Gothenburg, Sweden, is at its best when the clocks go back 🇸🇪

Candles glowing in windows, boats bobbing around the archipelago, and pints of craft beer washing down locally sourced seafood. Throw in walks down leafy trails with mates, legendary spas, and world-leading sustainability, and you've got a very cosy situation on your hands.

And you don’t have to pick between city break and countryside escape. You can shop vintage, explore the great outdoors, hit the theme park and squeeze in some serious relaxation, all in one trip.

Here's how to fall in love with Gothenburg during the autumn... 🍁

Halloween is taking over Liseberg Theme Park all October with haunted houses, spooky rides and a ridiculous 30,000 pumpkins.

For the night owls, Klubb Nattsvart keeps the scares going after dark with DJs, cocktails and some of Sweden’s scariest rides running late.

It’s getting weird over at Universeum. From 29 September to 1 November, the Gothenburg science centre is bringing out the slimy experiments, tricky quizzes and spooky shows for Halloween.

You can also wander through a rainforest, dive into the ocean and casually take a trip to the Moon, all under one roof. And for something seriously immersive, check out the 360-degree cinema. Sweden’s biggest visualisation dome is right inside.

If your legs aren’t too wobbly after the Halloween shenanigans, head out to the waters of the archipelago and fish for some lobster.

Lobster season is much anticipated across all Sweden and it begins 21 September this year. Join a fishing tour from Gothenburg and eat your own catch within minutes of hauling.

Obviously, Gothenburg takes its fish very seriously. Set your alarm painfully early to catch Sweden’s largest fish auction right here in the city.

You can’t actually bid unless you’re a retailer, but watching the morning’s catch fly through the auction is worth sacrificing the lie-in for.

Keeping it in the archipelago, stay on Vrångö at Kajkanten Hotel for a sauna and spa with sea views. Hike the neighbouring islands of Donsö and Styrsö for picture perfect boathouses, cute cafés and locals selling home-made bits – perfect for an early Christmas prezzie.

Inland, stay at Nääs Fabriker for lakeside views, cosy rooms with 5m high ceilings, and one of the lushest spas. There's a ton of things to do in the area, like taking a misty-morning stroll around the nearby Nääs Castle.

Sticking to the heritage vibes, the 18th-century manor Gunnebo House and Gardens looks whimsical with autumn colours and has a perfect spot to tuck into a hearty brunch with fresh produce that hasn’t travelled more than 20km.

When the sun goes down, Alingsås starts glowing. From 2 October to 1 November, this cute town, just 30 minutes from Gothenburg, transforms into a huge free open-air light gallery.

Lighting designers from around the world take over the streets, parks and waterways with colourful installations.

There’s even a free English audio guide on the Lights in Alingsås app, so you can wander the route while getting the story behind each installation.

A pretty good reason to stick around after dark...

The newly opened Quality Hotel The Book sits in an old printing factory. This chic lil' spot is the perfect base for your cheeky weekend away.

From there you can absolutely do the important stuff: rifle through vintage rails in Haga and Magasinsgatan, have a fika break at Café Husaren or da Matteo or sit outside the Saluhallen market at Wine Mechanics and people watch, with some local wine in hand.