[W]e recently took a road trip around the southern part of Sweden in a new Volvo XC90 which we picked up directly from the factory just outside the city of Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast. Volvo has an overseas delivery program where when you order your car they will fly you to Sweden to pick it up and test drive it around the beautiful Scandinavian locations just as we did for a few weeks this past June. Once your journey is completed they will ship the car to you back home in the US. It’s a fun way explore a new country, get to know your car and make a ton of memories!
Our first stop on our #VolvoOverSeasDelivery was to Gothenburg, the gateway to West Sweden. This is what I loved: The people are so nice. The fresh seafood, especially the oysters, are amazing. The trams are not only beautiful with their blue lines rolling around the city but also very clean and easy to use. Gothenburg had a lovely balance of old architecture and cobblestone streets mixed with modern day conveniences.
RESTAURANTS
- Atelier – One of my favorite restaurants ever. Think champagne, roses, etched glass, velvet couches, and incredible seasonal, locally sourced food. One of the best meals from the entire trip!
2. Dorsia – Amazing dining terrace with a great sophisticated social scene.
3. Gabriel – Inside the “Fish Church” of Gothenburg, perfectly fresh seafood lunch not to be missed.
4. Norda – Beautiful for dinner with a very lush dining room.
5. Brewer – Sourdough pizza joint and craft beer bar for something more casual
6. Taverna – Stunning courtyard for a cozy dinner or dine inside surrounded by galleries of cool modern art.
SHOPPING
- Nudie Jeans – 100% organic fair trade cotton and they will repair your Nudie jeans for a lifetime.
- Artilleriet – Great interior design store, amazing location with food trucks parked outside and da Matteo next door.
- Floramor & Krukatos – A shop with a personal mix of furnishings, own pottery and unusual plants situated on a cobbled courtyard in the center of Gothenburg.
- Alvhem – A cool interior design store and firm for one stop home shopping
- Grandpa – A hip mens and women’s fashion store with a focus on Scandinavian designers.
Enjoy cocktails and dinner at Marcus Samuelson‘s Norda Bar & Grill.
Below, Gothenburg’s “Fish Church”, a seafood market that has been operating since 1874. If you go to Gothenburg you must have lunch at Gabriel on the top floor overlooking all the fresh fish stalls. It was one of my favorite meals on the entire trip! The owner is a wold champion oyster shucker!
Though the weather changes quite often and quite dramatically in Sweden, we lucked out with an afternoon of sunshine in Trädgårdsföreningen Park with an unbelievable rose garden and greenhouse.
STAY
- Hotel Pigalle – This place is the dream, total romance.
- Hotel Bellora – Sister to Hotel Pigalle, where we stayed, perfectly located and quite charming.
- Clarion Hotel Post – A trendy hotel set in a former post office building from 1925 is right by Central Station
Volvo’s XC90 outside our Hotel Bellora in central Gothenburg providing an ideal location to explore the city either by foot, public tram which runs right outside. Also, to be noted, breakfast here is not to be missed! One of the best of our entire trip! Below, lunch at Norda Bar & Grill across the street from the main train station.
FIKA. Fika is a big deal in Sweden. Every mid afternoon coffee shops overflow with a the social act of sipping coffee and taking a break from the day. If you’re in Gothenburg you have to Fika at da Matteo, the best!
Enjoying sourdough pizza and craft beer at Brewers Beer Bar.
