Under the Andalusian Sun : Tour of Gothenburg's market halls: Feskekôrka, Stora Saluhallen, Briggen and Kville

Are local markets a must-see for you when travelling? Then welcome on a tour of Gothenburg's markets!

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If you're a culinary crusader like me, then local markets feature pretty high on your things to see- list when travelling. Gothenburg has four of them, so you're in for a treat.

Two of them (Feskekôrka and Stora Saluhallen) are located smack in the middle of the city. They're also the best ones (trust me - I've done the legwork!), so if you can only spare time for these two, it's perfectly ok.

The third one (Briggen) is still within a walking distance, but for the fourth (Kville) you need to hop on a tram.

Stora Saluhallen

The area of Kungstorget has traditionally been the centre of trade in Gothenburg. Located in the middle of it, it's hardly a surprise that Stora Saluhallen, opened in 1889, is one of the oldest ones in the city.

In 1969 the vendors and customers finally welcomed a much needed change: a heating system.

Until then the temperarure indoors could plummet to -15º c, which meant that the customers took home their goods already frozen.

Under the Andalusian Sun_Gothenburg_Stora Saluhallen_strawberries

After the renovation of 2009-2012 the vibe is fresh and contemporary.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Of all the market halls in Gothenburg, this is the one with best and most versatile selection. They've got everything from natural remedies to raw cakes and cheeses; from Hungarian sausages to Greek soups and Cantonese dumplings.

Vendors you should definitely check out are:

Brogyllen (trust me: the best bule in the world, along with sinfully sublime brownies and wondeful organic sourdough bread)...

Under the Andalusian Sun_Gothenburg_Stora Saluhallen_Brogyllen

...Steinbrenner & Nyberg (with several locations across Gothenburg)...

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... the charcuterie at Mille i Hallen and hand-made chocolates at Flickorna Kanold (Gothenburg sea salt!!!)

Under the Andalusian Sun_Gothenburg_Stora Saluhallen_Mille i Hallen

Feskekôrka

If you have any understand of Swedish, both the odd spelling and weird meaning (Fish Church. Seriously.) tell you this place could not be anywhere else but in Gothenburg.

Opened in 1874, Feskekôrka is the oldest market hall in Gothenburg. In case you're wondering about the name (and who wouldn't?) have a look at the place. It's design is actually based on churches.

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Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

It would be impossible to think of a symbol of Gothenburg more fitting tht this place: it manages to combine their peculiar local dialect, strange sense of humour and endless love of fish.

In case you need ore proof of how much seafood really meen to this lot or of the extent of that humour, try this: people have actually gotten married here.

True story.

Under the Andalusian Sun_Gothenburg_Feskekorka_Kajutan

Size-wise there's not much to write home about: apart from restaurant Gabriel upstairs, all the vendors can be found on either side of the only aisle there is.

But if you're into seafood as much as I am, then this should make it onto your itinerary, too.

My top tip? Turn up early at lunch time and feast on Restaurant Kajutan's catch of the day.

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Saluhall Briggen

Housed between two Långgatans (Tredje and Fjärde) right next to Haga, Saluhall Briggen was originally a fire station. In 1991, 100 years after it was first built, the fire brigade had moved to another location and the venue was re-modelled and re-opened as a market.

This, too, is minuscule: only 8 vendors operate here.

If you adore your fromage, you should check out Briggen's ost - place so adorable it moved something even in my cheese-hating heart.

Under the Andalusian Sun_Gothenburg_Saluhall Briggen_Briggens Ost

Kville Saluhall

Located in the Hisinge neighbourhood, Kville market hall is the most recent addition to the market halls of Gothenburg. Built and opened as recently as in 2013, it is mostly frequented by the local residents, not the sort of pilgrimage where foodies flock from all over the city.

Should you wish to do so, however, you can. Just catch one of the following trams in the city centre (5 or 6 heading to Länsmansgården or 10, headed for Biskopsgården) and get off at Vågmästareplatsen.

Under the Andalusian Sun_Gothenburg_Kville Saluhall_fruits

Under the Andalusian Sun_Gothenburg_Kville Saluhall_charcuterie

No matter how you feel about immigration, let me tell you this: for a foodie it comes with definite perks.

Kville has rather small yet good quality selection and serves as a great example of what kind of culinary diversity Sweden enjoys courtesy of their ethnically extremely diverse population. Even restaurants in a place like Kville range from sushi to Persian food and my personal pick for this place: Perucian Ceviche.