Göteborg Local Custom Tips by Sjalen Top 5 Page for this destination

Fireworks

Nowhere else I have lived have been able to beat the amount of fireworks. None as spectacular as in Stockholm with all its water but the AMOUNT of fireworks here are amazing. Opening and closing of Liseberg, New Year, Easter and all sorts of birthdays. I suspect a lot of it has to do with the fact that Chalmers' Technical University run all sorts of trials too...:) Apart from the ones from Liseberg, many are fired from mount Ramberget on the other side of the river and the Skansen Kronan hill (see general tip) is a popular place to see them all from - loads gather here on New Year's Eve.

Music

Lots of rock and pop bands herald from Gothenburg and quite a few are famous. They've popped up through gigs in the little clubs as usual, and made their way up the charts. Swedish known artists include loved names like Nationalteatern and Håkan Hellström whilst international claim to faim is had by for instance Soundtrack of Our Lives.

We're locals...

People in Göteborg are very patriotic about their city. They usually dislike Stockholm and anything associated with the East Coast of Sweden. People can travel the world before they set fot in Stockholm. If you need a conversation in a bar, try football. Even the biggest cultural snob knows something about it since the town has so many teams and always host various championships.

Having said all this, it is the most open city in Sweden. Being Scandinavia's largest port, people are used to visitors. But it is so much easier if that visitor is British rather than from Stockholm :)))

Meeting point

At Kungsportsplatsen, this royal equestrian statue is the most famous meeting point in the city as people can sit on its foundation. It is affectionately known as Kopparmärra' which simply means "the Copper mare".

Poor Poseidon

Carl Milles' famous Poseidon fountain at Götaplatsen really has seen it all. I cannot recommend you to swim in it. I did it once when Sweden won its World Championship bronze medal in football (soccer) and then I walked home (15 minutes) in a soaked dress. Consequently I lost my voice completely for a week. Could have had something to do with the shouting too I suppose :)))

Poseidon's water is also often filled with washing powder by local students when they don't put a silly hat on him instead or a mask on his face...

Local architecture

The so called "landshövdinge" houses are typical of Göteborg. Landshövding means "county chief" and it was those who had enough of the fires sweeping through wooden Göteborg. They simply decided that houses had to be built with a brick foundation and only on top of that could you go on building with wood. Thus, you see a lot of these houses in the areas surrounding the immediate centre. In particular, head for Majorna along the river/behind Slottsskogen or to Redbergsplatsen or Mölndalsvägen if you want to study this very local architecture.