Clarion Hotel Post Gothenburg

 

We recently stayed at the Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg, Sweden. Located in Gothenburg centre, the hotel used to be an old post office, hence the name. We had a great night and enjoyed our stay - including the Swedish hotel breakfast!

The Clarion Hotel Post's breakfast is served on the main floor of the hotel. Check with the front desk on the breakfast hours. During our stay in May 2022, we had to book a breakfast time to avoid crowding... although it was pretty crowded anyways.

The delicious breakfast included a variety of cold and warm dishes. They even had a tasty dessert section with little brownies and cakes! 

The breakfast area had multiple tables for the main food. For the hot dishes you could choose from items like sausages, thin pancakes, and eggs. The cold dishes included deli meats, cheeses, and smoked salmon (both warm and cold smoked).

There were also a few different drink stations to get tea/coffee, and juice but it seemed like everyone wanted to lineup at the closer coffee station, so it was slow getting your drinks.

One station offered some dairy free, gluten free and Egg free alternatives which included, yogurt, milk, bread, cheese, and even a couple of desserts. With a few allergies in our family, it's always nice when a hotel breakfast has some great alternatives. 

The Clarion Hotel Post is a very popular hotel located next to Gothenburg Central Station. We loved the location, the service, and of course the hotel breakfast. The room was spacious and had a fantastic view of the square outside.

A few things to know when staying with family...

- the pool at the hotel isn't included but can be booked. Kids can swim before 3pm.

- front desk replies to emails if you need to ask any questions before your stay.

- the sofa in the room can be made into the extra bed, however, there's an extra charge if you want bedding/pillows. 

- the hotel suite had a small fridge but it was full of drinks and snacks.

- There was also a kettle and coffee maker.

If you're visiting Gothenburg and looking to treat yourself to a nice hotel experience, check out the Clarion Hotel Post!

Don't forget your snacks! 

Clarion Hotel Post

Drottningtorget 10, 411 03 Göteborg

Check out their website for more information.

Liseberg in the Springtime

We enjoyed a Springtime visit to Liseberg recently! Liseberg is a theme park located in Gothenburg, Sweden that has re-opened for the spring/summer season. 

We've missed this theme park the last few months and were lucky to be able to visit again.

There is still a virtual queue for the rides which we used for all of our favorites. We took turns going off to try the rollercoasters like Helix and Valkyria! The single rider queue for Valkyria goes fast, so line-up there if you dare!!

   

The Rabbit show in Kaninlandet is a big hit with our little ones and the characters  are always entertaining. Now that restrictions have lifted, kids are allowed to greet the bunnies after the show. 

There are many enjoyable treats at Liseberg like the Swedish style waffles at "Systrarna Olson Våffelbageri" made fresh and hot to order! You can top them with Jam, whip cream or even ice cream. 

 

There are many different shops throughout the park offering treats and theme park souvenirs. If you want to take a break from the rides, you can pop in to see if there's anything interesting to take with you.

Unfortunately, we were not as lucky this time on the Lyckahjul or Lucky Wheel this time! It's a very popular theme park game where you see if the wheel stops on your number.

You can use cash or card at these games and it costs around 25-30kr for the group of numbers. There are chocolates, gummies, potato chips and even house decor as prizes to win. It's very popular as you can see in the photo!

Since it was a beautiful, sunny day, we tried a couple of boat rides too. Morotsresan in Kaninlandet and Skepp o'skoj at the other end of the park. The Skepp o'skoj attraction is a collaboration between Liseberg and the Stena Line ferries that go to Denmark and Germany. Once you are done, kids can take a photo to get their "boat drivers license" (a plastic card to take with you!)

One of my favorite rides from childhood was the swings! I even got to ride that and it's still as exciting to spin around and just like you are flying!!

Amid all that fun, we had to stop for snacks and drinks again at the Biergarten. At this outdoor Beer Garden, you can order using the QR code. This made it easier for us to just sit at the table and rest a bit before deciding on our snacks.

There's a popular Slushie drink at Liseberg which you can fill yourself. It's one of our favorite drinks to cool us off between rides ;) Choose from flavors like Raspberry, Cola, Blue ice and more!

Ahhhh, it's always a fun-filled day at Liseberg for both the Big and small ;)

If you're in Gothenburg, Sweden be sure to checkout Liseberg! It's definitely one of my Top 5 attractions for the city!

