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The beautiful Scandinavian city nobody thinks to visit

Who needs Stockholm? - Leonid Andronov
Who needs Stockholm? - Leonid Andronov

This Scandinavian city is on few British travel itineraries. Make it your first stop for culture and cafés this summer.

Gothenburg - City map
Gothenburg - City map

Go now

Sweden’s second city (goteborg.com) has dispelled the last of winter – proving so via the launch of summer season at its feted theme park Liseberg (1) (liseberg.com; day-pass SK475/£40) – a mix of leafy grounds and thrill rides, which ranks as one of Scandinavia’s most popular attractions. BA (ba.com; Heathrow, Manchester) and Ryanair (ryanair.com; Edinburgh, Stansted) serve the city from the UK.

The city's cobbled streets
The city's cobbled streets

Stay here

A boutique retreat which goes in for velvet drapes, dark colours and baroque ambience, Dorsia (2) (dorsia.se) offers doubles from SK1,950 a night, with breakfast. A stately five-star slotted into the former central post office, the Clarion Hotel Post (3) has double rooms from £119, including breakfast.

Alvsborg bridge in Goteborg, Sweden - Credit: lkoimages - Fotolia
The striking Älvsborg bridge is a much-loved landmark Credit: lkoimages - Fotolia

Walk here

Take in the changing times of the city’s waterfront. Begin at the Museum of Gothenburg (4) (goteborgsstadsmuseum.se; SK60) on Norra Hamngatan, which houses the bones of a Viking longship that sank in the 10th century. Inspect the Deutsche Kirke (5), two doors to the east – a brick temple that opened in 1748. Then head north on Torggatan to admire the state-of-the-art opera house (6) (en.opera.se).

See this

Neighbours on Gotaplatsen (7), the Konstmuseum (goteborgskonstmuseum.se; SK60) and the Konsthall (konsthallen.goteborg.se; free) are the art strongholds. The former has work by Rubens, Monet, Picasso and Munch, the latter rotated contemporary exhibitions.

Inside the Konstmuseum
Inside the Konstmuseum

Try this

Café culture: dip into Café Husaren (8) (cafehusaren.se) in gentrified Haga for giant cinnamon buns under a century-old glass ceiling. Amble into Da Matteo (9) (damatteo.se) on nearby Magasinsgatan for coffee ground on the premises.

Shop here

Pick up a pair of Nudie Jeans – the denim brand founded in Gothenburg in 2001 – at the store on shopping drag Vallgatan (10) (nudiejeans.com). Find antiques and Twenties dresses at Fafangans Antik (11), whose vintage cool sums up Haga (fafangansantik.com).

22 beautiful European cities you'd never thought to visit
22 beautiful European cities you'd never thought to visit

Off the map

Catch the 11 tram south-west at the Brunnsparken stop. Ride to the end of the line at Saltholmen – a journey of seven miles (11km) and 35 minutes. Board a ferry to Donso in the Gothenburg archipelago. Here Isbolaget (isbolaget.com) does seafood in an old icehouse.

Gothenburg's archipelago - Credit: Credit: Alexander Weickart / Alamy Stock Photo/Alexander Weickart / Alamy Stock Photo
Gothenburg's archipelago Credit: Credit: Alexander Weickart / Alamy Stock Photo/Alexander Weickart / Alamy Stock Photo