Gothenburg at Easter: A trip down memory lane

I’ve been to Gothenburg (Sweden) a couple of times as a teenager, but haven’t had the opportunity to go since then, which is a shame. It’s such a beautiful coastal city full of stunning architecture and picturesque gardens. Although my main reason for going at the time wasn’t the sights. It was to attend a gaming convention known as ‘Goth-Con‘, with two of my friends.

Goth-Con is an annual event held over Easter break at the stunning Hvitfeldtska Gymnasiet building (a high school in Gothenburg). I entered a couple of trading card tournaments while I was there, one for UFS and one for the Pokémon. Although I didn’t do too well, but it was great to meet other players, and I did pick up two boxes of the Buffy trading card game for a great price. 😁

Hvitfeldtska Gymnasiet building, Gothenberg

Since it’s been 10 years since I’ve visited this wonderful city, I thought it would be a great time to reflect on my trip – 10 years ago today.

Gothenburg – Sweden

We travelled to Gothenburg over the Easter weekend and the weather was a lot different to now. It snowed throughout our trip which is far from the sunny weather we’ve currently been having here in the UK! I stayed at a beautiful hotel on the outskirts of Gothenburg which meant relying on public transportation to get to and from the venue. Trams are a rarity in the UK so I found using them a real novelty and enjoyed riding them. 🚊

We opted to ‘pay as you go’, but if you’re staying in the city for a longer period of time or traveling further distances, to the seaside for example. It may be worth picking yourself up a Gothenburg Card, which lets you use all public transportation and have free access to many museums for 24€ a day.

The view from my hotel room

A spot of sightseeing

In between tournaments we explored Gothenburg city centre. Mostly on foot as the city is easily walkable, but occassionally hopped on a tram (or two) to explore more of this beautiful city. We also stopped for lunch (more than once in fact) at Stora Saluhallen to try some local Swedish food.

Stora Saluhallen is Gothenburg’s largest market hall and boasts more than 40 stalls and restaurants inside with national as well as international products. Including things like elk meat, reindeer and pastries.

One of many statues in Gothenburg city centre

On our walk through the city, we stumbled upon a bookshop called “Science Fiction Bokhandeln“, which sold many books and lots of geeky memorabilia; I was in my element! I picked up an Angel the TV show soundtrack, a Joss Whedon t-shirt and some Hellraiser DVDs.

Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet

We befriended some of the other attendees at Goth-Con and they recommend we visit “Sjöfartsmuseet Akvariet” which is Gothenburg’s maritime museum and aquarium. The exhibits were impressive and I was happy to see an anaconda in real life! We also saw some stingrays and reptiles.

Note, the museum is currently closed for renovations until Autumn 2020.

Mr. Ray

Plan for cold weather!

We flew to Gothenburg from London but there are also ferries that you can take when traveling to the city. Especially from mainland Europe. The weather can vary, but tends to be colder during the Spring and Autumn months (and Winter of course), so pack accordingly. I made the mistake of thinking it would be similar to Springtime in the UK so I didn’t pack many clothes for cold weather. Big mistake! I was so thankful for the one hooded top I did bring.

Snowfall can occur any time between late November and April, though it is most frequent from December to March. Luckily I love the snow as it snowed heavily on our second day and on and off for the remainder of our trip. It made the areas we visited look even more picturesque. Especially the rural areas near my hotel.

A snowy street in Gothenburg city centre

The bus stop near my hotel

I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. 😊 It’s certainly made me want to go back to the city – perhaps a 10 year anniversary trip is in order!? Or to explore other areas of Sweden in the near future. I’m thinking Stockholm?

Have you ever been to Gothenburg? Or other Swedish cities? Let me know in the comments. 😊

25 Comments

  • Helen C

    July 5, 2019 at 11:21

    Hey Kim 🙂 I love your travel blog posts, and seeing new places through your eyes. Sounds like you explored lots of different things on your trip. I like the sound of the science fiction book shop, and the bits you picked up there. I’ve never heard of Goth-Con before, but it must have been a fun experience. 🙂 xx

    Helen | Helen’s Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

    1. Kim

      July 20, 2019 at 09:38

      Thanks Helen. x
      Goth-Con was a lot of fun when we went there and that book shop is still one of my favourites. I’d love to go back again some day. x

  • Kim

    May 17, 2019 at 21:11

    It’s definitely somewhere I’d like to explore more of. Thanks for your comment lovely. x

  • Ashley

    May 13, 2019 at 22:13

    What a beautiful place – I’d love to say I’d ‘Gone Goth’! I’ve never been to Sweeden – it looks like an amazing country! xxx

    Ashley
    https://lellalee.com

  • Margarida

    May 2, 2019 at 14:16

    I’ve never been to Sweden but want to. Perhaps I will see you in Stockholm ?!

