Travel Guide to Malmo, Sweden

Sweden often gets confused with Switzerland for some reason. Switzerland is the land of excellent clocks and secret bank accounts; Sweden is the country in Scandinavia bordered by Denmark and Norway on the left, and by Finland on the east. It is just above Germany across the Baltic Sea. It is known for excellent coffee, meatballs, hockey, and IKEA. Now that we have that straight, the name of the country is actually Sverige... but we'll stick with Sweden, since that is the name you are used to.

Most folks who know the difference between Sweden and Switzerland still think that there is snow here year round; the people all have blonde hair and blue eyes; and everyone is seven feet tall. Not true, any of it. The people are the same as the US in body type, with a slightly higher preponderance of blue eyes and blonde hair. The body types are the same, also. There may be a few more taller folks in Sweden, but not to such a degree that you would really notice. Lastly, Sweden is not always buried in snow. In fact, this winter it did not snow until the middle of January, and then melted within days and did not return again until the end of February. So much for stereotypes.

When planning a visit to Sweden, the first city that usually springs to mind is Stockholm. There is a ton to do there, no doubt, but set your plans for Malmo instead. Malmo is the third largest city in Sweden, and the seat of the area called Skane, which is the southern tip of Sweden.

Accommodations run the gamut from rich and luxurious hotels set inside of castles to extremely cheap Youth Hostels. If you are indeed looking for a castle, there are over 100 within a 50-kilometer radius of Malmo. This is why the region is often referred to as Castle Country.

Malmo is next to Lund, which is a college town and has everything that implies. The shopping in Malmo and the surrounding areas is to die for. Modern stores tucked inside of ancient preserved buildings downtown, along with indoor shopping centres on the outskirts of the city. Some folks will tell you that things are more expensive in Sweden. That is another misperception. You can get some fantastic deals there, and everything is better quality than in the US. The other difference with shopping in Sweden is that the price you see is the price you pay. There is no silliness with something being marked $9.99 but ending up really being $10.60. Currently the conversion rate is 7 Kronor per US dollar, but do check before you come as that exchange rate does fluctuate.

In the centre of the shopping district you can find an ice skating rink, along with numerous wonderful places to eat, and just brilliant outdoor shops selling everything from hand-painted clogs to colourful summery clothing to the best winter clothing you can find in the world. Do pick up a pair of boots. You will not find better anywhere, and for very reasonable prices.

Malmo has a gorgeous beach on the Oresund, the strip of water that separates Sweden from Denmark. You can bask in the sand, play in the gentle waves, or wander out on the rocks to the building on the water that houses tanning facilities and snacks. Ducks roam freely and are quite friendly here so do bring some bread to feed them, but do not try to mess with the babies. That makes momma duck a bit irritable.

At night, Malmo comes alive with people from the surrounding area. You can find live bands in the square, plays galore (some outside even,) and street performers of every ilk.

Just south of the city central is the Foteviken Museum in Hollviken. If you are into Vikings at all, then this place is a must see. It is not a museum in the usual sense of the word. It is more of a place on the cliffs that has recreated a Viking settlement complete with hovels. Here you can watch people going about every day Viking activities like carding wool, cooking, making clothing, fishing, etc. There are even a few old Viking Longships anchored just off the cliff.

If you get bored in Malmo (which is highly unlikely,) the train station is right there off the shopping district and very cheap to go just across the bridge into Copenhagen, Denmark for a day. This is a side-trip you should not miss for any reason.

If you do plan to be visiting Sweden in general, and Malmo in particular, shoot me an email. I love playing tour guide.

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An edited version of my article appeared in the April issue of Teen Trend Magazine; All rights reserved.