Malmo is Sweden's third-largest city and a busy port across the Øresund sound, now linked by bridge and tunnel from Copenhagen. Additionally, this old city, dating from the 13th century, serves as an excellent base from which to explore the ancient castles and nearby manor.
The heart of the city is the Stortorget (the main square), with an amazing fountain in the centre. Here you'll find the 16th century home of the former Danish mayor Jörgen Kock, and the Kramer Hotel, which was built in the style of a French château. The equestrian statue in the Stortorget is of King Karl X Gustav, who made Malmo a part of Sweden. Also located here is the church of St Peter (St Petri) which dates back to the 14th century.
Nearby is Lilla Torg, a charming cobbled square with many fine half-timbered buildings dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Here, you'll find an assortment of lovely fountains and cafés, as well as handicrafts. For many centuries this was the open-air marketplace of Malmo; today, a modern market building houses a number of restaurants.
The Malmo Festival is held annually in August for one week, with over 900 hours of free entertainment. From May to September, Folkets Park (People's Park) offers sprawling amusement grounds and pleasure gardens, filled with vaudeville performances and open-air concerts. Children will enjoy the playhouse, small zoo, reptile centre and the puppet theatre. For serious night-time entertainment, you may want to head to nearby Copenhagen.
Svaneholm, between Malmo and Ystad, was founded in 1530 as a fortress and later was partially converted into an Italian-style palace. Inside, you'll find a museum with paintings, furnishings, and tools dating primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries. About an hour away from Malmo is Copenhagen, which is an exciting metropolis.
By car from Helsingborg, you can head southeast along route 110, directly into the centre of Malmo. Rail service is frequent from Gothenburg (3 hours, 30 minutes). Trains leave hourly from Helsingborg to Malmo (45 minutes). Two buses daily make the run from Gothenburg (4 hours, 30 minutes). Malmo and Copenhagen are linked by Flygbåtana (hydrofoil), taking 45 minutes. Malmo's airport is at Sturup, 30kms southeast of the city. Another option is the busier Copenhagen International Airport, less than an hour away.
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