A day in Gothenburg
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The Gothenburg Opera
Gothenburg archipelago
Stunning entertainment in a beautiful building
Word to the Wise: Enjoy a meal or a glass of something refreshing on the restaurant’s summer terrace with splendid views out over the water.
The architect, Jan Izkovitz, once explained his vision of the house: “The building should be possessed by an airiness that sends your mind soaring across the meandering landscape like wings of seagulls.”
The performance season stretches from mid-August until mid-June and the varied and exciting programme includes opera, dance, musicals and concerts.
Gothenburg Opera receives 250,000 visitors a year who watch about 270 performances on the different stages. Highlights for the rest of 2011 include Swan Lake, and Salome directed by world famous opera director, Peter Konwitschny.
Address: Christina Nilssons Gata
Phone: +46 31 - 10 80 00 (general)
+46 31 - 13 13 00 (tickets)
The Gothenburg Opera's website
See & Do
The Botanical Garden
Nature at her beautiful best
Noteworthy for: The star of the show is the rock garden, awarded three stars in the Michelin ”Green Guide”, boasting over 6,000 different marsh and shade plants.
Frankly, at times, nature is just drop dead gorgeous. Experience some of its beauty and majesty at the largest botanical garden in northern Europe.Covering a total area of 175 hectares, it’s home to thousands of species from all over the world and visitor favorites include the Palm House with its Mediterranean trees and plants, the Rose Garden with over 4,000 different roses, and the Easter Tree, now extinct in its place of origin, Easter Island.
Spend your time wandering through the extensive grounds and maybe pick a quite spot for some peace, solitude and gentle contemplation.
There are regular exhibitions in the greenhouses covering a variety of topics such as orchids, spices, and exotic fruits.
Address: Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22
Phone: +46 31 741 11 00
The Botanical Garden's website
See & Do
Röhsska museet
A design classic
Word to the Wise: Pick up a stylish souvenir in the museum shop and unwind in the popular café.
Explore the art, skill, fashion, textures and shapes at the country’s most comprehensive permanent exhibition of contemporary and historic Swedish design.Packed to the rafters with innovation and inspiration, the museum houses more than 50,000 objects in its collections. Old Swedish and European handicrafts are in the majority, but there are also Greek and Roman artefacts and items from China and Japan. The visitor is not overburdened with information as collections are well presented to highlight key aspects of design culture.
The collections include the textile collection (with textiles found in ancient Egypt), the metal collection, the print collection and the glass collection (old and modern glass). There are temporary exhibitions arranged throughout the year.
Fee: Year pass: SEK 40
Under 25: free
Open Hours: Tue: 12noon - 8pm
Wed-Fri: 12noon - 5pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 5pm
Address: Vasagatan 37-39
Phone: +46 31 368 31 50
Röhsska Museum's webpage
Shopping
Scout
Update your wardrobe with rare gems
Noteworthy for: Scout carries a clutch of quality brands that you’ll have difficulty finding elsewhere in the city or indeed the rest of Sweden.
Don't miss this hidden little treasure, located in the heart of Vasastan. Since 2004, Scout has been offering carefully selected pieces from independent contemporary designers, many of them previously unavailable in Gothenburg.Scout stands for quality brands, inspiration and attention to details. Here you can find brands for men and women such as A.P.C, Ann-Sofie Back, Henrik Vibskov, Minimarket, Norse Projects, Perks & Mini, Wood Wood and many more.
Open Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am - 6.30pm0
Sat: 11am - 4pm
Address: Erik Dahlbergsgatan 15
Phone: +46 31 701 00 03
Scout's website
Shopping
Krypton Form
Fresh and cutting edge design styles
Noteworthy for: Here you will find a selection of top brands including Eva Trio and Georg Jensen/Royal Copenhagen.
Swedish design is known the world over for making minimalism and functionality an art form, and you can see many fine examples of this at Krypton Form. When you step inside you’ll feel like you’ve walked into the pages of an interior design magazine.Krypton's philosophy is that all of its products contribute to form a whole in which each device has obvious function, simple shape and high quality. Krypton Form makes it easy for you to create great room schemes.
