‘Ugly’ little-known city now one of Europe’s fastest growing tourist hotspots – and flights are just £15
And the other overlooked cities to visit in Europe
A CITY that was once named one of the country’s ugliest is emerging as a trendy tourist hotspot.
Most tourists heading to Sweden are likely going to Gothenburg and Stockholm, but may not have heard of Borås.
The city, home to around 120,000 locals, is a short drive away from Gothenburg Airport.
The birthplace of both Swedish football coach Jonas Eidevall and fashion designer Matilda Djerf, Borås was eighth in Sweden’s ugliest cities back in 2018.
But it has since been named one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Europe.
The study, conducted by the EU’s statistics office , found that accommodation bookings for Borås increased by 336 per cent.
This is much higher than Gothenburg’s 61 per cent and Stockholm’s 17 per cent increase, according to local media.
Thomas Walfridsson, CEO of Borås destination company TME said: “It has become trendy to be out in nature, and the countryside around Borås is very scenic.
“We are strategically located near Gothenburg International airport, which helps to attract more foreign visitors, and we cooperate closely with Gothenburg.”
Borås is known for being a “textile city,” being the home of local designs and the Swedish School of Textiles and Textile Museum.
And one of the most popular attractions is the No Limit Street Art, a trail with huge pieces of graffiti and street art created on buildings around the city.
Dubbed a “gigantic outdoors art gallery,” artists from around the world are behind the unique designs, with a festival running bi-annually.
Another unusual attraction is the huge brass statue of Pinocchio, called Walking to Borås which opened in 2008.
Or you can cool off at Alidebergsbadet, an outdoor heated swimming pool open in the summer.
Otherwise the city is surrounded by nature, being just 10 minutes from the nearby forest with hiking and cycling trails.
Don’t want to leave? Then there is the city park Stadsparken which has live music in the summer as wellaas a playground and adventure golf course.
The city also isn’t short of restaurants and bars, with the city’s best often said to be Vinci, with South American, Sweden and Italian dishes.
Previous tourists have raved about the city of Borås.
One said on TripAdvisor: “Borås is such a charming city with warm and friendly locals.”
Another said, when speaking about the street art: “Perhaps Borås is about to become the Bristol of Scandinavia?”
To get to Borås, Brits can fly to the nearest Gothenburg Airport.
The cheapest flights are with Ryanair, with routes from London, Manchester and Edinburgh for £14.99 each way.
Taking less than two hours, Borås is then around a 30 minute drive or bus ride from the airport.
There are few chain hotels although most are locally-run, ranging from £40-£100 a night.
Other 'second' cities to visit
While Borås isn’t quite Sweden’s second city, here are some other cities in Europe that are worth a visit that aren’t the capital.
Ditch Bucharest for Timisoara
thanks to cheap flights with Wizz Air, the second city Timisoara is just as much as a bargain, where you won’t find many tourists.
Recently named as the cheap city break by luggage storage company , you can find beers for as little as £1.56.
Ditch Paris for Lille
The city was home to Charles de Gaulle (the man the main Paris airport is named after) as well as the city’s own Arc de Triomphe on a tiny roundabout.
It’s quicker to get to than Paris – you can hop on the Eurostar from London St Pancras for £51 each way, and be there in less then an hour and a half.
Ditch Madrid for Valencia
Valencia has just as amazing tapas – and is the birthplace of paella – and just as cheap wine too, with a glass for just a few euros.
And it was even named the best seaside city to visit in 2024.
Here’s another Med destination set to be huge with Brits.
And we’ve revealed the European island that’s up-and-coming with tourists.
