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A sustainable travellers guide to the city of Gothenburg

Gothenburg, Sweden is not is not the first place you think of when you are thinking sustainable travel. In fact, it’s probably not the first place you think of when you think of any sort of travel. But it should be! In 2021, Gothenburg was awarded Lonely Planets “Most Sustainable Destination Award” due to the cities continued effort to become fossil free by 2030. Not only is the transport and energy mostly green, but so are the hotels and restaurants. In recent years Gothenburg has introduced a sustainability grant meaning that businesses could receive funding by going green. The effect has been immense.

So that’s why your next destination should be Gothenburg, Sweden. Now let’s get in to how to get there, where to stay and what to do to keep your travel as sustainable as possible!

If you are interested in learning about more things to do in Gothenburg, make sure to read my post on 70 things to see and do!

About the city

Gothenburg is located on Sweden’s South West Coast, a hub for the small islands dotted about the archipelago. Historically, Gothenburg is a industrial city. The harbour was the biggest city for sea trade with Europe. Now the city is known more for its sustainable initiatives and green travel.

There is much more to the city than this though. Gothenburg is a beautiful city, perfect for slow travellers and those that like a little calmer city break. The magic of the city is in the atmosphere rather than its attractions. Just walking around, you can feel its history. Looking up, every building has a decadent façade, and hidden on every corner there is some sign of the first walled city that existed centuries ago.

Slow travel in Gothenburg

There are two big parts of Swedish life that become obvious in Gothenburg. Both of these concepts are part of what makes the city work so well with slow travel. These are the ideas of “lagom” and “fika”. Roughly translated “lagom” means “not too little and not too much”. This concept is applied to everything in Sweden. It is about giving and taking just enough. This could mean having just the right amount of food at lunch, or buying less clothes to have a lower carbon footprint.

The other concept is “fika”. Fika is basically a short pause during the day where people sit down with family, friends or colleagues and enjoy a coffee and cake together. This time is meant to be almost meditative, where you give your full attention to the person you are speaking to and are completely in the moment. I think this concept is something that is important in slow travel. It is all about slowing down and appreciating every second for what it is. Fika is big in Gothenburg and there is a café on almost every street.

How to get to Gothenburg

There are a few ways to get travel to Gothenburg but the most sustainable option is by train. The majority of public transport in Sweden is run on green energy. This includes inner city buses, trains, trams and even intercity trains! There are a few companies you can book trains to Gothenburg with, but I would recommend looking at SJ. This is Sweden’s main rail service and they pride themselves on being sustainable and eco-friendly. With SJ you can get to Gothenburg from basically anywhere in Sweden, although you may have to do a few transfers. There are direct trains to all major cities, including Stockholm, Malmö, Umeå,  Copenhagen, and Oslo.

Where to Stay

As I mentioned above, there are a quite a few sustainable hotel options in Gothenburg! Not only do you have to vouch for eco-lodging, but most big hotels are also sustainable choices. This includes Gothenburg’s top 3 hotels – Hotel Pigalle, Hotel Avalon and Upper House Spa Hotel. In fact, 95% of all hotels in Gothenburg are eco-certified. It is still worth double checking with your specific hotel before booking just in case.

How to get around the city

There is no lack of sustainable transport to travel with within Gothenburg. Wherever you want to go there will always be an option to take a scooter, cycle, catch the tram or the bus. This is something I love most about this city. Gothenburg is small and easy to get around. It is no worries to go from one side of the city to the other and back within a few hours.

Electric Scooters

There are a few different electric scooter options in Gothenburg. These include Voi, Lime and Tier are just a few of them! All of these scooters work with an app. You simply download the app, activate the scooter and you’re off! They can be quite expensive if you are hiring them for a long time but a great option to get from point A to point B with a little flair. The usual cost is 10kr unlocking fee and then 3kr a minute on top of that for the duration of your ride.

Electric Bikes – Styr och Ställ

Styr och Ställ are an electric bike share company that have bikes all around Gothenburg. There are a few more locations in the summer than in the winter, including at the harbour in Saltholmen. These bikes work by downloading the app, unlocking the bike and paying by the hour for its use. There is also the option to pay for a years membership if you are visiting the city a few times. These bikes are great fun, and great for the environment!

