Gothenburg - Museums & Canal Tour

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Geo: 57.6954, 11.9218

Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden (about 500,000) and is a major trading center as well as home to Volvo, Erickson, Stenna, and many other industries. Sweden has a history of trading dating back hundreds of years. It was also in the late 1800's and early 1900's the point of departure for many who emigrated to other countries. At the time there was a famine and a great deal of unemployment. This is the case for my grandparents.

At one time it was also a ship-building centre but only one berth remains.

We are staying in the Majorna district which was historically a low income district where many who worked in the port lived. It still appears to be lower income although many of the original buildings have been replaced. The Maritime Museum is located here and is very close to our hotel.

We walked back into town and along the canal to take the canal tour which was very interestIng. The guide spoke fluent English so we learned a great deal of the history of the town.

The centre of the town is known as Innerstaden. It is a mix of higher end stores, cafés and restaurants. Closer to the water is the Nordstaden which is the largest shopping centre in Sweden.

On our return we walked again through the Haga district with the wood frame houses, and of course shopping and restaurants.

Vehicles are basically not seen in much of the city. There are a few connecting roads but the city is designed around transit, bikes and of course walking. There is very little traffic even at rush hour. One is surprised to see the amount of shopping considering the population.

Part of the city is an island served by the transit system with ferries.

The weather is very warm. We have been told this amount of warm weather is unusual. We are at 57 latitude and would have expected cooler temperatures being on the coast.

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