The Swedish city of Gothenburg has been voted European Capital of Smart Tourism 2020 and is a good place to begin a tour of the stunning west coast.
But have a good look around Gothenburg before you head off up the coast. It has an eclectic mix of attractions including the communal sauna at Frihamnen, made entirely from recycled materials.Photos courtesy imagebank.sweden.se (clockwise from top left) Lindholmen Science Park, Sofia Sabel; Fjällbacka, Per Pixel Petersson; the edible country, Tina Safrén; kayaking, Henrik Trygg; communal sauna, Anton Olin; international ferry, Per Pixel Petersson; market hall, Anton Olin; the Weather Islands, Henrik Trygg.
Sweden's west coast stretches from Gothenburg up to the border with Norway and its most westerly islands, the aptly named Väderöarna Islands (The Weather Islands), are a paradise for kayakers and seafood lovers.
At Käringön Island you'll find quaint red fishing sheds, tiny outhouses and gardens that haven't changed since the 19th century.
National Marine Park
Then there's Sweden's first national marine park, Kosterhavet, centred on the car-free Koster Islands with their unique coastline of beaches and rocky islands. And visit ÅstolIsland, just off Tjörn, for its freshly smoked seafood.
Small towns and fishing villages
The quaint and quirky fishing villages are well worth a visit here. Grebbestad is where 90 per cent of Sweden's oysters originate and is home to Everts Sjöbod restaurant, a restored 19th century boathouse where eco-friendly seafood catching and tasting sessions are on the menu.
Lysekil is a great place to use as a base for further island exploration, including the island of Skaftö with villages Fiskebäckskil and Grundsund and their red wooden houses set on the water's edge. The islands also offer several nature reserves with walking paths and cycling trails.
Marstrand is also worth a visit. It's a sailing town with a rich history and it has impressive views across the archipelago from Carlsten's Fortress.
Herring, history and shellfish trips
Herring is so big on the west coast that they celebrate 'Herring Day' on 6 June, when all are welcome. Check out famed Klädesholmen and also hotel and waterfront restaurant Salt & Sill. Join the local fishermen on a seafood hunt for lobster, oysters and mussels.
Coastal crime novels
For an authentic crime-scene setting, visit the tiny fishing village of Fjällbacka, made-famous as the setting for Camilla Läckberg's crime novels. You can read more about crime fiction West Sweden here.
About Gothenburg
Founded in 1621 and located on Sweden's west coast, Gothenburg has a population of one million. It has two universities and 60,000 students. There are 20 museums in the city and 810 kilometres of bicycle lanes. The city claims that 96 per cent of its public transport runs on sustainable fuels and 95 per cent of hotel rooms in the city are environmentally certified. It employs 29,000 people in IT and boasts 274 square metres of green space per citizen.
About the European Capital of Smart Tourism award
A total of 35 cities from 17 EU countries took part in the competition, which evaluates candidates from four categories: sustainability, accessibility, digitalisation and culture/creativity. Ten were selected for the final presentation in Helsinki.
In its entry for the 2020 award, Gothenburg focused on strengths in all four categories. It is on the digital frontline with high connectivity and a large number of tech companies. Also, the city is a leader in sustainability with a number one ranking in the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
This is an extract from Gothenburg's entry: "Being smart makes what is good even better. Our pocket-sized metropolis has for 400 years gathered people who believe in international and cultural exchange. To anyone who perceives "smart" as a tech term we wish to show another side – a side filled with warmth, inclusiveness and human values. Gothenburg is a sustainable city open to the world."
The European Commission awards the title of European Capital of Smart Tourism to two European cities with the smartest, most innovative and inclusive approaches to their tourism development. In 2019 Helsinki and Lyon held the title and now in 2020 it's Gothenburg and Malaga.
The competition is open to cities in the EU with a population over 100,000 inhabitants, or in countries where no city has this number the largest city is eligible to apply.
The EU says that by rewarding exemplary practices of smart tourism it seeks to encourage innovation of tourism destinations, support culturally diverse and inclusive tourism and highlight the multi-faceted contribution of tourism to sustainable development.
How to get there
There are frequent train services to and from the central station in Gothenburg, connecting the city with the Scandinavian capitals Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen, with journey times of around three to three-and-a-half hours. The trains from Denmark stop at Copenhagen international airport, making it a convenient option to fly there and catch the train to Gothenburg, travelling via the magnificent Øresund Bridge that connects Denmark and Sweden.
Gothenburg's international airport Landvetter (GOT) is located 20 kilometres south-east of the city centre and is served by numerous regional and international airlines.