Must visit - Göteborg!

Göteborg situated in the west coast of Sweden, ranked as the 12^th most innovative city in the world by Forbes in 2013, founded by King Gustav Adolph II in 1621, one of the biggest cities in Scandinavia and the second largest in Sweden, with two major universities (University of  Göteborg  and Chalmers University of Technology), has a lot to offer. Here you can not only have a great excursion, but also eat in one of the high quality restaurants, do the shopping or visit incredible archipelago which is located just about 30 minutes away.

Morning in Göteborg

There are few places, which can be called “Göteborg’s must see”, even if visiting city for a short time only:
1) Haga Nygata – the old district with its unique climate.

2) The Garden Society of Göteborg –  19^th century park. Just incredible!

3) Museums – you can choose from a wide variety of museums but the Museum of Art with its collection is a basic one to visit.

 

The Garden Society of Göteborg

Göteborg looks amazing as during the day, as well as night, and the old town is definitely worth visiting it on both times of the day.

Consider the purchase of Göteborg City Card because the city is not that big it needs going by bus or tram everywhere and its architecture is just amazing so walking around is a good idea. You can also rent a bike. If you have a good plan of what you wish to see, weekend should be enough. 

Göteborg

As the city is located far away from Borlänge the best way to get there is to find a good company for yourself and rent a car, because there is no direct train, and buses go quit long and they’re not the cheapest, to be honest. Also you have more mobility so why don’t visit the archipelago or go to Smögen which is located not even two hours away from Göteborg and stated as one of the liveliest summer destinations of the Swedish West Coast?

Central Station in Göteborg

You can get free maps and brochures from Tourist Offices.

More information you can find here: http://www.goteborg.com/en/

And don’t forget to have the traditional Fika in one of the Göteborg’s café’s!

Harbour in Göteborg

Must visit in Stockholm!

If you are planning to visit Stockholm during your stay in Borlänge don’t miss our TOP places that are the most interesting and worth your attention!

Stockholm overview. Photo by Richard Ryan

Did you know? Stockholm is home to 1.4 million inhabitants, known for being a very clean and green destination. Stockholm is built on 14 islands and is fondly known as the “Venice of the North”. It is the biggest city in Scandinavia, is the economic capital and has the most modern facilities for conventions. For these reasons, Swedes intend to call city The Capital of Scandinavia.

ATTRACTIONS

The Vasa Museum

Vasa Museum

The Vasa is the only preserved seventeenth-century ship in the world, and a unique art treasure. More than 95 percent of the ship is original, and it is decorated with hundreds of carved sculptures. The Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in the middle of Stockholm in 1628, and was salvaged 333 years later in 1961. For nearly half a century the ship has been slowly, deliberately and painstakingly restored to a state approaching its original glory. Today the Vasa Museum is the most visited museum in Scandinavia, with over one million visitors a year. There are ten different exhibitions around the ship to tell about life on board the ship.

Gamla stan

Christmas in Gamla Stan (imagebank.sweden.se)

Gamla Stan (The Old Town) is one of the largest and best preserved medieval city centers in Europe, and one of the foremost attractions in Stockholm. This is where Stockholm was founded in 1252. Gamla Stan is like a living pedestrian-friendly museum full of sights, attractions, restaurants, cafés, bars and places to shop. Gamla Stan is also popular with aficionados of handicrafts, curios and souvenirs. The narrow winding cobblestone streets, with their buildings in so many different shades of gold, give Gamla Stan its unique character.

Skansen Open-Air Museum

Skansen  is  the oldest open-air museum in the world. Museum is a favorite both among Stockholmers and visitors passing through. At Skansen you can learn about traditional crafts and traditions. This is the place to visit historic Sweden in miniature. 150 farms and dwellings from different parts of the country were disassembled and transported here. You’ll find charming town districts with glass blowing, the beautiful eighteenth-century Seglora wooden church and etc. You can also see all of the animals native to Scandinavia such as bears, moose, wolves and seals. You can visit Skansen's zoo as well. Skansen is really large so be ready for the whole day walk!

The City Hall

City Hall, with its spire featuring the golden Three Crowns, is one of the most famous silhouettes in Stockholm. Stockholm City Hall is one of the country’s leading examples of national romanticism in architecture. It is built from eight million bricks, and the 106 meter tall tower has the three crowns at its apex. 

The City Hall

Behind the magnificent facades are offices and session halls for politicians and officials, as well as splendid assembly rooms and unique works of art. The great Nobel banquet is also held in City Hall. After dinner in the Blue Hall, Nobel Prize recipients, royalty and guests dance in the Golden Hall, with its 18 million gold mosaic tiles.

If you wish you can just sit on the bench outside the City Hall or climb up inside the tower and enjoy a fantastic view over the city.

Drottningholm Palace

Take a day trip to Drottningholm and experience a historic milieu of the highest standard. Drottningholm Palace is Sweden's best preserved royal palace constructed in the seventeenth century, the permanent residence of the royal family and one of Stockholm's three World Heritage Sites. 

Drottningholm Palace

The palace features magnificent salons, a beautiful park, a unique palace theater and a Chinese Pavilion. The palace and the park are mostly open to visitors year round. Drottningholm Palace Theater is the best preserved eighteenth-century theater in Europe, and the only one in the world that still uses the original stage machinery on a regular basis. The boats from the turn of the last century are a nice way to reach Drottningholm Palace in the summer or to the winter Christmas market.
To enjoy the beauty of Drottningholm you can take a walk in wonderful park and have a picnic here!

