A solitary escapade in Sweden

Göteberg

On Wednesday, February 5th, I decided to go away for the weekend somewhere in Europe. 

Not knowing where to go, I used the Skyscanner website and chose Edinburgh as the airport of departure to "Everywhere". I found two destinations that I was interested in: Budapest in Hungary and Gothenburg in Sweden. 

The budget needed to go to Sweden was much higher than to go to Hungary (10€ for a night in a youth hostel in Hungary versus 25€ for a night in Sweden) but, visiting Sweden was still one of my dreams and I decided to go there.

It was a very important trip for me because it was the first time I went alone to a foreign country for tourism.

To facilitate contacts, I booked my accommodation in a hostel with single rooms but also dormitories for 12 people (women and men separated). This was not my first experience in a hostel and I had observed in the past that this type of accommodation greatly facilitated the exchange. 

So I stayed at the "Backpackers Goteborg Hostel" located close to the Botanical Garden, the Natural History Museum of Gothenburg and close to the Olivedalsgatan stop (tram line 11).

Public transport in Gothenburg is very well organized. However, don't be fooled when you arrive: everything is written in Swedish on the trams. As a foreigner, you should therefore use the "To Go" application which allows you to obtain travel itineraries, locate trams and bus stops but also to buy your ticket in a very simplified way and in English. Adult tickets are valid for 90 minutes and cost 30SEK (2.90€).

However, Gothenburg is a city that can be visited on foot with good shoes. I didn't use the transport very much but because of the catastrophic weather, they still allowed me not to go back to the hostel drenched.

The Gothenburg archipelago

Over 20 islands with an endless amount of gems to discover.

The archipelago of Gothenburg stretches along the coast like a string of pearls. You don't have to travel far from the city to find charming villages, stunning nature and beaches. Seal safaris, sea-fishing and boat excursions are just some of the activities available here.

This archipelago is very easy to reach and costs no more than a tram ticket. Indeed, just go to the terminus of line 11 "Saltholmen" and take the ferry of your choice according to the islands you wish to visit (the ticket is valid for the ferry).

I took the ferry 281 to Vrängo via Stryrsö and got off at Styrsö. I chose this island because half of it is habited and the other half is completely wild. There is also a bridge leading to the island of Dönso which allowed me to visit two islands without taking the ferry again. Stryrsö is the most frequented island in low season and therefore the one where I was likely to find cafes/restaurants... 

It's a really nice island and the ferry trip is also very nice. However, I would really advise you to go there on a good weather day if like me you go there in low season because the weather was very windy but nothing more and that made it more pleasant. Moreover, no shops were open, so you spend the whole day outside (plan the picnic!!).

I visited the island from side to side. In the North which is the inhabited part, you can see a beautiful church but also the typical Swedish houses, colourful and enormous. The inhabitants are very nice and there are no cars on the island, only small golf cars or scooters. So it is extremely quiet and pleasant. 

The hiking trails are very well marked and well maintained. You can really enjoy the views. I think it is more interesting to do it by bike especially if you want to reach Dönso (bikes are allowed on the ferry). 

I loved hiking north of Dönso, it is in the middle of nature and allows (especially in summer) to enjoy small creeks to swim. It is done in 1 hour by taking your time and taking pictures.

I highly recommend this visit which is done in ½ day if you are efficient and in 1 day if you take your time. This archipelago is a 45 min ferry ride away and is clearly worth a visit.

The city of Göteberg

I was very surprised by the fact that almost all shops and restaurants are closed on Sundays. Maybe this is only the case in low season, but be careful if you had planned to do some shopping in the Scandinavian decoration shops.
I didn't take the time to visit the museums during my short stay there, but there are plenty of them:
The aeromuseum
Göteborgs Konstmuseum (Museum of Fine Arts)
Röhsska Museum (fashion and design museum)
The Universeum (science museum)
The Swedish Museum of Natural History
…


Many museums are free for people under 25 years old, if you decide not to visit the archipelagos or if the weather is not good, don't hesitate to check them out.

I loved my trip to Sweden. 
The people are lovely and the Scandinavian architecture is really beautiful. Staying in a hostel gave me the opportunity to meet other travellers and talk about a lot of things with them. And most importantly, the most important: I made a solo trip for the first time. 
And the moral of this story is that it will certainly not be the last.