Gothenburg and West Sweden Spring newsletter 2012

March 20, 2012 - PRLog -- Easter escape ideas...

An old Swedish folk tale tells the story of an Easter witch who flies on a broomstick to Blåkulla island on Maundy Thursday and returns on Easter Sunday. Modern-day Swedes mark this story by holding bonfires along the majestic west coast (to scare away the witch!).

Easter celebrations in Sweden also involve dressing up as Easter witches, painting eggs and tucking into a typical Easter buffet of pickled herring, cured salmon, Jansson’s temptation (a traditional potato and fish bake) and spiced schnapps.

Experience a traditional Swedish Easter with one of these sample breaks on Sweden’s west coast, easily accessible from Gothenburg (all within an hour to 90 minutes’ drive north of the city):    

Sauna by the sea at the floating hotel – £146 pp at Salt & Sill
Spend Easter at the famous floating hotel and restaurant, Salt & Sill, in Klädesholmen on scenic Tjörn Island. Feel relaxation levels soar as you chill out in an outdoor hot tub that overlooks the ocean and enjoy top-quality cuisine at its Taste of West Sweden accredited restaurant. One night’s B&B, five-course dinner, coffee and cake buffet, sauna and egg painting costs £146 pp (two sharing). Stay an additional night for £66 pp. Valid on stays from 5-9 April 2012. Call 00 46 304 673480 (www.saltosill.se).

Budget fun for all of the family – from £35 pp at the Strand Hotel and Hostel
Set in the charming coastal town of Lysekil, the Strand Hotel and Hostel is a perfect Easter getaway for budget-conscious families. Take in the picturesque coastal surroundings and keep the kids entertained with visits to the nearby aquarium and Nordens Ark, a private non-profit foundation dedicated to providing a future for endangered animals. One night’s B&B, lunch, entry to Havets Hus aquarium, arts and crafts and egg hunts costs from £35 pp (£141 total – based on four sharing a family room). Valid on stays from 30 March -15 April 2012. Call 00 46 523 79751 (www.strandflickorna.se).

Sweden’s most westerly islands – £254 pp at Väderöarnas guesthouse
Get away from it all this Easter with a visit to the remote Weather Islands (Väderöarna). Base yourself at Väderöarnas guesthouse on the main island, featuring a restaurant accredited by the Taste of West Sweden scheme. This TV-and-car-free zone allows guests to while away the hours in the most calming of ways - indulging in the freshest of seafood, sea kayaking around the rocky cliffs and breathing in the sea air from an outdoor hot tub. Two nights’ B&B, two dinners, one lunch and boat transfers from Fjällbacka cost £254 pp (two sharing). Valid on stays from 4-10 April 2012. Call 00 46 525 32001 (www.vaderoarna.com).

Culinary news...

Nordic Championships in Oyster Opening, 27-29 April 2012
West Sweden is renowned for its shellfish so where better to hold the Nordic Championships in Oyster Opening but at Tanumstrand near Grebbestad, on the west coast, where 90% of Sweden's wild oysters are found? Watch contestants race to open 30 oysters at the fastest speed and present them in the most attractive way. There’ll be masses of fresh seafood on offer, as well as the chance for adults to set off on seafood safaris with local fishermen while crab clubs keep the young ones entertained. The new Tanumstrand resort offers a range of hotel or cottage-stay packages - for example, one night’s B&B, seafood buffet and entry to the swimming pool costs from £108 pp (two sharing). Call 00 46 525 19000 (www.tanumstrand.se).

New Taste of West Sweden restaurants
12 more restaurants that make the most of West Sweden’s first-class produce are set to become Taste of West Sweden accredited in May 2012, raising the number of top- notch gastronomic eateries in the scheme to 36 restaurants. The new highly-regarded foodie hotspots include Kosters Trädgårdar on the South Koster Island, Baldersnäs in Dalsland lake district and Styrsö Skäret in Gothenburg. As well as offering mouth-watering seasonal and locally-sourced cuisine, the restaurants are all found in an array of naturally beautiful settings - islands, deep forest and rich farmland.

Crime fiction adventures...

Investigate the Fjällbacka murders – from £73 pp at Bryggan Fjällbacka
The top-selling Swedish crime fiction writer Camilla Läckberg releases The Stranger (paperback) and The Drowning (hardback) in the UK on 16 March 2012. The books are set in Camilla’s childhood home of Fjällbacka (90 minutes’ drive north of Gothenburg). It’s one of the region’s prettiest fishing villages - the actress Ingrid Bergman holidayed there every year for a reason, calling it ‘her place on earth’. See Fjällbacka for yourself and stay at Bryggan Fjällbacka, which has a Taste of West Sweden accredited restaurant and where one night’s B&B costs from £73 pp (two sharing). Call 00 46 525 31060 (www.brygganfjallbacka.se).

Looking forward to a Swedish midsummer...

The Day of the Herring, 6 June 2012
Swedes go crazy for herring – they eat it in different, creative incarnations at celebrations across the year as part of a Smörgåsbord buffet. Herring even has its own National Day, on 6 June 2012 – The Day of the Herring - and Klädesholmen on Sweden’s west coast is a great place to celebrate. Devour a herring lunch at the pretty harbour and try activities that include learning to make a traditional Midsummer herring dish, a tour of the herring factory and a heritage walk around the island. Stay at the nearby Salt & Sill floating hotel and restaurant where one night’s B&B and a three-course dinner costs from £65 pp (two sharing). Call 00 46 304 673480 (www.saltosill.se).

Mark the Swedish Midsummer
Take part in a very Swedish tradition – the celebration of summer on Midsummer Eve (22 June 2012). After the country’s dark winters, this National Day is well deserved, with Midsummer Eve one of the lightest of the year and a magical occasion. Maypoles are raised in villages and cities across Sweden and everyone tucks into a traditional Midsummer feast. Some of the best places to spend Midsummer Eve include Strandflickorna Havshotellet in Lysekil, Styrsö Skäret on Gothenburg’s archipelago, Gunnebo House and Gardens on the outskirts of Gothenburg and Läckö Castle by Lake Vanern. Learn more at www.westsweden.com.  

Record number of sailing events in West Sweden
Never before have so many high-profile sailing events been held in West Sweden. This year will see seven spectacular sailing races take place along the west coast from June to August, including the Women’s Match Racing World Championships in Gothenburg (26-30 June), The Stena Match Cup Sweden (2-7 July) and the RC44 Sweden Cup (18-22 July) - both by the historic island of Marstrand - and the Lysekil Women’s Match, the world’s biggest match racing event for women (6-11 August).  

For more information about visiting West Sweden and Gothenburg, go to www.westsweden.com and www.gothenburg.com.

Holidays to West Sweden are available through numerous tour operators, including Sunvil Discovery, Simply Sweden, Best Served Scandinavia, Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, Nature Travels, Discover the World, The Adventure Tour Company, Original Travel and Taber Holidays.  

West Sweden can be reached with a short two-hour direct flight to Gothenburg with British Airways (Heathrow), Ryanair (Stansted and Edinburgh), SAS (Heathrow), Skyways (Manchester and Birmingham) and Norwegian (Gatwick)

Ends – 20 March 2012

Press: For more information contact Stephanie Reed at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 (s.reed@travelpr.co.uk).

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