June 2023

Last year, we spent about 10 days in Sweden, staying in the southern town of Lund, near Malmö. We had hoped we could visit Stockholm during the weekend, but it turned out that there was not a train ticket to be had. The Swedes were traveling in full force post Covid and had booked every train ticket months ahead. So we figured we’d try something else. We settled on Helsingborg/Helsingnor since it was a charming destination less than an hour away. The biggest contender otherwise was Gothenburg. We didn’t end up going, but it was now firmly on my radar.

This year, I found out my dear friends and erstwhile travel buddies, the Moricos, would be in Gothenburg for one day. It would be their only Swedish port of call during a cruise of Iceland, Scotland and Scandinavia. And that day happened to coincide with our stay in Stockholm, a workday when I’d be on my own. So I jumped at the chance to cross over to the other side of Sweden by a fast train and check out Gothenburg, or Göteborg with the Moricos.

Fast Train from Stockholm Central

As we were staying about a 10 minute walk from the Central Station, I headed over after breakfast and arrived a few minutes ahead of my 8:30 train. It sped me across the country in comfort as I napped, read and worked a little on a blog post. I arrived at Göteborg Central about 11:40. I was meeting the Moricos at 1 pm at a market hall for lunch so I had over an hour to kill on my own.

Exiting Göteborg Central station, I was greeted by a sunshiny day and lots of public art. A pedestrian tunnel took me into a shopping mall, the Arkaden, and when I emerged, I was across from City Hall and Gustav Adolfs Torg. Something festive was going on with small explosions of confetti and crowds carrying what looked like picket signs. Like in Helsinki, I spied many young people wearing white nautical hats. Graduation Day! The picket signs were families carrying signs with pictures of their graduates as young children. Ceremonies had apparently just concluded. Partying still to come.

Göteborg is Green

Göteborg is located on the Göta River Estuary and is just a bit inland from the North Sea. An important sea port, it is also considered one of Europe’s most sustainable cities. Formerly a very industrial port city, Gothenburg embraced Sweden’s commitment to sustainable development way back in the early 1990’s, with cooperation among all sectors. Scandinavia definitely leads the developed world in green practices.

Gothenburg Cathedral

Always willing to check out a historical church, I crossed the bridge at a waterway (the town is full of bridges over small waterways running from the Göta River), to get to the Göteborg Cathedral. This church surrounded by a little park is a quiet oasis among a lot of shops and restaurants. Originally built in 1621, it burned down twice over the centuries. The current version was completed in 1825. Like most of the churches I’ve gone inside in Sweden, the setting is grand and has ornate aspects. But it also has a lightness and Scandinavian sense of space. The Cathedral was clearly celebrating Pride Month, with a flag outside and a rainbow runner down the aisle. I seem to have perfect timing for hearing organ performances, as one was going on when I entered, and not for the first time.

After this lovely interlude, I exited towards a main drag of Västra Hamngatan. It was lunchtime and everyone was out enjoying the late spring weather. I started seeing the new grads in cars and trucks, cruising the streets waving flags, blaring music and bouncing up and down in celebration. I crossed at another canal into a beautiful park area then walked along the park’s waterfront, taking my time and soaking in the sights. There were Paddan sightseeing boats taking tourists through the canals. Historic buildings across the water from the park, and the Grand Theater at the park’s edge. I could see the market hall over the canal, and I knew the Moricos were close, so I crossed back over to that side and entered the Gothenburg Saluhallen.

Saluhallen for Lunch

Just love these market halls with great food choices in these Scandi cities! Saluhallen in Gothenburg is a 14,000 square foot space opened in 1889. Interestingly, there was no heating until 1969 and till then, meat and vegetables would be sold frozen solid in the winters. Doubt I would have wanted to eat there then. Stalls with seafood, deli items, baked goods, and cafes representing Swedish and several international cuisines fill the space now.

It was the perfect place to meet up with Rita, Paul and John Morico. Rita is my oldest friend, and our dads had been med school classmates way back when. I met her the day after my family moved to Houston, Texas when I was 7 and we’ve been friends ever since. Our families have shared some awesome vacations…Ireland, Italy, an Alaskan cruise. It had been a long time though so I jumped at the chance to see them on foreign soil again. Their cruise ship had docked in Gothenburg that morning and they had already taken a pre-booked tour of the city. If I get the chance, I’d love to come back and cover some of the things they did, like Volvo’s headquarters, and the soccer stadium where Pele played during the 1958 World Cup.

Kungsparken, Haga and the Central G’burg

Since the Moricos were in Sweden for one day only, we had to make sure that they covered the basics, like kötbullar and fika. Meatballs were the order of the day at a cute bistro inside the Saluhallen. Afterwards, Paul and John rented bikes for an hour while Rita and I went through the park I had discovered earlier and headed to Haga. This is a charming, cobblestoned area with wooden houses and quaint shops, cafes, churches and old fortifications. We meandered on back to central Gothenburg, encountering many graduation groups partying.

It was time for a leisurely fika near the Cathedral before I had to head back to the train station. The boys finished their bike ride and joined us eventually. I walked back to the station for my return trip, specially noting some cool architecture, like Deco features on the Arkaden, and the Clarion Post Hotel. A 1925 era post office converted into a hotel, it’s now on my list for any future visit to this town. Six hours is an awfully short time to spend in a cool city like Gothenburg. And I could have spent seven, as my train ended up being delayed on the return trip. But I’m so glad I made the effort to visit it and get a feel for it.