Gothenberg in brief

Gothenberg, the halfway point between Oslo and Copenhagen, fell into place as a respite weekend on the final leg of our journey.

It is the second city of Sweden. With Stockholm tucked away in the Baltic, Gothenberg is Sweden's gateway to the west. Settlements pre-existed the city which was formally founded in 1621. At that time it was subject to 'foreign' influence and the first city council consisted of four Swedes, three Dutch, three Germans, and two Scotts.

Eventually Sweden was fully in control. This small fortress, not far from our hostel, was built on a hill over-looking the area in the late 17th century. With walls seven metres thick, it has 20 windows on each level: the bottom for cannons and the top for rifles. It has a commanding view of the city. The old port area is just visible on the left.

Gothenberg evolved from a fishing to a trading and industrial port. Like Liverpool it was a centre for emigration. It was the base of the Swedish East India Company. Now it is the home of Volvo.

Most of the shipping now docks down stream of the Centre but it still has an industrial feel. There's a power station close to the centre.

We drifted around the centre of the city on our first day. We also took a sightseeing trip on the canal which circles the old central part of the city. This is a result of the early Dutch influence: the land was quite marshy and the canal also helped create a fortified area.

The bridges are low. One had less than 2ft clearance above the seat top. Your had to duck!

The next day we explored a large 140 hectare park which was just up the road from the hostel. Part of it is hilly ground with views over the city and part is flat. There are some small lakes and a small farm type zoo which is free, but unfortunately it was temporarily closed. An impressive city park.

Adjacent to the park is the Botanical Garden. The glasshouses were closed but the rest, including an arboretum, was more like one of the RHS or National Trust gardens in the UK. I loved it. Parts are reminiscent of our much loved Bodnant Gardens in North Wales. They make good use of the hilly and rocky terrain. Don't miss this if you ever visit Gothenberg.

Finally, on the other side of the river, there is a really striking brand new building still being finished off inside.

It is the Karla Tower which is to be the centre piece of a new district. It is the tallest building in Scandinavia.

Its 74 floors will house over 600 apartments, offices, a hotel and a sky bar. It is designed by SOM the company who also designed Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, in Dubai.

Tomorrow, Copenhagen and then home at the end of the week. Jenni is running out of tea bags!