Thanks for reading and remember don't forget your snacks!

Liseberg is located in Gothenburg, Sweden
In the summer time there are also concerts on the Liseberg grounds!

Check out the Liseberg website for more information.

Kids courses in Gothenburg

I remember thinking before kids, why do parents sign their kids up for all these courses? Why are they so popular? 

After becoming a parent and especially once I had a toddler and newborn,  I understood! These courses were special, they were time away from the baby for the older sibling to enjoy. 

When my little one turned 2, I looked up extracurricular activities that were available for that age group. Everything I found was with parent participation.

When she turned 3, some of the classes available she could do on her own!

For the classes that still needed a parent at 3, I attended with the baby in a carrier. I did ask the instructor if it was OK before I sat in the class of course. They were usually ok with it and even gave my child extra help if I was occupied with the baby.

Extracurricular Activities are great way to let kids try different activities and see which ones they enjoy! Since they are kids courses, they are often only 45-50min, so location is important for us. We don't want to have to travel 45min to attend a short 45min class. Instead, I try to see what's around the neighbourhood that the kids and I could walk to.

In Gothenburg, Sweden, we have tried the following:

• Dansforum 
• BeSporty
• Ivrakurser
• Starz Soccer
• MiniyogiGBG

I've also found a few courses at Medborgsskolan but did not get a chance to try them.

Dansforum

Dansforum has moved locations since we last took a course and are now located across the water at Frihamnen. My daughter enjoyed the kids dance course here! They even had a performance for all the parents at the end of the semester. The younger kids were also included in this which made it really special! 

Dansforum is very popular so sign up early or you will need to be put on the waitlist.

BeSporty 

BeSporty offers kids courses all over Sweden. From sports, gym, dance and more. My 5 year old has been enjoying the "gym" class since she was 3. If you have previously been signed up for a course, they reserve a spot for you the following semester and a slightly discounted price.

We really appreciated that they stopped classes during the Pandemic in 2020 because it wasn't safe to hold indoor classes. They also arranged for those who missed those classes to take make up lessons when they re-started (when covid cases were down).

Ivrakurser

Ivrakurser moved into our neighborhood recently, so it was a great place to try some classes.

The 5 year old enjoyed a dance class there. They also offer family yoga and for older kids "Friday hangout time". The waiting area in the building gets very crowded since it is a small space. If your kids miss a class, you may be able to get a 'makeup' class depending on whether there are any free spaces in other classes.

Starz Soccer 

This course was something my daughter tried at 3 years old. I remember bringing the newborn along and having to still encourage the 3 year old to participate. It was a high energy course(lots of running, and a great way to get their energy out) but the course took place after daycare. This meant that the 3 year old often fell asleep on the way home...which made her actual bedtime much much later. 

It was a fun course that took place in the gym of an elementary school. There were at least 2 teachers every session.

MiniYogiGBG

MiniYogiGBG has previously offered Family yoga classes. We enjoyed this a few times but it was a bus ride away, so not very convenient for us unfortunately. I also took Baby and Mama yoga classes with the MiniYogiGBG founder and Yoga instructor Maëva Begon and I really enjoyed it! Check out my past blog post about Mama and Baby yoga here.

Unfortunately, MiniyogiGBG stopped classes during the Pandemic and have not been holding any classes recently but hopefully they will start up again in the future! 

However there are some Fairytale Yoga sessions or "Sagoyoga" offered at libraries and museums around the city. Check out the upcoming dates here.

Hope this helps those looking for some courses for their kids in Gothenburg, Sweden! Good luck finding some courses to try for your little ones. Remember, don't forget your snacks (especially since kids get hungry after a lot of activity)!

Banh Mi Shop Saluhallen

 

Saluhallen in Gothenburg, Sweden is a great place to try traditional Swedish pastries, Swedish cheeses, deli meats, fresh bread, even local, fresh meat cut by the butcher (in specific cuts you can't find in the regular grocery store). It's also a nice place to grab lunch to sit out in the sun. 

There are a few different lunch restaurants at Saluhallen. The Banh Mi Shop, is the first Asian restaurant we've seen in Saluhallen during our time living in Gothenburg. It was exciting to see a new Vietnamese place open up! The Banh Mi shop, offers not only delicious Vietnamese sandwiches but a few other Vietnamese dishes and drinks.