Open Hours: Mon-Fri: 11am - 6pm
Sat: 10am - 3pm
Address: Vallgatan 17
Phone: +46 31 13 63 66
Restaurants
Sjömagasinet
A feast of succulent fish
Noteworthy for: The restaurant is housed in a building that dates back to 1775 when it was used as a warehouse by the East India Company.
A strong and abiding passion for fish and shellfish has put Sjömagasinet firmly on the map. The owner is top Swedish chef Leif Mannerström and every Christmas he attracts 10,000 customers for his pickled herrings.The flavorsome food packs a real punch and popular dishes include the smoked salmon with truffle mayonnaise; the Baeri caviar with Smetana; and the pan fried pike-perch.
The Michelin-starred restaurant enjoys a fabulous and picturesque waterside location near the entrance to the port of Gothenburg.
Price sample: Main course: SEK 245-375
Open Hours: Mon–Fri: 11.30 - 2pm, 6pm - 10pm
Sat: 5pm - 10pm
Address: Adolf Edelsvärds gata 5
Phone: +46 31 775 59 20
Sjömagasinet's webpage
Restaurants
Bar Centro
Spilling the beans on an outstanding coffee bar
Word to the Wise: The coffee is so good that queues frequently stretch out onto the street. But the wait is well worth it.
This Italian-style espresso bar is the vibrant hub of the city’s cafe culture. The reassuring whoosh of coffee machines and baristas barking orders to each other is music to the ears of the coffee connoisseur.Bar Centro takes its coffee drinking very seriously offering the very finest beans and roasts. There are only a few seats inside so most customers take their coffee whilst leaning against the outside wall or sitting on the sidewalk.
Address: Kyrkogatan 31
Phone: +46 31 711 00 27
Restaurants
Björns Bar
A mouth-watering Gothenburg favorite
Word to the wise: There are no reservations for dinner, so you may have to find a place at the bar until a table becomes available.
The restaurant is proud of its well stocked wine cellar and offers a number of different types of tasting sessions. They can be booked in advance and are for a minimum of six people.
Price sample: Tallrik med antipasti: SEK 115-310
Open Hours: Mon-Wed: 6pm - 1am
Thu: 5pm - 1am
Fri-Sat: 5pm - 3am
Address: Viktoriagatan 12
Phone: + 46 31 701 79 79
Björns Bar's webpage
Bars & Nightlife
Heaven 23
Scrumptious Scandinavian food with a view
Popular Plate: Try the King Size shrimp sandwich; it’s a local phenomenon.
Word to the wise: Grab the scenic elevator in the lobby.
The attractive menu features modern Scandinavian cooking with a host of international influences. Seafood is the order of the day and seldom will you taste more delicious mussels, oysters, shrimps, and lobsters. Wine buffs will enjoy the delights of the well stocked cellar.
Open Hours: The Bar:
Mon-Tues: 11.30am - 12midnight
Wed-Thur: 11.30am - 1am
Fri: 11.30am - 2am
Sat: noon - 2am
Sun: noon - midnight
Address: Mässans gata 24
Hotel Gothia Tower, west tower, floor 23
Phone: +46 31 750 88 05
Heaven 23's website
Bars & Nightlife
Bliss Resto
Food, cocktails and some mean music
Word to the wise: A good crowd and a great atmosphere, but come around midnight when the place tends to ignite.
Cool and classy, Bliss Resto is a trendy little bar and eatery with low slung designer seats and a deliciously decadent décor.The food is a delightful fusion of Swedish cuisine and international gourmet dishes. The menu changes with the seasons but can include spring roll with onion and cassava and froth of thyme, and skewered lamb with wasabi and dill-flavored bouillon. And there's an outlandish drinks menu with a raucous selection of cocktails.
Slip into this nocturnal favorite for a drink or a fully fledged dining experience. On several nights of the week DJs will turn up the tempo once the clock has struck 12.
Open Hours: Fri-Sat: 10.30am - late Address: Magasinsgatan 3 Phone: +46 31 13 85 55 Bliss' webpage
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