Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Top Destinations to Visit in Sweden in 2019
A city in transformation With only 25 minutes to the international airport Landvetter, Borås is climbing up the ranks as a top destination in Sweden. With a booming tourism scene, the city offers something for everyone: the aesthete, the nature lover, and the young, aspiring zoo keeper. By Hanna Stjernström | Photos: Borås
Did you know that Borås is one of the largest centres for e-commerce in Scandinavia? Guided by the three keywords design, culture and textile, the city has a long history of commerce and manufacturing. Borås is historically known as ‘the textile city’ and has carried that heritage through centuries. Today, the city remains a frontrunner within design and textiles and hosts some of Sweden’s leading schools in textile design. “Even if we lost a lot of production during the 1970s, we still have a high level of competence and research here,” says Helena Ransjö Alcenius, CEO at Borås TME. “For instance, the world’s first product made of 62 | Issue 120 | January 2019
additions to the cultural sphere. One of these is the nine-metre-tall bronze sculpture, Pinocchio – Walking to Borås by Jim Dine, which stands in the middle of the city.
The outdoor city 100 per cent recyclable cotton was invented here in Borås.”
The aesthetic city Along the streets, there are donated sculptures, installations and urban mural paintings that are on view for both residents and visitors 24 hours a day, all year round. “Design, culture and textile are all artistic expressions that are important for us. They are ways of constantly trying to challenge, improve and create,” says Ransjö Alcenius. There is currently a drive and an urge to be creatively brave, and during the past few years there have been numerous
There are 13 nature reserves in the region, with opportunities for everything from a brisk walk to an outdoor adventure. The closest is Rya Åsar, a nature reserve located about ten minutes north of Borås, with a varied landscape and animal life. Every year, the nature re-