Nightlife in Stockholm. There are plenty of different meeting places – pubs, cafés and club-style restaurants. However the most popular place for nightlife is Stureplan, one of Sweden’s classic nightclubs. Stureplan is a complex of clubs, restaurants that has already became Stockholm’s symbol for luxury and style.

Nature experiences in Stockholm. Stockholm is world famous for being both a dynamic metrpolis and minutes away from nature. Stockholm is equal parts water and parkland, forest and beaches. The water is clean enough for swimming or fishing. The most popular natural places are Tanto allotment gardens, Stockholm Archipelago, Royal Djurgården park, Skeppsholmen island.

Stockholm Archipelago

You can find out more about Stockholm here. Have a great time!

Interesting facts about Borlänge

• Did  you now taht Borlange is famous for having about one pizzeria per 1000 inhabitants?!
• The hottest day of the year is July 30, with an average high of 22°C and low of 12°C. The coldest day of the year is December 28, with an average low of -8°C and high of -1°C.
• Borlänge has one  Guinness world record! The largest egg on record weighed 2.589 kg and was laid by an ostrich at a farm owned by Kerstin and Gunnar Sahlin in Borlänge, Sweden, on 17 May 2008.
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  The largest egg, Borlänge. 

• Borlänge promotes itself as The Number One Shopping City in Dalarna.
• Borlänge has always been an industrial town: from the beginning it was workers and mining place.
• A pop-rock band  Sugarplum Fairy  and an alternative rock band Mando Diao are formed  in Börlänge. Here are some videos:

• If you wish, you have an unbelievable opportunity to spend a night at igloo (ice house) close to Runn lake outside Borlänge!

Igloo. Active Stay Hotel

• As the railway and roads intersect in Borlänge, the city is like a door to whole region of Dalarna.
• Romme Alpin is the country's most visited ski resort after the mountains and is located 13 km south of Borlänge. Who knows maybe you will ski here soon:

Falun

Falun

Falun is a town located in Dalarna County in Sweden, upon Faluån river, about 18km away from Borlänge, with the second Campus of Dalarna University. 

Falu Gruva

It was originally famous by its copper mine Falu Gruva (http://www.varldsarvetfalun.se/en/), which is definitely worth seeing. Before you go there, take a look on some interesting facts and legends about the place (especially about Fet-Mats Israelsson, who was "petrified" mine worker). Since 2001 Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun is on United Nations World Heritage List. 

Street in Falun

Falun is a host city for ski world championships (the next one will be taking place in 2015). Town is also famous for Falu Red Paint (Falu rödfärg) - the one which "typical swedish houses" are painted with and the sausage called Falukorv. Don't forget to go to the second Dalarna's University Campus and to Dalarnas Museum - full of interesting collections connected with the local area.

Town is located only about 20 minutes away and it is not very expensive to there go by bus. If you are wandering fan, think about participating in “Get Moving” event which is a walk from Borlänge to Falun campuses organized by students.

One of the notable residents connected with Falun is musician The Tallest Man on Earth. You can listen here:

You can look for more information about the town on Official Tourist Office website of Falun here: http://www.visitsodradalarna.se/en/

City Hall

 

Education system and teaching style in Sweden

Swedish higher education system has historically been influenced by the social, economic and intellectual forces. It has a long academic tradition, reaching even the fifteenth century. Universities are internationally recognized for strict quality control and encouragement of independent thinking.

internations.org

Study system in Sweden is very flexible: you can choose programme and study it for three or two years (bachelor or master) and the other way is to become a “free mover”. It means that you will build your own study programme from the short-term courses.  There is no time limit or obligatory courses. You are allowed study on your own pace, at different universities, take distance courses, but the main goal is to collect required amount of credits for getting your degree.

We could give you an example, for a bachelor's degree you need: 180 credits in total, whereof 90 credits in the main field of subject (e.x Tourism Management). The remaining 90 credits can be almost anything: management, languages etc. It depends on your interests.

If you choose traditional way of studying, to finish Undergraduate Study takes 3 years and  Master lasts 1-2 years. Usually students have one or two subjects at the same time, then they have exam or presentation and begin new courses.

In Sweden school year runs from the late August to the early June.

Study rates. For European Union citizens the undergraduate and master's studies in Sweden are free of charge. While for the others over the years it would cost 8-14 thousand euros. Doctoral studies are free for everybody.

Swedish universities do not gives Scholarship easily, but you may check the options here.

Teaching style

Communication with teachers is very informal, you can call everybody only by name, regardless of what he\she is - a professor or rector of the university. Lectures are very interesting, because in order to explain theory lecturers give much practical tasks, encourage students to discuss or arrange study visits. In Sweden working in groups is very common. Mostly group project’s results comprise a large part of the grade and the group presentation serves as exam.

Often guest lectures are organized, then the professionals in the field talk about their work experience and gives access to the actual work situation. In addition, students are encouraged to ask questions in every way, and if they don’t have time to find out all the answers during the lecture, you can get you answers by email within an incredibly short time.

You will find out more about teaching style in one of our up-coming posts. Keep looking!