One way to travel to Sweden is to enter via Malmö and visit the city for a few days as well as the region of Scania and then continue to other parts of the country. We did it that way during our one-month long roadtrip in Sweden.
I had previously been in Malmö but it is a place I always like to visit when I can and with so many flights to Copenhagen it’s easy to plan a weekend getaway or a longer one and combine the two cities.
Turning Torso, Malmö’s Iconic Skyscraper
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
In this article I will explain a walking route to visit Malmö in 3 days that resembles the one I did with my wife. I will also recommend you some places to eat and sleep.
Day 1 – Walking Through Sustainable Malmö
The walking tours for these days are planned so that you have plenty of time to discover the city and stop at the places you discover with no need to hurry.
Walking in Malmö – Day 1: Västra Hamnen
sweetsweden.com
Malmö is a city that is making tremendous efforts to take the lead in environmental sustainability at city level in Sweden. This has earned Malmö international recognition and many tv documentaries have come to Malmö to feature the city as a role model for other sustainable cities.
This transformation in Malmö is lead by the district of Västra Hamnen, the old western port of the city, with the iconic Turning Torso building at the front and this is the first destination for our walk during a visit to Malmö. Being a futuristic place it is not strange to find televisiom teams rolling ads.
Arriving at the neighborhood you’ll meet the (1) unique Ohboy hotel and a great public skatepark in perfect synchrony with the surroundings.
Ohboy Hotel in Västra Hamnen, Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
In this neighborhood alone there are four huge parks: Varvsparken, Ankarsparken, Daniaparken and Scaniaparken available to the inhabitants and visitors of the city. I recommend you go to (2) Varvsparken at night to get (with a tripod) good photos of the most emblematic skyscraper in the city.
An area in Västra Hamnen that reflects its transformation to perfection and that I recommend you visit is delimited by the streets (3) Barometergatan, Kompassgatan and Ankargatan . A walk-through will take you to a futuristic environment where green predominates, the ecointegration of homes in the environment is highlighted as well as the absence of cars and noise.
The Sustainable Neighborhood in Västra Hamnen, Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
If you visit Malmö in summer, you should know that Scaniaparken is one of the most famous bathing areas in the city since Scaniabadet was opened in 2005. It is not a beach in itself but a 75-meter long 20-meter wide pier where you can sunbathe and plunge directly into the sea. It is not a beach for children (there are better areas in the city for that). In Scaniaparken there are also volleyball courts and as a curiosity in one of the areas there is a musical installation that plays music between 11:00 AM and 10 PM.
Many visitors to this area of Malmö would like to be able to visit (5) the Turning Torso. In summer there are guided visits from the end of June and lasting for about 4 weeks on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 AM (not on Sundays), 1 PM and 3 PM. The entry fee is 195 SEK (20€ / $21 / £16.50) per adult and 150 SEK (15€ / $16.50 / £12.70) per children.
Unfortunately during the rest of the year it is not possible to visit individually since it is a residential building. There are some guided tours for groups starting at 5 people, lasting an hour including the presentation ‘Turning Torso: From Vision to Reality’ and taking you to floor number 53 and 54. These tours cost 380 SEK (37€ / $42 / £32) per person.
So maybe trying to angle your best shot of Sweden’s highest building (190 m) from the base will be your only option. Do not miss the visual sculpture Ögat (The Eye) at its feet.
Ögat in Västra Hamnen
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
From here a usual destination is to follow Lilla Varvsgatan towards the sea and reach the Scaniaplatsen Square to continue along the (6) Sundspromenaden southbound. This area is usually full of people sunbathing or contemplating views of the strait and the Öresund bridge. There are also many restaurants and it is a good place to contemplate contemporary architecture and how they make use of the elements to take advantage of light, for example.
Sundspromenaden in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
The Malmö city walk can follow towards the (7) Ribersborg Beach and can be done by the sea or by the interior. If it’s a summer day and you fancy a beach this place is one of the best in the city for a swim.
At Ribersborg Beach in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
If you dare you can try the cold bath house Ribersborg Kallbadhus (nudist) located behind a long wooden bridge and with direct access from the saunas to the sea.
Cold Bath House at Ribersborg in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
Day 2 – Malmö City Center and Shopping Area
Walking in Malmö – Day 2: Malmö City Center and Shopping Area
sweetsweden.com
A visit to the city center of Malmö starts by visiting the three main squares (the Big, the Little and Gustav Adolf’s) joined by cobblestoned streets: (1) Stortorget, (2) Lilla Torg y (3) Gustav Adolfs torg. You’ll find plenty of boutiques and shops to spend a lot of time and probably money buying Scandinavian fashion, design or food.
Lilla Torg in Malmö in Summer
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
If you are interested in design in the Hedmanska Gården courtyard in a hidden corner at Lilla Torg Square you’ll see the Form & Design Center. Those looking for history will find in Stortorget Square the statue of Karl X on horseback, the Swedish king who in 1658 won Scania to the Danes, as well as the oldest pharmacy in the city, Apoteket Lejonet, located in an art-noveau building with interior shelves of carved wood and old bottles of medicines made of glass.