    1. Kim

      May 17, 2019 at 21:11

      Maybe you will! 🙂

  • Jenny

    April 26, 2019 at 10:55

    I’ve never been to Sweden but I’d like to! It always looks and sounds lovely. I have a Swedish friend, which is the closest I’ve got haha!

    Jenny
    http;//www.jennyinneverland.com

    1. Kim

      April 28, 2019 at 09:28

      Haha, I don’t have any foreign friends myself. Well, except American friends, but no non-English speaking ones. Perhaps they could give you a tour? Thanks for your comment Jenny. x

  • ThatAutisticFitChick

    April 25, 2019 at 23:28

    I loved walking that trip down memory lane with you! Sweden is definitely one of those places that I’d like to visit and that convention sounds fantastic!

    1. Kim

      April 28, 2019 at 09:27

      Thank you! 😊 I enjoyed reliving it. I’d definitely recommend a trip to Sweden. x

  • Jazmin

    April 25, 2019 at 17:56

    Ah it sounds like a wonderful place! & you must have had a lot of fun. I can’t believe it snowed! It’s almost more magical though. I love the snow xx

    1. Kim

      April 28, 2019 at 09:23

      I loved the snow. There really is something so magical about it, isn’t there? Thanks for your comment. xx

  • Deborah Wyatt

    April 25, 2019 at 17:36

    I’ve never been to Sweden, but it makes me want to go x

    1. Kim

      April 28, 2019 at 09:20

      It really is such a wonderful country. Thanks for your comment. x

  • Susanne

    April 23, 2019 at 10:06

    Hi! I’m Swedish and lived in Göteborg many years ago and have lived near it for many years. It’s a nice city to visit, although I much prefer living in a smaller town. But did it really snow in Göteborg over Easter??! I thought they had as good weather as we had! (I live in Ireland now) I even saw friends on Facebook going to the sea and one of them had a short swim (yes, it was cold).

    1. Kim

      April 23, 2019 at 17:19

      Hey! Lovely to hear from you. 😊 I prefer smaller towns too and could never live in a big city. They are great places to visit though. It definitely snowed! We had snow on the second day which lasted throughout our holiday. Typically snowfall can occur any time between late November and April in the city, though it is most frequent from December to March. My post is a throwback from 10 years ago though. xx

  • gotmeghan

    April 22, 2019 at 23:39

    Wow! I love Sweden! It’s in my Top 5 places I’d love to visit one day!

    I’m happy that you got to visit a place where you’ve been to before, but for a totally different reason. It’s cool that Sweden has their own Cons. Honestly I would have put it on another weekend but that’s me! It’s something new 🙂

    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Kim

      April 23, 2019 at 17:37

      Thanks for your comment lovely. I’m not too sure why they choose Easter weekend either to be honest. Possibly because the students are on Spring break so the venue is more readily available? That’s the only reason I can think of. x

  • Boxnip

    April 22, 2019 at 21:03

    I’ve never been to Sweden but would love to go. My best friend lives in Sweden, I speak to him every day and the photos he’s shared with me of where he lives etc, it’s just so nice. Can’t say I am keen on all the snow they have though or the boiling hot weather in the summer. 😀

    Sarah 🌺 || Boxnip || Latest Post

    1. Kim

      April 23, 2019 at 17:35

      I’m not a huge fan of such extreme weather changes either, so I completely agree with you there! That’s lovely that your friend lives there and shares his photos with you. Have you ever thought about going over for a visit? x

  • Lisa

    April 22, 2019 at 17:23

    I’ve never been to anywhere in Sweden, or even Scandinavia for that matter. I’ve always thought it would be too cold (and your lovely photos have done nothing to change that mindset!) Although having said that, Flora would LOVE the aquarium with all those rays so maybe that’s one for her bucket list in future! Lisa x

    1. Kim

      April 23, 2019 at 17:26

      Haha, it can get very cold! Snowfall can occur any time between late Nov to April, so if you wanted to go in the Summer you should be safe. 🙂 I haven’t been, but I have heard their Summers are warmer than ours. x

  • Sophie Wentworth

    April 22, 2019 at 14:30

    I’ve never been to Gothenburg! I love that you used to go regularly for the convention, that’s some serious dedication! It looks really pretty in the snow x

    Sophie
    http://www.glowsteady.co.uk

    1. Kim

      April 23, 2019 at 17:24

      Thanks Sophie. 😊 I’d be lying if I said it was the only foreign convention I’ve been too, lol. I’m actually planning a trip to a US one in a couple of years! I really loved the snow. xx

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