As well as all the other attractions such as its world-class restaurants, shopping and the sparkling west coast archipelago, which is just a short boat ride away, Gothenburg has great swathes of green areas - forest, meadows, lakes, parks and gardens - and most of it is for free.

When Gothenburgers chill out on a summer's day, or go for a brisk winter walk, they often congregate at Slottsskogen, a vast park in the southwest of the city. Much of it is covered in forest and it offers sweeping vistas of the city from its three high vantage points.

If you want to go a bit wilder then look no further than Delsjön Nature Reserve in the east of the city. It has two adjoining lakes (one named 'Big Lake' and the other 'Small Lake' - for obvious reasons) with tree-lined rocky cliffs and plenty of forest and dale to enjoy.

More manicured than Delsjön, the Göteborg Botanical Garden in the south of the city is one of Europe's finest and well worth a visit. It features 20,000 species of plant, flowers, trees etc., beautifully laid out across 175 hectares. You're not going to see all of them but you really should try to see some. Going back into the heart of Gothenburg you can walk along the canal that runs through the city and under its beautiful bridges.

Take our advice and enjoy the greener side of Gothenburg.