Gothenburg ~ Travel

Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg; pronounced [jœtəˈbɔrj]) is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 516,532, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 933,560 inhabitants in the metropolitan area. Gothenburg is classified as a global city by GaWC, with a ranking of Gamma−.

The City of Gothenburg was founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. It lies by the sea at the mouth of Göta Älv—the river running through the city—and is the largest seaport in the Nordic countries.

Gothenburg's popular tram system covers most of the city which makes it the most extensive in Scandinavia. Here shown a vintage tourist tram at Kungsportsavenyn

Gothenburg is home to many students, as the city includes both the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Volvo Cars was founded in Gothenburg in 1927. The city is a major centre in Sweden for sports and home to the IFK Göteborg, GAIS and Örgryte IS association football teams as well as the Frölunda HC ice hockey team.

Gothenburg is served by Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, located 30 km (18.64 mi) southeast of the city centre. It is the second largest airport in Sweden.

Gothenburg harbour seen from the Älvsborg bridge. Seen to the left is the ship HSS Stena Carisma and to the right MS Stena Scandinavica

Climate

Gothenburg has an oceanic climate according to Köppen climate classification. Despite its high northern latitude, temperatures are quite mild throughout the year and much warmer than places in similar latitude, or even somewhat further south, mainly because of the moderating influence of the warm Gulf Stream. During the summer, daylight extends 17 hours, but lasts only around 7 hours in late December.

Liseberg, the largest amusement park in Scandinavia.

Summers are warm and pleasant with average high temperatures of 19 to 20 °C (66 to 68 °F) and lows of 10 to 12 °C (50 to 54 °F), but temperatures of 25–30 °C (77–86 °F) occur on many days during the summer. Winters are cold and windy with temperatures of around -5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F), even though it rarely drops below −10 °C (14 °F). Precipitation is regular but generally moderate throughout the year. Snow mainly occurs from December to March. Although snow is not unusual in November and April and can sometimes occur even in October and May.

The University of Gothenburg is one of the largest universities in the Nordic countries.

Transportation

Air

GOTGSEMap showing the locations of airports around GothenburgThere are two international airports around Gothenburg:

l Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport (IATA: GOT, ICAO: ESGG) is located 20 km east of Gothenburg, and is the largest international airport serving the Gothenburg region in Sweden. With 4.3 million passengers in 2006 it is Sweden's second-largest airport. It is operated by the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration (Luftfartsverket). It has connections with about 40 scheduled destinations.

l Gothenburg City Airport (IATA: GSE, ICAO: ESGP) is located 15 km northwest of the city centre. It was formerly known as Säve Flygplats, and today it is Gothenburg's second international airport and Sweden's 7th largest airport. It is located within the borders of Gothenburg Municipality. In addition to commercial airlines, the airport is also operated by a number of rescue services, including the Swedish Coast Guard, and is used for other general aviation. Most civil air traffic to Gothenburg City Airport is Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizzair. It has connections with 23 scheduled destinations.

The SKF factory in Gothenburg.

Sea

The Swedish company Stena Line operates between Gothenburg/Frederikshavn in Denmark and Gothenburg/Kiel in Germany.

The "England ferry" (Englandsfärjan) to Newcastle over Kristiansand (run by the Danish company DFDS Seaways) ceased at the end of October 2006, after being a Gothenburg institution since the 19th century. DFDS Seaways' sister company, DFDS Tor Line, continues to run scheduled freight ships between Gothenburg and several English ports, and these have limited capacity for passengers and their private vehicles. There are also freight ships to North America and East Asia.

Ullevi Stadium, the largest outdoor sports arena in Scandinavia

Rail and intercity bus

Other major transportation hubs are Centralstationen (Gothenburg Central Station) and the Nils Ericson Terminal with trains and buses to various destinations in Sweden, as well as connections to Oslo and Copenhagen (via Malmö).

With around 20,000 sailboats and yachts scattered about the city, sailing is a popular sports activity in the region, particularly because of the nearby Gothenburg Archipelago.

Freight

Gothenburg is a logistic centre, with transports by train and truck from Sweden and Norway to Gothenburg harbour which is by far the largest port in Scandinavia with a cargo turnover of 36.9 million tonnes a year (2004).

The Gothenburg Opera.

Public transport

With over 80 km of double track the Gothenburg tram is the largest tram/light rail network in Scandinavia. The bus network, however, is almost as important. There are also some boat and ferry services. The lack of a subway is due to the soft ground on which Gothenburg is situated. Tunneling is very expensive in such conditions. There is also a commuter rail in Gothenburg servicing nearby some nearby cities and towns.