Rena Niamh Smith, The Daily Telegraph, September 5, 2014
The chic citizens of Sweden’s second city have a keen eye for design, making it the perfect getaway for stylistas.
Stay
With a pretty top-floor restaurant and rooms lavishly furnished in Belle Epoque style, Hotel Pigalle has an intimate feel and is ideal for romantic getaways or a girls’ weekend. From £155.
When the fashion crowd are in town, it’s Hotel Flora they stay at. It exudes Scandi good taste, from the library to the Crashpad single rooms designed for solo trips. From £77.
Eat
That Gothenburg classic, the open shrimp sandwich, is a speciality of the restaurant Heaven 23, which is in a tower overlooking Liseberg amusement park and was decorated by a Swedish graffiti artist.
Stefan Karlsson, the chef at the Michelin-starred SK Mat & Människor, does fine dining with a humorous touch. Guests can even try making, as well as tasting, dishes from the menu, which showcases seasonal Swedish produce.
Drink
Fika – coffee and cake – is a daily ritual for Swedes. Participate at one of the Da Matteo bakeries, renowned for their cold-press coffee and sourdough sweet treats.
Dosa Ivanov, the barman at Clarion Hotel Post, is a Swedish cocktail champion, so it would be rude not to sample a Spring Break, his winning concoction of gin, ginger, chilli, strawberry and elderflower.
Shop
With its great mix of labels (1440, Back, Rodebjer etc), Weekday on Södra Larmgatan is a great place to start buying into the left-of-centre Scandi aesthetic.
Friends of Form stocks quirky fashion, homeware and art and is set in a small courtyard alongside a champagne bar and cool hair salon.
Now in its 15th year, Whyred excels at mod minimalism and boy-meets-girl dressing. Check out its chic concept store on Södra Larmgatan.
No style-run on Gothenburg would be complete without a trip to Nudie Jeans on Vallgatan. The denim label began life in the city.
Do
Gothenburg’s archipelago is peppered with tiny fishing villages, coastal pathways and secluded swimming spots. Brännö, part of the car-free southern region, is like stepping back in time to a simpler way of life. There are bikes to hire, good beaches and a folklore museum. Invest in a City Card travel pass, which covers trams and ferries and gives free entrance to many attractions.
Spa
Luxuriate in Upper House’s glass-bottomed outdoor Champagne Pool, which is suspended 20 storeys above the city. A day pass grants access to the spa’s hammam, Jacuzzi pools and, of course, sauna.
Fly with
BA offers return flights to Gothenburg from Heathrow from £87
To read more articles from Stella Magazine, visit telegraph.co.uk/stella
Follow Stella magazine on Twitter and Facebook
This article was written by Rena Niamh Smith from The Daily Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
