Midsummer afternoon in Gothenburg.

A Norwegian friend of mine suggests a stopover in Gothenburg on my way to Oslo from Stockholm.

I’ve been looking at trains that run directly from Stockholm to Oslo, finding that construction requires the use of buses. For whatever reason, I’m adamant that I want to take a train, which runs through Gothenburg already. I take him up on his suggestion and book a hotel for a night.

My arrival in Gothenburg coincides with Midsummer and I wonder, too, what celebrations I might encounter. It turns out, none. Most of the celebrations happen in the parks outside of the city center. If anything, I find most of the city closed and quiet.

I take the 10:07 from Stockholm Central to Göteborg Central, not wanting to get up too early in the morning for my trip. It’s only two and a half hours to get to Göteborg

an early morning train in order to have enough time in the afternoon to wander the city, arriving at the station well before the scheduled time. While looking for the platform I manage to help a mother and daughter find the same train and direct her to where her cabin should be.

It’s a beautiful day. As the train leaves Stockholm the landscape quickly changes from city to farmland. Pastoral scenes zip past the windows silently and I wonder if we’d be able to hear cowbells if the windows were open.

I arrive in Gothenburg around 13h30. From the central station I walk ten minutes or so to my hotel. It’s on the other side of the tracks, just up a hill. The entire area is under construction and makeshift fencing has been set up to direct pedestrians and cyclists around the area.

The room isn’t ready, but I’m welcome to leave my bags in storage. I rearrange my things so that I have a proper day pack and leave the rest in left luggage. I fill up a water bottle and then head back out into the streets.

It’s a very quiet afternoon. Almost everyone seems on vacation. The few people I see all seem to be tourists, wandering about the center like I am.

I walk to Gustaf Adolf's square and then along the Stora Hamnkanalen, crossing one canal and then another as I walk towards the University of Gothenburg, Pretty parks line the canal and had I more time I’d love to sit on a bench and watch the world drift by.

I walk through a park that runs alongside the second canal and follow it west for a bit before turning south once again. I’m zig zagging my way through the center of the city en route to the Haga neighborhood in search of a coffee and Hagabullen, a Swedish cinnamon bun.

Nearing the Haga neighborhood, I pass the Haga Church, anchoring the Hagaparken. I stop in to have a look, but don’t linger. I haven’t eaten all day and my stomach is starting to growl.

The Haga neighborhood was once a working-class area, since its revitalization has become a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Perserved 19th-century wooden houses and brick buildings line the cobblestoned streets. Restaurants, cafes, and shops cater to those come to visit. The neighborhood is also famous for the cafes that cinnamon rolls as big as your head.

I’m worried that the Café Husaren might be closed for Midsummer, but I needn’t have feared. When I arrive there’s a line that stretches from the door to the cashier. Everyone seems to be ordering the Hagabullen and I follow suit, adding a flat white to my order, which I take to a table outside. One group, unable to finish their Hagabullen, offers the rest to the table beside them.

Sated for the moment I climb Risåsberget, the hill behind the neighborhood. A small fortress, the Skansen Kronan sits atop and from the base of the fort I can look out over the roofs of the Gothenburg. Looking out in the direction I came I try to spot my hotel, but I’m not entirely certain of its shape or how tall it is. It seems I should be able to see it, but I can’t be 100% sure.

I walk the paths around the hill. A small group picnics on the lawn. A family of Indians wanders the same lanes and I ask them for directions back down the hill, uncertain where I’ll end up. They’re uncertain as well and so I leave it up to the map to tell me once I arrive at its base.

I retrace my steps back to the hotel, passing the church and walking through the same neighborhoods as when I arrived. I pass the University of Gothenberg before turning and heading back north. It’s very quiet; most of the stores and restaurants are closed, but now and again I’ll pass a small group of Swedes, flower crowns on their heads, and wonder where they’re off to celebrate; where I might find a crown of my own. 🇸🇪