(Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you click through and take action, I'll be compensated.) If you are also interested in any PRINTS from any of my posts, be sure to check out my store where you can buy prints as posters, in metal frames or on canvas.

Helsingborg is a coastal city in the south of Sweden, otherwise known as Skåne. It sits just a few miles away from Helsingør, Denmark on the Øresund Strait. It is the 9th largest city in Sweden by population with about 112,000 inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Sweden, as it was first permanently settled in 1085. It’s strategic position on the coastline was very important to Denmark, because controlling both sides of the Øresund Strait allowed the Danish King to tax transit through it.

Living in Sweden has taught me that all of these Scandinavian countries have owned parts of their neighbors from wars throughout the last millennium. I won’t bore you with the history lesson but to put it simply, the Swedes took Helsingborg from the Danes in 1657, the Danes took it back two more times but could not hold it, thus ultimately relinquishing it to Sweden. Nowadays, you can see Helsingør anytime you want as there are ferries constantly running to both sides of the strait.

If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of landscapes, including Sweden, available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames).

What is perhaps really amazing is that many Jews were transported across the Øresund Strait to save them from peril during the second World War. My times here have spanned a few days and this coastal city is one of my favorites. It is rather small, so you can see most of it in about a day or two. You can get here by taking an SJ train (Sweden’s main train company) from other major Swedish cities like Malmö and Stockholm.

As an aside, if you find yourself with a lot more time in Sweden, try to see some of the other cities that make this country so great. I have summarized some of them in blog posts on this site. You can access them directly with the links below:

• Stockholm (Blog Post Title: Why Stockholm is the best Scandinavian capital)

  • Stockholm Tunnelbana (Blog Post Title: The World’s Longest Art Gallery - Riding on the Stockholm Tunnelbana)

• Gothenburg (Göteborg) (Blog Post Title: A Tour of Gothenburg: Sweden's 2nd Largest City)

• Uppsala (Blog Post: Uppsala: the hidden gem just North of Stockholm)

• Malmö (Blog Post: Take a weekend break in Malmö, Sweden)

• Lund (Blog Post: A Day tour of the university town of Lund)

• Kalmar (Blog Post: Kalmar: The town you should know more about in Sweden)

• Öland (Blog Post: A Day Tour of the Swedish island of Öland)

• Marstrand (Blog Post: A day trip to the Swedish island of Marstrand)

• Swedish Castles (Blog Post: A Tour of Sweden’s Coolest Castles)

Within the city center, there are two main destinations that are quite pleasing to the eye. The first is Rådhuset. This is essentially the courthouse or city hall, usually something administrative. This building has a gorgeous reddish facade with aqua accents. This isn’t the only Rådhuset in Sweden however; these types of buildings, under the same name are usually in most major cities. This Neo-Gothic town hall was built in the 1890s is one of the distinguishing features of Helsingborg.

Right down the street from Rådhuset sits Kärnan, a medieval tower and a remnant of a larger fortress that was built by the Danes. Kärnan, along with Kronborg (the Danish fortress in Helsingør), were used to control the entranceway into the Øresund strait. Unfortunately, most of the complex surrounding Kärnan was ordered for demolition by Charles XI who found it too exposed to a Danish sneak attack. Some dating methods place the tower construction back to around 1310, though those findings are still in dispute.

The area around Kärnan is very tranquil park called Slottshagen. Even in the middle of winter, if the sun is out, expect quite a few Swedes on these walking paths, taking in all the Vitamin D they can.

Being a coastal town, Helsingborg also has a decent beach. In my experience, port towns with large harbors have no beaches, but towns with beaches MAY have harbors too. The Örestrandsbadet here is quite large and often adorned with palm trees in the summer time. This is without a doubt the most popular spot in town when the sun is out.

Also, along the harbor is the Helsingborg Lighthouse and Pilot House. Around 2017, the building was officially protected due to its “relatively lavish architecture and has been of great importance for shipping in the Öresund Denmark.”

As mentioned before, due to the close proximity of Helsingborg to Helsingør (around 4 kilometers), there are ferries that constantly run between both countries every day. This is also a common day trip activity.

Another popular activity to do, especially in the summer, is to venture to the Swedish island of Ven and is considered “The pearl of Øresund”. The History of Ven is quite fascinating: the island was a gift from Danish king Fredrik II to the Scanian-Danish astronomer and nobleman Tycho Brahe who then built a castle (Uraniborg) on the island, which was completed in 1580. To get here, just take the ferry from Landskrona. Landskrona is a short bus or train ride south from Helsingborg.

Sofiero was one of the Swedish royal family's country mansions and is now open to the public as a manor, with gardens, restaurants, and even concerts from time to time. It’s just a few kilometers north of Helsingborg. You can get there by any means of transport, even walking as it’s just a mere 6 kilometers from Kärnan.

Don’t get the small size of Helsingborg fool you, it’s well worth seeing and is a wonderful city steeped in Swedish (and Danish) history.

Related Posts