Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Previous issues for Gothenburg

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Sweden : Gothenburg - January 2010

Country Code: Dial for Sweden

Gothenburg is Sweden’s second city and the largest sea port of the Nordic countries. To escape the biting cold hop on one of the trams that zig-zag their way through the streets. On 29 January, the 33rd annual Göteborg International Film Festival kicks off which is Scandinavia’s biggest movie event. Veronica Svanberg gets serious and goes in search of the reel deal

Getting around

Landvetter

Bus: Flygbussarna airport coaches stop at Nils Ericson Terminalen (the main bus station), Kungsportsplatsen (for the old town), Park Avenue (on Avenyn) and Korsvägen. A return ticket costs €15/SEK 140 and takes 30 minutes, with departures every 20 minutes during peak times.
Taxi: Taxis offer a fixed price for the 30-minute journey into town (about €36/SEK 338).
Tourist information: The main tourist office is located at 2 Kungsportsplatsen (2500, goteborg.com).

VASASTADEN

Home to Gothenburg’s main boulevard, Avenyn, this area is stylish and slightly stern in places, but houses many great restaurants and opportunities for your next caffeine fix.

Sleep soundly – Hotel Poseidon (33 Storgatan, tel. , hotelposeidon.com, rooms from SEK 745/€73) is a small, family-owned hotel in the middle of where the action is. The rooms are bright and comfortable, but definitely not boutiquey.

Culture vultures – The Röhsska Museum of Design (37-39 Vasagatan) is a fun and educational place for anyone interested in form, function and fashion. The exhibitions change regularly.

Must eat – Experience modern Swedish gastronomy on a shoestring at Familjen (7 Arkivgatan, 7979). For a mere 295 kronor (€28), you can have a three-course meal – usually soup to start, followed by a slow-cooked main course and a no-frills dessert. For upscale home-cooking, try Cometen (58 Vasagatan, 7988), recently under new and critically acclaimed ownership.

Must drink – Björns Bar (12 Viktoriagatan) has a great selection of wines by the glass.

HAGA

Throughout this former low-rent area, now largely populated by young professionals and their children, you’ll find cobblestone streets and buildings that look like doll’s houses, as well as duller main drags. There’s also good boutique shopping and nightlife.

Culture vultures – The Göteborg International Film Festival (29 January to 8 February) tends to take over the whole town, but all the major premieres will happen at gorgeous old-school cinema Draken (Olof Palmes Plats).

Must eat – Popular Sjöbaren (25 Haga Nygata, tel. ) serves stellar seafood in a candlelit, woodpanelled space. The staff truly seem to love their jobs. Doppio (7 Linnégatan, 5666) offers the kind of brew coffee snobs go home and blog about. Sandwiches and salads are good too.

Must drink – Kino (21 Linnégatan) is popular with the younger, artsy crowd. It does good vegetarian/vegan food, ideal for a more healthy January diet.

Shop til you drop – Iris Berså (22 Andra Långgatan) is above all cute – cute as in freckles, cute as in pink cupcakes. Stock up on pretty pastels and frilly things – both vintage and designer.

INOM VALLGRAVEN

Confined by canals and the Göta river, it is on the crowded streets of this tiny slice of coast that most retail therapy occurs.

Sleep soundly – For a different experience, try the feng shui-certified Avalon (9 Kungstorget, tel. , avalon.se, rooms from €116/SEK 1190). With 101 rooms and 202 beds, great attention has been paid to detail, ensuring that good energy abounds. Ask for the spacious penthouse suite.

Must eat – Barsidan (7 Kungstorget, 9290). Decorated in golden baroque hues, this restaurant serves Spanish and French-inspired dishes. Strömmingsluckan (Magasinsgatan car park) is a cart selling steaming plates of herring that have been freshly caught in the salty waters of the Gothenburg Archipelago.

Must drink – At Club Social (3 Magasinsgatan) you won’t find any Scandinavian simplicity. Instead, this drinking den is decked out with animal prints and pink lighting. The kitschy décor provides a backdrop fun enough to make you want to linger. Friday’s afterwork free buffet is a crowd pleaser, so make sure you get there early.

Dance the night away – Ritz (2 Bastionsplatsen) sprawls out over several high-ceilinged rooms in an elegant old building. On certain nights there will be more blondes here than in the Playboy mansion, so make sure you have enough money for drinks!

Shop til you drop – Nudie Jeans (14 Södra Larmgatan) is the flagship store of the Swedish brand. It caters primarily to men, but a lot of the gear is pretty unisex.

Compiled by Veronica Svanberg