Gothenburg: Second to none

Scandinavian Review, Spring 1999 by Goldsmith, Barry

Last summer it seemed that I had made a whirlwind visit to Tokyo, Amsterdam, Paris, Sydney, London and St. Petersburg-all in just one weekend-entirely without any jet lag. Did I discover a new travel secret? In a way, yes. I discovered Sweden's second city, Gothenburg (Goteborg to the natives), where almost everyone spoke English. Situated on the west coast, at the mouth of the Gota River, it is Scandinavia's foremost seaport and a major commercial center, the perfect complement to Sweden's beautiful aquatic capital, Stockholm.

The traveler doesn't have to go to Japan to cross a country by highspeed train. I left Stockholm at 6 AM on the X200 train and arrived in Gothenburg less then three hours later. In roughly the time it takes to get to an airport and then to a city center, I had crossed the entire country. If the train were any faster I would have complained: The magnificent scenery of lakes and birch forests would have been a blur. As for the ride itself, it was so uneventful that I never felt I was traveling at such high speeds as 140 miles per hour.

The service on board was impeccable. When I ordered a drink from the attendant, there was no spillage as she deftly filled my glass nearly to the top. The ride was so smooth that the only thing shaking was my hand. No need to worry about your cup overflowing or your hot coffee ever scalding your knees. You can sit back and relax while imbibing liquid refreshment of any kind as you contemplate the passing scene from this comfortable train.

Like Paris and London with their luxurious "Railway Hotels," built at the turn of the century, Gothenburg, too, has a great hostelry practically at the train station, the Hotel Eggert, a sightseeing attraction in itself. Some earlier sections date back to 1820, but the building as it stands today dates from 1883. The latest remodeling was completed in 1997. Dominating a beautiful square and canal, it's the place where the Swedish Art Academy was founded in 1886, where Russian aristocrats took refuge after the Russian Revolution, and where important secret meetings between the Axis and Allies took place during World War II. The only thing that bespeaks its age is its elegance. Every room at the Eggert is furnished in a different period style (mine was Empire) with state-of-the art bathrooms and a totally modern communications system.

A Victorian hotel situated next to a canal: how reminiscent of Amsterdam! It's hardly surprising, since Gothenburg was built by the Dutch in 1619 with canals included at no extra cost. Many are still extant. A highlight of any visit to Gothenburg is a cruise on the flat-bottomed boats called "paddan," which depart from the bridge at Kungsportsplatsen. The paddan not only traverse the canals, but also cruise Gothenburg's mighty harbor, which once saw the departure of thousands of Swedish emigrants to the New World. The view of Gothenburg disappearing over the horizon was often their last glimpse of their native land.

Gothenburg is also the home of Volvo, a car known for pampering its occupants in comfort and safety, a concern for protection that is also reflected in the "cradle-to-grave" security of the modern welfare state. The Volvo Museum traces the history of Sweden's number one car manufacturer since the company was founded in 1927. (Other flagships of Swedish industry with headquarters in Gothenburg are SKF ball bearings, Hasselblad camera and Saab Ericsson Space.)

On the day I took the paddan cruise it was overcast and chilly. Waiting on each seat was a thick rubber parka, which not only made the ride more comfortable, but ensured that the rest of my visit was illness-free.

After we left the canals and approached the harbor, we found looming before us something that looked like a huge, bronze sailing vessel that had just docked. It was the new Gothenburg Opera House designed by Jan Izikowitz and inaugurated in 1994. Just as the Sydney Opera House dominates its harbor, the Gothenburg Opera looks more like it's anchored in the sea than situated on land. From its perch, permanently moored in the harbor and surrounded by sailboats, it looks more like a mother ship than a cultural institution.

The performances held there are in more than shipshape. The auditorium perfectly balances classicism and modernism, using a profusion of exotic woods to bring out warmth in decor as well as in tonality. It is also unique it having adjustable acoustics, which may be adapted to the requirements of different art forms, whether opera, ballet or orchestra. The backstage is so technologically advanced that it is fully automated.

Best of all the intermission itself is a performance of sorts. From all the balconies the view of the surrounding harbor is so magnificent that even the decorative railings enhance the fairy tale feeling.

Just a few blocks from the waterfront is the Gothenburg Maritime Center, with displays that bring to life the city's seafaring past; it is much like New York City's South Street Seaport museum. What impressed me the most was a duplicate of the ironsided Civil War battleship Monitor designed by the Swedish engineer John Ericsson. This ship was built in 1875 and has most of the Monitor's unique features-such as the first propeller-which changed the face of naval history forever. What an eerie feeling to tour the boat and relive this turning point in American history-in Sweden-something that couldn't be done in America because the Monitorwas lost in a storm off Cape Hatteras in 1863.