A Weekend in Gothenburg
By Mia Antonini
School: Hamilton College, Class of ’26
Major or concentration: Government with a minor in Religious Studies
Semester abroad: Spring ’25
We first learned about Gothenburg, or Göteborg, on the first day of Swedish I class when our professor, Erik, told us that it was the second largest city in Sweden. Though we admired the image he chose, of a scenic waterfront city with tall glass buildings, we didn’t think much of it at the time. However, only a few weeks later, for our first weekend trip away in late January, a few friends and I would be buying train tickets to visit that very city.
Upon asking classmates and local connections what we should do in Gothenburg, we were met with less familiarity than expected. When asked, most would wonder why we were choosing to visit Gothenburg, before confessing that they had never been, or only once a long time ago. One classmate in my Migration Policy course, a student at SSE and a Gothenburg native, however, encouraged us to try the city’s kebab pizza, arguing that Stockholm kebab did not compare. Similarly, he told us that what truly made Gothenburg special was the people, and after our 2 days in the city, we would absolutely agree.
Our journey started at the Spanga station, where we took the Pendeltag to T-Centralen and then hopped on the train, departing on a 4 hour journey that brought us to our hostel, STF Vandarhem Stifbergsliden (an amazing hostel!), at a little past 1 in the morning on Saturday.
The next day, we enjoyed a slow morning, waking up around 9 and making our way to the streets of Haga, one of the city’s oldest quarters known for shopping and delicious bakeries, particularly large kanelbullen known as “Hagabulle” at Café Husaren (who also sell delicious cheesy quiches and other baked goods). Both the owners of the tourist shops and the small boutiques were so kind, inquisitive, and happy to share with us their stories, truly affirming our classmate’s opinion on the nature of Gothenburg’s people. Second-hand shopping was also a large highlight during our trip with our group collectively bringing back several items of clothing and jewelry that we will cherish long after our semester finishes.
Later that day, we visited the Skansen Kronan, a crowned fortress on top of a hill, which was a great way to see the city from another angle, especially as our first day provided us with wonderful sunny weather and a stunning blue sky. On the second day, the rainy weather led us to the Gothenburg Natural History Museum, and had we had more time, there were several other museums we would have loved to explore, including the Gothenburg City Museum and the Gothenburg Museum of Art. The public transportation in Gothenburg was also incredibly easy to use, though the city is also perfectly walkable, so it truly has the best of both worlds.
We could each talk for hours about our favorite places and sites we explored in Gothenburg, but if there was one spot that was an absolute favorite, it was the restaurant we ate at on our second night: Posto, an Italian restaurant that opened just 6-months prior to our visit. Not only was the food incredible (the pistachio lemon pasta may be my favorite dish I’ve had all year), but the service and red and white interior were fantastic, leaving us to stay until almost closing time, and even speaking with the co-owner who graciously gave us further recommendations and connected us with other local establishment owners. Feskeörka is also a must-visit for fresh seafood—don’t miss out on the fresh oysters or fish burger!
All in all, we cannot rave about Gothenburg enough, and truly believe it is an underrated travel destination, perfect for a first weekend trip!