We tried a Banh Mi sandwich, Pho bo and a Matcha Boba. You can choose how much sugar in your Boba too. Unfortunately, it was still too sweet and the Tapioca balls were hard. Maybe it was an off day and not many people order Boba there?

The Banh Mi sandwich on the other hand was delish! The bread was hot and fresh and the filling was tasty. Will definitely go back again for the Banh Mi!

Located near the Kungstorget entrance of Saluhallen, the Banh Mi Shop offers Takeaway or Dine in. There are a few tables if you'd like to eat in Saluhallen.

If you are in Gothenburg, Sweden or visiting, enjoy a Vietnamese sandwich from the Banh Mi Shop at Saluhallen! 

Thanks for reading and remember, don't forget your snacks.

Banh Mi Shop

Located in Stora Saluhallen and shares the Saluhallen's opening hours.

Check out their website for more information.

IKEA Kitchen Renovation

 

The first apartment that we owned here in Sweden, was in a pretty great location. We bought it at a reasonably low price considering it's location. But it did need a few updates so we had always planned to renovate the kitchen before we sold the apartment. 

We ended up renovating the Kitchen, floors and painting walls before we sold. The kitchen project took a while to get started and we were hoping it would be done before the baby arrived. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The marble custom counter we had ordered took time to arrive because it was from Germany. It didn't help that our baby arrived 2 weeks earlier than expected. In retrospect, we would have started the Renovation earlier but we were really happy with the final result and would choose to do another IKEA kitchen in the future.

When building an IKEA kitchen, You can choose to do-it-yourself or let the staff help you plan. Unfortunately, I had to go back several times to the IKEA kitchen department to get help from them on using the IKEA software. It was really slow at home. Even at IKEA, the software was a bit laggy.

It was nice to have the IKEA kitchen specialists to go through what we had drafted and suggest different things. I'd say they were quite helpful although you have to wait for a time. 

IKEA has opened a new Planning Studio in Gothenburg Centre! It's a small space, where you can get some help to design and ask any questions you have. 

It's great to have this central option instead of having to travel out of the city just for a fee questions.

If it had existed when we did our kitchen renovation, it would have saved some time!

If you're planning a kitchen renovation for yourself this year, look into your options and do a little research before deciding. We would choose IKEA again if we do another kitchen renovation.

Thanks for reading, and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Göteborgs Choklad & KaramellFabrik

This little chocolate and caramel shop is located in the neighbourhood of Kronhusbodarna, right in the square of Kronhuset.

There is a large assortment of handcrafted chocolates and candies to choose from that make lovely Christmas gifts! Pralines,  chocolate bark and lollipops were on my list of gift ideas!

I stopped by the Chocolate factory and shop to pick up some Christmas presents. Snacks and treats make wonderful gifts in my opinion.

Many of my friends and family seem to agree ;) especially those who don't live in Sweden!

This shop can get quite crowded, especially during the Christmas season, as it's a small space. Now that it's time for last minute Christmas shopping there are many people out and about checking out the shops while visiting the Kronhuset Christmas Market.

If you are in Gothenburg or plan to visit in the future, stop by Kronhuset and Göteborgs Choklad & KaramellFabrik for some delicious treats!

Göteborgs Choklad & KaramellFabrik

Postgatan 6, Gothenburg, Sweden 

Check out their website for more info. 

Gothenburg's Biggest Candy Store Sega Gubben!

 

The largest candy store in Gothenburg, Sweden has to be, Sega Gubben. From bulk candy, to Chocolate and international snacks, there's a snack for the littlest to the biggest ;)

Here's a quick look into this amazing candy store!

Sega Gubben also sells a variety of soda, like Vanilla coke, Lipton tea, and different flavors of Fanta. It's nice to check back as their selection changes. You'll also find ice cream tubs like Ben & Jerry and individual Popsicles.

Little toys that include candy, is also a popular section of the store. A variety of Kinder Surprise eggs are also available to choose from, like Peppa Pig, Paw Partrol, Hot Wheels. 

Chocolate and candy you scoop into a bag and weigh at the end!

