsjön lake, or boarding a taxi ferry to one of the picturesque nearby archipelago islands of Asperö or Brännö, which feel almost like taking a step back in time to a totally different era. Life happens at a completely different pace out there.
As with almost anywhere in the Nordic region at this time of year, the days are short and it only gets fully light from around 9.30am before the darkness starts to set in some time around 3pm or so. For me, though, that’s all part of the appeal. You pack as much as possible into the day before the sun dwindles beyond the horizon, and there’s a unique charm in seeking refuge from the biting cold in a warm bar before stepping back out and strolling through the gently glowing streets by night.
Top restaurant: Olstugan Tullan, Andra långgatan 13
Top bar: SoHO Beer House, Andra långgatan 5
Top café: da Matteo, Drottninggatan 58
