Although
Freddie Pettersson thinks that “Canada is awesome”, his hometown of Gothenburg (or Göteborg in
Swedish),
Sweden
is a pretty interesting place too. Gothenburg is the second
largest city in Sweden, with a population of nearly 500,000 people.
Gothenburg is an important port city located “in the south” of
Sweden on the west coast of the country (click
here for a map), and is about “12 hours (from Calgary) by
airplane”. The climate in Gothenburg is “not very warm and not
very cold” with average temperatures ranging from about 1°C in
December and January to 18°C in July and August. All of
Freddie’s extended family lives in Gothenburg, and when asked
what he misses the most about his hometown Freddie says he misses
“the food, my mum’s food muahahaha)”
When he was
younger, Freddie and the other kids enjoyed spending their time
playing sports. They “played a lot of soccer (and) inline hockey
during the summers” and in “winter (they) played hockey all the
time.” These days Freddie’s favourite thing to do when he’s at home
is to “hang out with (his) friends and just watch movies.”
Freddie
is pretty taken with Canada right now, so when asked what a tourist
visiting Gothenburg should see Freddie’s response was that they
should see “Nothing, because you have already
everything over here (in Canada).” Despite
this, there are many fun and interesting attractions to see in
Gothenburg. Christmas is an especially exciting time to visit the
city. Starting on the 9th of December the city centre is
transformed into “Christmas Lane” with beautiful light displays,
choirs, Christmas markets, and a Winter Wonderland in Gothenburg’s
central park.
If you’re visiting
Gothenburg in the summer, the best way to see the city is by going
on a sightseeing tour in the famous open-topped Padden boats. The
boats take you through the city via the moat and 17th
century canals. From the boats you can take in many of the city’s
sights including parks, gardens, and historical buildings.
Gothenburg and its surrounding area are home to many beautiful
historical buildings including churches, castles and fortresses.
The city also has a
flourishing arts and cultural scene, with over 25 theatres and 17
museums to visit. Some of Gothenburg’s most popular cultural
attractions include the City Theatre and Folkteatern, the Gothenburg
Opera House, the Göteborg Museum of Art, and
the Concert Hall featuring The Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
Another fun
attraction
in Gothenburg is the Universeum,
Sweden’s National Science Discovery Centre. The
Universeum has everything from rainforest and ocean displays to
hands on experiments. You can even watch feeding time with the
sharks when the keepers feed Herman, a 2.5 metre long sand-tiger
shark!
Overall, Freddie’s
hometown of Gothenburg is an exciting and fascinating city, with a
great cultural scene and fun events and attractions to experience
year round.
Thank-you for
reading about Freddie Pettersson’s hometown! If you would like to
learn more about Gothenburg, Sweden please visit
www.gothenburg.com. Also, thanks to Freddie for taking the time
to tell us about his hometown and to Göteborg & Co. (www.gothenburg.com)
for the information and pictures used in this article.
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"My
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