FOR THE SHOPPER...
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN
No one does Christmas better than the Scandis, with that permanent chill in the air, twinkly lights and gingerbread at every turn. So there’s nowhere better to truly get into the festive spirit than Gothenburg – Stockholm’s smaller, cooler sister city, home to lifestyle boutiques, hip coffee shops and one of the biggest and best Christmas markets in Sweden. Oh, and while we’re on the subject of doing things in style, why not see it all from a Swedish-designed Volvo V90? Which is exactly what we do during our four days in Gothenburg, and truly is the cherry on the cake for our festive mini-break. We book in at the Avalon Hotel, one of the city’s most stylish offerings (it has certificates commending its ‘zen’ status), which is located in the heart of the shopping district. It doesn’t disappoint. Rooms are minimal but artsy, with pale wood floors and supersized beds, accented with pops of colour in the form of Scandi-designed armchairs, wall art and wool blankets, and floor-to-ceiling windows turn streets down below into fascinating viewing. Downstairs, the restaurant has a reassuring buzz and is jam-packed over the weekend. By morning it’s less crowded and serves a lengthy breakfast to guests, with everything from organic scrambled eggs to smoked meats to – my favourite – cardamom buns.
Being a small city, central Gothenburg is great to see on foot. We spend a morning wandering around the different districts – our favourite is Haga, the oldest part of the city, where little gift shops and bakeries line the cobbled streets. We also explore beyond the city and take a 20-minute drive out to the archipelago just north of Gothenburg, where a short car-ferry ride leads us to Hönö and Öckerö, islands that are sparse but beautiful and teaming with fishing huts, boats and places to stop for lunch. It’s here that the V90 comes into its own, with its ‘head-up’ sat-nav display in the windscreen, self-adjusting cruise control a self-parallel park function and a heated steering wheel (a highlight).
However, a visit to Gothenburg is incomplete, especially in winter, without a trip to Liseberg, the amusement park that morphs into the most spectacular Christmas market. I have never seen so many illuminations – tiny fairy lights twisted around trees, giant lanterns lighting the way, a children’s fairground with globes of green, red and gold at every ride. We watch an incredible performance of The Nutcracker on ice, eat waffles as big as our heads and join in the carol singing on a faux ‘street corner’. The wooden huts dotted through the market sell everything from jars of lingonberries to knitted mittens and hunks of nougat.
For adults it’s a very special experience, for children, it’s like stepping into a fairy tale.
SARAH TOMCZAK