Hedmanska Gården in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
If you continue the walk through Södra Förstadsgatan you will reach (4) Triangeln one of the largest shopping centers in Malmö that also has a train station next door for easy transportation around the city.
Triangeln Station in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
In the vicinity of the center of Malmö there are also museums and emblematic historic buildings. For example the (5) Malmöhus Castle and the Malmö Art Museum located next to each other and surrounded by the castle moat. In this location there is also a museum of science and technology, an aquarium and other interesting museums. You can get back to the center by walking through (6) Slottsträdgården park and even visit a typical cemetery called (7) Gamla Kyrkogården. Seeing a cemetery like that in the middle of the city is not something that Europeans (at least southern Europeans) are used to.
Malmöhus Castle
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
If you are interested in gastronomy you have two totally different places near the center of Malmö. One is the (8) Malmö Saluhall which is Malmö’s food market and which offers local and international products focusing on organic and bio producers – how could it be otherwise.
Organic Products from Malmö Food Market
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
The other place is a recently opened museum called (9) Disgusting Food Museum that features 80 of the most repellent foods in the world. This museum is located behind the Central Station where the trains arrive from Copenhagen and from where they leave for other places in Sweden and very close to the Hertz office where we rented our car in Sweden. Those interested in modern art should visit the (10) Museum of Modern Art of Malmö also present in the city center.
Day 3 – Parks, Shopping and Views of Öresund Bridge
Walking in Malmö – Day 3: Parks, Views and Öresund Bridge
sweetsweden.com
Two of Malmö’s main parks (1) Folketspark and (3) Pildammsparken are very close to each other. Next to Folketspark you find Möllevångstorget or Möllan as the locals call it where a local market is present six days a week.
Pildammsparken in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
Art lovers on the way from one park to the other can visit the art museum (2) Malmö Konsthall. If you feel like walking from Pildammsparken to the next destination walk towards the football stadium and continue through Kroksbäcksstigen until you reach the Hyllie neighborhood where the city of Malmö continues its expansion.
In Hyllie you will find (4) the Emporia shopping center with more than 200 stores. From Malmö Hyllie station you can also travel to Copenhagen and its airport by train (it takes only 13 minutes to Kastrup) so it can be a good stop if you have half a day in the city and you are missing some shopping to do before heading to the airport.
Emporia Shopping Mall in Malmö
Photo: Emporia / facebook
One of the most photographed sights in Malmö is the Öresund Bridge from the city center. Well, it is possible to achieve better views if you move a bit to the outskirts. If you are driving, you have to look for how to get to Luftkastellet restaurant which is right at the foot of the bridge.
If you travel from the central station by public transport take bus nr. 4 (from Hyllie bus 33) and at Limhamn Centrum change to bus 34. Get off at Sibbarp and walk for 20 minutes until you reach (5) Utsiktspunkt Öresundsbro. Or you could take bus 4 (from Hyllie bus 6) and get off at (6) Bunkeflostrand and walk from there. These are the best options you have to achieve your desired photography.
We had a car and went to Utsiktspunkt Öresundsbro next to Luftkastellet.
Looking for the Best Views of Öresund Bridge in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
If you are going to continue traveling in Scania or want to see something else around Malmö on this day you can drive to see things around the city like the Viking Museum in Foteviken, Falsterbo – Skanör peninsula and other interesting places.
How To Get Around in Malmö
For the one-month long trip through Sweden that we started in Malmö we rented a car. The truth is that to get around in Malmö and the surroundings, like everywhere in Sweden, it is better to do it using public transport since you just need to buy a card and top it up. In addition, in summer there is a quite cheap summer ticket if you travel in Scania for a week or more.
If you need a map of Malmö bus lines check this one. You can check schedule and journey planner at Skånetrafiken website.
Where to Eat in Malmö
One of the best places in Malmö for tourists to have something to eat is Lilla Torg Square as there are between 6 and 8 different restaurants and always a good atmosphere. This time we tried the Mello Yello and we also enjoyed eating at the Indian Green Chili restaurant in the same square.
Honey Baked Salmon in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
Mello Yello, a Restaurant in Lilla Torg in Malmö
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
A restaurant that I loved in Malmö is Saltimporten Canteen located in the harbor where I ate an excellent steak tartar.
Another famous restaurant in the city is Bastard! which I have not been able to visit yet.
Where to Sleep in Malmö
If you travel as a couple or even with a small child and want to be in a different place I recommend you to book the Oh Boy Hotel in the futuristic neighborhood of Västra Hamnen.
Sustainable Design at Ohboy Hotel and Apartments
Photo: Israel Úbeda / sweetsweden.com
In different years I have visited Malmö in June, August and December. Each era has its charm. August is the time of Malmöfestivalen, the biggest festival in Malmö, and there are many activities and things to do on the streets. December with its Christmas lights and decorations gives a special feeling and June with long days and lots of light allows you to visit many places and make the most of your visit.
If you are looking for more things to do in Malmö and its surroundings, for example, the Viking Museum in Foteviken, or in the rest of the county of Scania, take a look at other articles that I have written or leave a message and I will try to help you in your planning.
And if you like my 3-day guides in Sweden, take a look at what you can see in three days in Stockholm and in Gothenburg.
* Article written after a collaboration with Malmotown.
