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From Swedespeed.com Miscellaneous Features
Gothenburg is a cultural center in its own right, playing home to Sweden’s national orchestra, the Goteborg Symphony Orchestra. It also houses museums such as the Goteborg Art Museum with works by Edvard Munch, and the Bank Museum. The Goteborg City Museum contains Sweden’s only remaining Viking ship, along with several cars of Swedish historical significance. If you can talk your travel companions into more car stuff, the Auto Collection museum can also be found with relative ease. Like any city on this side of the pond, there are numerous beautiful old churches. The Christinae Church near the Brunnsparken tram station for example dates back to 1748. If being outside is more your speed, Gothenburg has numbers of beautiful parks, in particular, the Botanical Gardens. The latter boasts over 12,000 species of plants, hothouses with orchids, rock gardens, an arboretum and more that could keep your companions busy for hours while you steal off to check out Volvo’s several facilities.
If you can’t get away for a few hours to take a factory tour or buy a stuffed Volvo moose at the Volvo brand store, you can at least eye the many Volvos rolling up and down the avenues of Gothenburg. This is, after all, a factory town and much of the transportation here is built by the company that calls this its home. Oddball factory cars like S80 limousines and S60 automotive transporters are as easily spotted as rare non-U.S. models like the V70 Ocean Race Edition. We even spotted a monochromatic XC90 on the street just outside our hotel. Those traveling with children should consider the Slottsskogen and the Observatory near the Linneplatsen tram station. This facility is the home of Sweden’s oldest zoo that includes a seal pond, penguins, flamingos and tropical birds. At night during the winter, spring and fall, visitors can also visit the Observatory and check out the planets, stars and other celestial bodies. Along the grand streets of Gothenburg, you’ll be treated to a site where it seems Donald Rumsfeld’s “Old Europe” and “New Europe” collide, many, many miles North of where the American politician ever meant to reference. Here grand old buildings intersperse with very clean modern Swedish architecture. At night, the promenades become even more alive, littered with a strikingly active club scene filled with young blonde Swedish singles partying it up in a way that would do the Spanish party isle of Ibiza proud.
Small boutiques and trendy little stores are as plentiful as the nightclubs, and those wishing to do some shopping won’t be disappointed. Check out the Antique Halls near the Domkyrkan tram station and Nordstan, Scandinavia’s largest mall with over 150 stores. The Swedish Kroner is still quite strong against the Dollar, so expect to pay for what you get. Gothenburg is fairly compact, and with very good public transportation. Most distances are walkable, and if not, there’s probably a tram that goes nearby. Rent a car though, and you’ll discover New England-like scenery outside of the city. For roller coaster aficionados, the nearby Liseberg amusement park is home to Europe’s largest wooden roller coaster, known by the Balder name of Norse mythos.
A port town in some of the richest fishing regions of the world, local delicacies revolve heavily around seafood, of which Gothenburg is world renowned. It may not be the first city that pops into your head when you think ‘vacation in Europe’, but that’s probably a good thing. The backdrop of Sweden is probably one of the most untouched lands in Europe, and Gothenburg proves a friendly and fascinating destination to any Volvo enthusiast, and even your run-of-the-mill gringo who’s not the least bit interested in cars. Related Links Goteborg City Website The Auto Collection Goteborg Art Museum Goteborg City Museum
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