The Gay Getaway: Gothenburg and West Sweden
This weekend, Sweden’s second city Gothenburg is thrilled to celebrate WestPride, its intimate and hugely fun LGBTI Pride festival. It’s a celebration that the whole city gets behind, and from the moment you arrive, you’ll notice the airport, buses, trams, government buildings and local businesses all adorning the rainbow flag – and on parade day, everyone turns out in force to support West Sweden’s gay and lesbian community.
Gothenburg, the region’s gateway, like the rest of West Sweden, is a super gay-welcoming city. Once a port and industrial town that saw a downturn when the shipping industry declined, large urban regeneration (apparently due to a Bruce Springsteen concert – there’s some trivia for you to delve into!) brought new life to the city, and the success of its 2 large universities brought a youthful, open-minded student population and with it, a fun and more cosmopolitan way of life.
Gothenburg is the closest Swedish city to the UK (under 2 hours flight), making it a very doable weekend getaway. Its great food offering as well as music events, plus a taster of a very Swedish lifestyle, makes it a prefect city-break.
The rest of the summer promises a line-up of amazing cultural programmes, including the annual Gothenburg Culture Festival and of course its internationally renowned music festival, Way Out West.
The festival is not only about great music; but also film, art and design. Set in the lush city park Slottsskogen, Way out West is an environmentally-conscious festival that only serves vegetarian food in order to reduce its carbon footprint. Line-up for 2015 includes Pet Shop Boys, Elle Goulding, Patti Smith and First Aid Kit.
When spring breaks next year, Gothenburg will again play host to Summerburst, a must for dance and house music fans.
But it’s not all high energy. Romance-seekers can also enjoy a romantic, all-day sunshine, weekend by the sea. The B&B Styrsö Skäret on the small island of Styrsö offers luxury weekends package when the weather in the archipelago is at its best. Champagne, four course dinner, amazing seaviews and afternoon tea makes a weekend at this charming hotel unforgettable.
Just 30 minutes outside the city-limits is something entirely different, yet distinctively Swedish. West Sweden has a rocky coastline of 8,000 islands, thousands of lakes, peaceful canals and wild thick forests. Due to the region’s varied landscape, it’s a wonderful setting for adventurers looking for outdoor activities, including sea kayaking, canoeing and hiking.
West Sweden is also renowned for the wealth and quality of its natural, organic produce – both inland with its game, fresh fish, cheeses and beer – as well as on the coast, where the shellfish is amongst the best in the world.