Trams and Buses

The more traditional way to travel around Gothenburg, and best way to go on longer distance trips, but still be sustainable. Both buses and trams in Gothenburg run on renewable energy. The lines run throughout Gothenburg and continue up and down the coast a little bit too to amazing little fishing villages such as Smögen. The best way to find the schedule is on the vasttraffik website!

Where to eat

Gothenburg is a great foodie destination, with so many great sustainable choices of restaurants. Most restaurants have vegan options but there are also some incredible pure vegan restaurants to visit! For those who are not vegan, there are some great restaurants around that source sustainable, ecological and produce for their entire menu.

Natur

One of my favourite sustainable restaurants in the city of Gothenburg is Natur. This cosy wine bar focuses on pairing natural and organic wines with fresh, locally produced dishes. They serve vegan and vegetarian options and their meat is all sourced in Sweden. Their dishes revolve around the seasons to ensure that the vegetables are being grown in Sweden.

Restaurant Vrå

Vrå is located inside the old postage building of Gothenburg and is now one of the most sustainable restaurants in the city. Their ethos is to work sustainably, and ecologically and work with nature to create their menus rather than against it. This means including locally produced organic vegetables and following the seasons. Their menu is Swedish cross Japanese and they have some really interesting flavours in their dishes!

Garveriet Floda

Garveriet is a sustainable farm shop and café located a little further out of the city of Gothenburg in the town of Floda. However, it is still worth a visit if you are looking for a day trip out of Gothenburg. Nearby is Nääs Slott, the castle known for its historical and cultural upkeep, where you can canoe. Here, local produce and small-scale production are their main focus. They base their menu around ingredients sourced from the local area and cook according to their zero-waste policy. They serve delicious fresh baked sourdough bread as well as a seasonally changing lunch menu.

Gunnebo Slott

Another destination a little further out of the city, Gunnebo Slott is a large house built in the early 18th century. Here, they still run the gardens using traditional methods, without machinery. Everything here is done by hand in the exact same way it was done when the house was first built. The gardeners work with cultural experts to ensure that their vegetables are grown sustainably, organically and traditionally. The café here sources all of their food from the house’s gardens. This means the summer menu is bustling with delicious and unusual flavours!  

What to do

Sustainable travel is all about slowing down, appreciating the moment and leaving as little of an imprint as you can. This is a part of what makes Gothenburg such a great city for sustainable visitors. There are no real big attractions here, most of what makes the city great is the space itself. There is no better way to spend the day than wondering around the parks, admiring the old buildings or strolling around the coastline. Here are some of the best sustainable, slow travel things to do in Gothenburg.

Walk from Röda Sten to Saltholmen

The walk from Röda Sten to Saltholmen explored the western part of Gothenburg. The walk starts on the harbour and ends up at one of the cities most visited coastal areas. Throughout the walk you pass many rocky outcrops that look over to the other side of the river where you can see the harbour at work. It is a still a busy place and as you watch the cranes moving containers around you really understand a little bit of Gothenburg’s history.

Visit the islands

There is no better day trip from Gothenburg that visitng the islands on the west coast. From the city centre, and Saltholmen the beach I mentioned above, ferries go out to almost all the islands on the West Coast. Why not spend the day wandering around Marstrand, Hönö or Strysö, or even make your way a little more north to Smögen! The islands are a part of what makes Gothenburg special, and walking around them is one of the best sustainable activities you can do when visiting the city!

The Sauna in Frihamnen

There is not much more Swedish than an outdoor sauna. This sauna located in the centre of Gothenburg is created using completely recycled material, with the change rooms being made up of 12,000 plastic bottles! It is an amazing place to visit and a real highlight to a slow travel trip to Gothenburg!

Have any questions about sustainable travel in Gothenburg? Leave them in the comments!

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Comments

  1. James Doran says

    Hi Katie,

    Great post about Gotheburg. I will be travelling for work at the start of september and will have a bit of free time. I also write a blog about traveling and will probably do a post about my trip when I am there. Thanks for some great advice on where to visit and how to get around.

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