Tips for your private life
These tips from local experts and internationals will help you make the most of your time in Gothenburg and West Sweden.
Allemänsrätten
If you are keen on the great outdoors, you should definitely make the most of Allemänsrätten - The Right of Public Access. West Sweden has beautiful nature - and lots of it. Allemänsrätten gives you the right to walk, cycle, ride, ski and camp just about anywhere.
Allemänsrätten - The Right of Public Access
Immerse yourself in the culture
A great side of living abroad is discovering the culture of your new home. Try the cuisine, listen to the music, read the books and embrace the traditions. To get things started, learn more about Sweden: Sweden.se
Make the first move
Don’t be shy to say hello to Swedes. Swedes may seem a bit reserved at first, but they usually open up nicely. If all else fails, try talking about the weather.
Learn Swedish
Learning the language is an exciting part of living abroad. It will also open doors in both your social and work life and help you during your time here. There are many ways to learn; among other things, you can enrol in a class, make use of online tools or join a Språk cafe! where international and locals meet and practice the language they are learning. This is also a great opportunity to meet people!
Persist with speaking Swedish
If a Swede notices that you have an accent or take extra time in finding the words when speaking Swedish, chances are they will reply in English. This is great in terms of you feeling comfortable but if you want to keep practicing your Swedish try and push a bit more and keep speaking swedish.
Libraries
Libraries oftern arrange things such as courses, seminars, homework help, book clubs and story readings for young children making this a special place where you can do much more than buying books.
Follow the Swedish news
Even if you don’t know Swedish, there are various English language and simple Swedish language news services. Try and follow them. It will help you stay up to date with what's happening and help you connect with your new home.
See and do
A big part of Gothenburg and West Sweden is culture and entertainment. Here you’ll find the best of Swedish design, food and music, not to mention Scandinavia’s largest film festival and a world-class music festival Way Out West. The natural environment also welcomes you with lakes, forests and a stunning archipelago.
You can find out more about things to do and see in the official tourism websites:
If you are interested in discovering the region's nature trails and experiences, visit Det Vilda Göteborg website (in Swedish but offers a translation tool) to explore adventure ideas and inspiration.
Keen to explore more of Sweden? Check out Visit Sweden, Sweden’s official travel and tourism website.
Photo credits:
Jonas Ingman/westsweden.com
Henrik Trygg/Westsweden.com
Rodrigo Rivas Ruiz/imagebank.sweden.se