Check Out the Summer Markets While Visiting Southern Sweden

One my favorite things about living in the Skane region of Sweden are the numerous summer markets. It seems like pretty much every weekend there is a market somewhere or another. I am an admitted shopaholic, but it isn't just the great bargains that attract me to these festivals, it is the over-all excitement of the crowds. It seems like everybody is happy (as well they should be.) I just cannot think of better ways to spend warm summer days than visiting these fairs. Here are my six favorite annual events.

Bjuv Street Fair - Bjuv is located just south of Helsingborg and boy do these folks love their street fair each August. The main road through town is closed off and filled with all manner of vendor, along with a fairly large carnival for the kids. We hit this one very year without fail. It is big enough to spend the whole day wandering, eating, shopping, and playing the carnival games. Bjuv also holds a small parade to kick off this annual street market.

Viking Market in Hollviken - Vendors come from all around Europe to participate in this roving Swedish market each summer. You can watch reenactments while browsing for authentic clothing and replica weaponry. Even the food is true to the period. You must try some of the Viking flat bread smothered with herbed butter, cheese, and red onion. Man is that ever good! This is held at the Foteviken Museum just south of Malmo around the end of June or beginning of July. It varies year to year so do check their website to make sure your travel arrangements coincide with this awesome market.

Helsingborg Summer Festival - Held the end of July, the festival in Helsingborg is much, much more than just a street market. This is a weekend long party. After the vendors and carnival rides close for the night, the live music begins and lots of drinking & dancing happens. Huge, I tell you! If you can only attend one of these events on your trip to Sweden, make it this one. Helsingborg sits on the western Baltic coast and the atmosphere is just fabulous year round, but during this festival it cannot be beat.

Malmo Autumn Market - They call this an autumn market because although it begins in the summer (end of August) it runs every Saturday through October. This market is huge but centered mainly on locally grown produce, home-baked breads, and fresh from the farm meats. You can find a bit of everything though as sellers of other things will set up to take advantage of the large crowds coming to stock up on the divine foods. The atmosphere here is electric and there are any number of eateries and pubs in the area to rest up and recharge.

Malmo Medeltiden - This is a very, very small market where you can find hand-made Viking clothing and accessories. This is right in Malmo on the harbor, with entry through the Koggmuseet. I bought a pair of Ghillies (Viking era women's shoes) for only about 20usd, but the thing that sets this small market apart is that they have a reproduction of a pirate ship and you can take rides on it out into the harbor. You can even bring your dog with you on the ship. This one is usually the last Saturday of July.

Rostanga Market - The market in Rostanga, Sweden is smaller than some of the others that I mention, but it is still one we visit every year. This one is set in a field just off the main road and so has a great country feel to it. It does have the carnival rides for the children, and lots of wonderful vendors selling everything from moose sausage to extremely cheap clothing. This market runs the middle weekend of July. They have a very large beer tent in the middle of it all so you can get out of the Swedish summer heat and rest your feet for a bit.