Travel Guide to Lund, Sweden

Any trip to Sweden would be wasted without a stop in the country's oldest city. It is estimated that Lund was established some time around 990. It was not a part of Sweden at the time, and in 1134 became the capital of Denmark. Many of the old buildings still stand to this day and are worth the trip alone to see, but there is a whole lot to do in Lund. Being a college town, the place is just hopping.

Lund is just north of Malmo a tiny bit and is home to what many claim is the oldest University in Scandinavia. Lund University was founded here in 1666, just after the infamous Swedish war to take Skane from Denmark. Skane is now the southern region of Sweden and sits on the Baltic Sea. Lund itself is on the edge of the Oresund, the arm of the Baltic that reaches up between Sweden and Denmark.

The streets in the downtown area are mostly cobblestone and narrow, giving a real feel for the rich history of Lund. Because of this, the main mode of transportation is the bicycle. My suggestion is to park at your hotel and walk everywhere. Nothing is far from anything and there is so much to oooh and ahh about that you won't notice you're getting a bit of exercise along the way. If you are coming for the day, take the train in. Sweden's train system is brilliant, and keyed to the bus system so you can get anywhere between the two. When you buy a ticket for either one to your final destination, that ticket covers both the train and the bus fares. the Train and Bus station are right next to each other, and will drop you right at the edge of everything you will want to see and do.

The shopping here is to die for. Inside all of those old medieval buildings are modern-day stores stuffed full of bargains galore. When I feel the urge for a shopfest, Lund is where I head. You will find everything here from upscale boutiques to bargain-basement deals. Do invest in one of those little rolling carts or you will quickly find your arms aching from all the packages.

As far as food is concerned, you will not go hungry. Being a college town you can find a myriad of cheap yet good restaurants, even McDonalds. If you are in the mood for more upscale dining, head over to the Grand Hotel. You can't miss it, it is a castle. Great Scandinavian food there. Restaurant choices run to every European option you can imagine, along with lots of Kabob joints and Pizza parlors.

Accommodations range from incredibly cheap student hostels on campus to that Grand Hotel I mentioned a bit ago, and just about every price range in between. All are located close to the heart of the city, if not directly in it.

One of the oldest buildings in Lund is the Cathedral. Its true name is Domkyrkan, but if you ask for the Lund Cathedral, everybody knows what you mean. This was the seat of the ArchBishop back in the middle ages and is just amazing to see. I am not personally of a religious bent in any way, but I adore that old building. It is just so regal and full of history. Besides, go town into the underbelly and things get extra-special cool. Here are the tombs of all the bishops and knights and stuff. Oh wow I was in heaven down there.

Across the park a few steps will find you on Lund University property. The Philosophy Building is where the king of Denmark called his home back in the day and bears the placard on the castle tower door. This is Kunghus. You can't go inside, but you can snap some great castle pictures. Off to the side of that is the main University building, and is also a castle. A much, much bigger castle. A castle complete with turrets. History is just all around you in Lund.

If you are at all into Vikings, then do visit the Historisk Museet right there too. All things Viking can be found inside this museum, including a 7,000 year old skeleton. Wow. Another museum you might want to visit is the Drottens Kyrkoriun, which is set at the site of an ancient church. Very cool stuff.

The planetarium is awesome in Lund. They have a show every Monday night at 7pm (Klockan 19:00 to the Swedish.) You'll find this in the excellent Stadsparken, which translates to 'State Park.' If you are more the plant & flower sort, you can see over 7,000 species at the Botanical Garden on the east end of town.

If you are into the madness, mayhem, and outrageous fun of Mardi Gras type of parties, then check the calendar prior to your trip. Every 4 years the students of Lund University just flat take over the town for one huge carnival. The next event is due in May of 2010. That, folks, is worth planning an entire trip around.

There are Internet Cafes all over the place, lots of live plays, and nightclubs galore in Lund.

You just cannot get bored here. When you think you have seen everything, something else pops into view to draw you over. Out of all the beautiful places to visit in Scandinavia, Lund is one of my absolute favorites. I've only hit the tip of the iceberg with this article. Skane is where everything is happening in Sweden, and Lund is one of the best places in Skane to get a feel for the Scandinavian way of life. I am so glad Sweden won that war with Denmark...