Our Travel
WELCOME TO GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN’S JEWEL. by Rebecca Underwood, Travel Journalist For those considering where to escape to, once travel restrictions have lifted, Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, is located by the sparkling waters of the Kattegat Sea on its western coast, and as the sole gateway to the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, it is the largest of the Nordic ports.
Credit Henrik Trygg
dish from one of the little stalls, a microwave is on standby to heat it up, and most head for one of the little tables outside to take part in the popular sport of people- watching whilst admiring the enchanting views of the canal. Fishing remained the dominant industry until the Swedish East India Company, founded in 1731, opened up trade with the Far East and Gothenburg’s harbour became Sweden’s main port.
Gustavus Adolphus, founder of Gothenburg and King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, endorsed the royal charter in 1621 and the city was designed and constructed by Dutch engineers, admired for their skill in draining and building on marshes. The Dutch held political authority until 1652, when the Swedes attained power, and in 1676 King Charles XI of Sweden ordered the construction of a series of zigzag shaped walls, lined with blasted rock, to protect the city. The fortifications were destroyed between 1807 and 1817 but a remnant of the bastion Carolus Rex XI remains on Esperantoplatsen, near to Feskekörka, one of Gothenburg’s many attractions.
The Swedish East India Company was responsible for constructing the charming stone houses around the canals. The East India House, located on North Harbour Street, is a fine example of the Classic style, and in 1861 it became the Gothenburg City Museum. A number of exhibitions provide the visitor with the opportunity to follow the history of Gothenburg from the prehistoric era to the present day, covering 12,000 mind boggling years. To learn more of Gothenburg’s seafaring history, the Maritime Museum, which floats on a pontoon in the Göta River, is popular. A fleet of ships, boats and barges with military and civilian ties, attracts hordes of visitors and includes a cargo ship, a destroyer, a lightship, a minelayer, a patrol boat, a port ferry, a tow boat and a submarine. Tours narrated in English take place at 11.30, 13.00 and 15.30
Feskekörka is an indoor fish market, known locally as the ‘fish church’ as the building resembles a Gothic church. Dating back to 1874, the fish market remains a hive of activity and is the ideal spot for a tasty luncheon. Visitors are welcome to select a pre-cooked fish 49
