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There is nothing I like more than being able to kill two birds with one stone, or in this case, seeing two cities in one trip. When I went to visit Copenhagen during Easter weekend a few years back (Blog Post here: The Perfect Guide to Exploring Copenhagen), I saw that my return flight was late in the evening so I decided to take the train from Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) to Malmö for the day for what turned out to be my first time in Sweden.

This train crosses the Øresund (meaning ‘the Sound’), taking you from Denmark to Sweden. There are multiple departures every hour and even though both countries are part of the EU, it’s best to bring your passport with you no matter what, just in case border patrol asks for it.

Malmö is Sweden’s 3rd largest city (6th largest in Scandinavia), situated in the southern region of Skåne. What was once a very industrialized city has now evolved into a biotech and IT hub. Half of the population of the city has a foreign background due to the influx of refugees that Sweden has accepted in recent years. This has turned the city into a melting pot of cultures giving it a different feel than traditional Swedish cities. A weekend trip to Malmö is a worthy proposition for those looking to experience a city with many modern conveniences but with cultural and historical entities of Sweden’s storied past.

You can get here by taking an SJ train (Sweden’s main train company) from other major Swedish cities like Gothenburg (Göteborg) and Stockholm. If you happen to have more time in Sweden, don’t just stop in Malmö, check out other Sweden cities such as:

• 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)

• Helsingborg (Blog Post: Just a few reasons to see Helsingborg in the South of 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)

Lilla Torg is the main square of Malmö, replete with restaurants and bars. It doesn’t matter the weather here, these places are prepared for the rain and the cold so you can go anytime. What is particularly nice in this area are all the cobblestoned streets and old Swedish buildings in the surrounding areas. You can get a good view of these homes walking down the street of Jakob Nilsgatan.

This entire area is also called Gamla Väster (meaning ‘Old West’). You can’t go wrong with a stroll through here a few times during your trip.

St. Peter’s Church is a brick Gothic church located just Northeast of Gamla Väster, near the main square. Its origins date back to the 14th century and playing a crucial role during the Reformation in the Nordics. The inside is nice as well, with a tall nave of 25 meters in mostly white material, giving a very ‘pure’ vibe while walking through it. My favorite part of it just has to be the architecture outside however (especially the church tower).

The Malmö City Library is probably more known for its awesome architecture and overall design than for the books that it holds. The red facade is a great backdrop among the gardens and ponds just outside of it. As for the inside, the large windows give way to an abundance of natural light that adds to the tranquility of the space.

The green space adjacent to the Library happens to be Kungsparken. There are an endless array of trails and bridges, frequented by seemingly everyone when the weather is nice (or at least when the sun is out). To Swedes, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing and whenever the sun is out, you should be out.

You can follow some of these trails to get to places like the Slottsmöllan (Castle Mill). This building and area around it is currently used for open-air concerts since its main use was discontinued in 1945. It still makes for an excellent photographic backdrop when you’re here!

Also in this area and just across the moat stands Malmö Castle and its corresponding park called Slottsträdgården (literally translated to ‘the castle’s tree garden’). Interestingly enough, as this castle sits inside Swedish territory, it was actually a very strategic stronghold for Denmark many centuries ago. Originally founded in 1434, it was rebuilt in the 1530s by the Danish King Christian III after being partially demolished.

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).

Being a coastal city that is rife with water transport, you have not 1, just 2 lighthouses here as well. Closer to the city center sits the older lighthouse, colloquially called ‘Malmö Old Lighthouse’ (very original), and the newer one sits further out towards the water, dubbed ‘Malmö Lighthouse’.

My personal preference is on the former however. But as lighthouses are, both are charming. I was able to get some nice drone pics of both, my favorites of which were taken right from above so you have the brightly red colored rooftops contrasting beautifully with the dark blue water below.

In my experience in Malmö, nearly four years after the first time I had visited, I noticed that the city felt a little more personable, more friendlier and not just an industrial city. I noticed this by the art installations that were around the main city center. One of which was the Knotted Gun Statue, which I found to be particularly interesting. If you take a self-guided tour, you will inevitably run into many of these works. This particular statue is actually called ‘Non-Violence’ and was made by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, shortly after the murder of John Lennon.

Ribersborgsstranden is the beach located on the coast, within eye shot of the Turning Torso and Øresund bridge. Even more, you also have Ribersborgs Open-Air Bath, which is popular in the summer time for locals. Needless to say, it wasn’t teaming with lots of people when I went in the dead of winter.

The Turning Torso is probably the most recognizable building in the entire city, but is definitely the tallest (in ALL of Scandinavia even). It’s known for its distinctive, 90 degree rotation from bottom to top and is billed as a ‘neo-futurist residential skyscraper’ (Home GOALS). I am curious about the home prices there but can imagine they are a bit out of my price range.

This tower is also prominently featured in the Netflix series ‘Bron’, which translates to ‘The Bridge’. (Note: There are two versions of the Bridge on Netflix….one is actually called ‘The Bridge’ and the plot centers around the Bridge between the US and Mexico while BRON centers around the Øresund Bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark.) I HIGHLY recommend BRON if you haven’t seen it already.

The Bridge that the show speaks of is the Øresund Bridge, also seen from the Turning Torso and Ribersborgsstranden.

If I’m being honest, Malmö wasn’t my favorite city in Sweden, that honor is reserved for Uppsala/Stockholm. But my time here was very enjoyable and there is plenty to do in the city!

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