Just before the Christmas season begins, Sega Gubben stocks an assortment of Advent Calendars to get you ready for the countdown to Christmas! 🎄 

If you're in Gothenburg or planning to visit, stop by Sega Gubben for some treats for "Lördagsgodis" (Saturday sweets),  weekend movie nights or some Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers!

Enjoy your countdown to the holidays and remember, don't forget your snacks (Sega Gubben has some great ones)!

Christmas at Liseberg!

It's that time of year again and this year (unlike last year in 2020), Liseberg, in Gothenburg, Sweden, is open to celebrate the Christmas season!  Here's my past blog on Liseberg memories since it was closed during 2020. 

Christmas is definitely one of my favorite holidays. European Christmas markets, in my opinion, are nicer than the North American ones. Maybe it's what the vendors are selling or maybe it's just that the markets are set-up around a European city, so there's just a certain charm to them.

Liseberg has one of the city's Top Christmas markets, with vendors all around the park. They sell everything from food items like Salami, Äpplemust and Chocolate balls to Swedish-made wool socks and silver ornaments. 

Since Liseberg's Christmas market vendors are set-up all over the park. It's nice to be able to shop and check out Liseberg's Christmas decorations and Christmas lights while walking to your next ride ;)

Liseberg usually has an Ice show which changes each year. The last time Liseberg was open for Christmas,the Ice Show was a version of Scrooge. 

Unfortunately, this year there isn't a Christmas ice show, but visitors are free to ice skate at the skating rink! For the kids, one of the rabbits visits the ice rink a few times during the day. The 5-year old tried ice skating for the first time during our visit and was pretty good!

The kids also enjoyed the Christmas Rabbit performance that takes place in Kaninlandet on the Kanin stage. 

Always a lot of family fun with music, dancing and a funny performance. The toddler especially loved it!

We finally got a chance to ride the big Ferris Wheel as a family. The views are amazing! You actually go around 3x so you get enough time to enjoy the views!

 The view of the beautiful ice skating rink all lit up.

A Christmas visit to Liseberg isn’t complete without a visit to Santa's house! This was our first visit with Santa in 2 years!! 

Everyone is welcome to visit Santa's house and kids can write down their wish list and take it to him :)

The lineup to see Santa was pretty long, so bring something to help pass the time. I saw some kids with lollipops, some with snacks, games and toys.

It was worth the wait to see Santa! 

Another highlight of our visit was riding the Rollercoaster Valkyria! The Single Rider queue was only a few minutes and The thrill of the initial drop was made more chilling by with how cold your face got in the cold air!

 

During the Christmas season at Liseberg, there are places to warm your hands and faces up. If you notice people standing around then you know they are around the fire. It gets quite hot so keep your hands at a safe distance. 

The Chocolate Wheels are always fun to try whenever we visit Liseberg. I was getting used to not winning, until, I won!! For the very first time! We were sooo lucky this time and it was a great way to end the night!

If you're in Gothenburg for the holidays, consider a visit to Liseberg during the Holiday season. Remember, you need to book a visit in advance and cant just show up at the park. If you book a julbord at one of the restaurants in Liseberg, the park entrance is included. 

Enjoy your countdown to the holidays, and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Liseberg

Gothenburg, Sweden 

Check out their website for more information.

Christmas Market in Haga

The Christmas market or "Julmarknad" in Haga takes place on the weekends before Christmas starting on Saturday, Nov 27th.

There are 40+ Vendors that line up the main street Haga Nygata. Visitors to the market can find some great Christmas gifts like little Tomten statues, Christmas decorations and even Unique smoked meats! 

You can grab a warm drink and traditional Swedish pastry as you stroll around the market. You can also stop in at one of the wonderful cozy cafes in Haga. 

There's so much to see and try, from Glögg (mulled wine) to licorice and Swedish Fika pastries. 

The little "old town" of Haga has always had an olden day feel complete with cobblestones streets and little wooden cafes and shops. It's lovely to visit year round but it is especially nice during the Christmas season.

Candy canes, lollipops and other bulk sweets available at this candy shop.

There were even pony rides this year! I didn't see anyone riding, just the ponies taking a break at the market..

Here's Haga with just a sprinkling of snow, just before thw heavy snowfall last night. What a Winter Wonderland! It definitely feels like Christmas 🎄

Hope you're enjoying the Christmas season so far, and remember, don't forget your snacks! 

Haga Christmas market

Find out more info on the Göteborg.com website