Gothenburg, Sweden

Gothenburg is home to more than 575,000 people making it the second largest city in Sweden.  There are more than one million people in the metro area.  Gothenburg is on the southwest coast about halfway between Copenhagen, Denmark and Oslo, Norway.  It is 500 km (311 miles) west of Stockholm and 300 km (186 miles) north of Malmö.


King Gustav II Adolf founded the city in 1621.
In Swedish, the city name is Göteborg which is pronounced "yeh-teh-BOR-e".  It is the only city in Sweden that has a different name in English.



Today, it's the home of Volvo and a student city.  With over 60,000 students, Gothenburg University is the largest in Scandinavia.




It's a beautiful city to just go for a walk in.  The Göta Canal was built in the early 19th century.

Gothenburg Cathedral belongs to the Church of Sweden.  It is also known as the Swedish Church and it was consecrated in 1815.

Christinae Church was consecrated in 1748.  It is known as the German Church as it was used by the the city's German and Dutch congregation.

The City Museum was established in 1861 and it is located in the 18th century East India House.  It covers everything from the Vikings to the present.

The Stora theatre opened in 1859.

The Gothenburg Synagogue opened in 1855 and sits 300 people.

The city theatre opened in 1934.

The Vasa Church was built in 1909.  It was restored in 1999-2000.

The city library opened in 1967.

Masthuggskyrkan is a 1914 church that doubles as a well-known landmark for sea navigation.

Gothenburg Concert Hall was built in 1935.  It is home to the city's symphony.

The Poseidon fountain was unveiled in 1931 and is located at Götaplatsen in front of the Museum of Art.  The square was inaugurated in 1923 celebrate the city's 300th anniversary.

The flowers in front of the fountain are in memory of the five people killed and 14 who were seriously injured in Stockholm terrorist incident on 7 April 2017 when a hijacked lorry was driven in to a crowd.

From 30 June 2017 to 31 January 2018, the city is hosting the Gothenburg Green World exhibition.  The Reincarnation, on display until the official opening, is made from 400 green bamboo poles.

Haga is the city's bohemian district with picturesque 19th century wooden houses.

Skansen Kronan is a fortress that was introduced in 1698.  It was never attacked and it never fired its cannons.  Until 2004 it was a military museum but now it is a private facility used for conferences and private parties.

The Haga Church belongs to the Church of Sweden.  It opened in 1859.

Liseberg is an amusement park that opened in 1923.  It has more than 30 different rides and is among the top ten amusement parks in the world.

The town hall is located in a building dating back to around 1670.  Until 2010 it was used as a court of law.  The newer extension was completed in 1936.

Feskekôra, fish church, opened in 1874. It's a fish market hall but it just happened to be built resembling a church.

It's a great place to grab a quick sandwich for lunch.

The Medical History Museum is located in a 200 year old former hospital.

The new opera house is located at the waterfront.  It opened in 1994 and seats 1300 people.

This is the Swedish Merchant Seaman Memorial.  Sweden was neutral in WWII but 200 merchant seaman were killed during the war.

The Lilla Bommen building opened in 1989.  Locals call it The Lipstick.

From 1850 to 1930, the old Customs House is where more than 1 million Swedish emigrants had to pass through on their way to lives in new countries.  Many went to the USA.

I had a great weekend in Gothenburg.  Highly recommended and it's on my list of places to come back to.