Shopping in Gothenburg

Everything from vintage fashion to homeware is up for grabs in Gothenburg’s smorgasbord of shops.

Key areas

The greatest concentration of shops in Gothenburg lies within the city's old moat (Vallgraven), where you’ll find fashion galore, among them the ubiquitous European and American high street chains. Along Vallgatan and Magasinsgatan, there are several design, furniture and arts and crafts shops as well as restaurants and cafés. Exclusive fashion shops and art galleries line the city's main boulevard, Avenyn, or, as it’s officially known, Kungsportsavenyn. Haga (old town) and the Linné district just to the west of it, is the place to go for arts and crafts, antiques and vintage emporia. The area has a bohemian feel to it, and is popular with locals at the weekend.

Markets

At Kungstorget there is a lively market square that includes Saluhallen market hall, where all kinds of fresh foods are available. To the north of Haga, near the Rosenlunds canal, the Feskekörkan (Fish church) attracts vast crowds of tourists, thanks to its top-quality seafood.

Shopping centres

Nordstan, with 180 specialist stores and all the major high street chains, is to be found in Vallgraven, near to fashion mall, Arkaden. For a more upmarket experience, try department store NK, where the big international names, among them Dior, YSL and Prada, rub shoulders with top Swedish names such as Acne, Whyred and crystal-manufacturers, Kosta Boda. For food, try Kungstorget’s charming little food hall, Saluhallen. The shopping centre V The Quarter Femman Gothenburg (www.femman.com) with around 50 shops in the northern part of the city is the renovated version of the former Femmanhuset.

Opening hours

Generally, shops are open Monday-Friday between 0930–1800/2000 and Saturday 0930-1600/1800 and are closed on Sundays.

Souvenirs

Both organic denim label Nudie and high street favourite Monki originate in Gothenburg. Both are cheaper in their hometown, so don’t forget to pick up a fabulous pair of jeans. Look out for the big names in Scandinavian furniture design, among them Wegner, Mogensen, Jacobsen and Juhl, which appear in vintage form in shops all over the city. For those who are so inclined, there’s Viking memorabilia (much of it amusing tat), moose-themed cushions and traditional wooden cooking implements to be had.

Tax information

Swedish VAT is set at 25% with the exception of food and essential services.

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Featured Hotels

Hotel Riverton

A recent sharp and stylish update of the Premium Queen rooms at Hotel Riverton means this city centre sanctuary now offers 4-star comfort without having to inform the bank manager. With rain showers in the glass-walled bathroom, cinema aspiring TV screens and Nespresso machines in each bedroom, plus new extra thick doors to keep corridor clamour to a minimum, the hotel is perfect for a short or long break. It also has a Sky Bar that overlooks the harbour and a riverside restaurant.

Elite Plaza Hotel

A stylish business hotel in a more than 100-year-old building, the Elite Plaza Hotel opened in 2000 and is one of the most luxurious hotels in Gothenburg. There are 121 rooms and six suites, all with satellite TV and broadband internet connection. The hotel has an excellent restaurant, Svea Hof Restaurang & Bar, as well as an English pub, The Bishop's Arms.

Dorsia Hotel

Mixing aristocratic artistry with a contemporary palette of plums, rubies and jades, the Dorsia Hotel is one of the finest establishments in Gothenburg. With mulberry silk duvets and Egyptian cotton linen in the sleeping quarters, plus grandiose sitting rooms that call out for a slow brandy or port, it's a refined inn that few will wish to leave. Free Wi-Fi and lava-android TVs come as standard and the excellent in-house restaurant is more foie gras than fries.

Upper House

The clean and contemporary sleeping chambers at Upper House, with their Nordic sharpness and modern apartment-like space, are found in the top floors of the Gothia Towers. While the attention to detail is first rate, with king-size, cushion-filled beds, complimentary Wi-Fi, choice flat screen TVs and a changing room service selection, it's famed for the large, wall-sized windows that afford incredible views over the city vista. The hotel also has three swimming pools, Turkish baths, spa treatments and a locally-sourced breakfast.

Hotel Bellora

With a choice of 98 chic rooms, the Hotel Bellora is a beautiful lifestyle-hotel that mixes Italian Dolce Vita with a cosmopolitan flair. With an Espresso Bar warmly nestled in reception area that sources speciality beans to complement its indulgent chocolates and Italian pastries, it’s not just the 4-star comfort of the rooms that keeps visitors returning.

Hotell Liseberg Barken Viking

The 4-star Hotell Liseberg Barken Viking is housed in one of the few remaining four-masted barques in the world. The ship was built in 1907 and is moored in the Gothenburg guest harbour next to the Gothenburg Opera. The hotel offers rooms and a restaurant with a unique maritime atmosphere and furnishings. There are several conference rooms on board as well.

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