When people think about a vacation, they think about Europe and when they think about Europe they get excited about the thought of how fabulous places are. What makes Europe beautiful is how they have preserved the scenery, they carried through and preserved the heritage, arts and architectures, as they embrace the technological advancement and excel in the world of fashion and style. One of these places is Sweden. When we get to Sweden, we are attached to Stockholm; this time let me take you on the other side, “the breadbasket of Sweden”, no other than the beautiful county of Skane. Skane is the Southernmost province of Sweden which was in its early history a part of Denmark and has historically been the site of numerous battles. In 1658, it has officially remained a part of Sweden, yet maintained the close tie with Denmark. For a vacation in Skane, you have more interesting things to find out. So pack your things and explore Skane and book with the vacation houses that best suits you.
Castle County
A vacation in Skane means a time exploring the green, mild countryside and coastal beauty that comprises castles that are never too far that bring you to a place of a fairy tale. Castles of the 14th and 15th centuries were there. What can be more amazing than that is, you can actually experience a day or two living in it for some of them that now offers accommodation and restaurants. One of these is Kronovalls Castle, it has 14 room accommodation in the main building and additional rooms in the “White Villa” and 2 in a charming cottage. Furniture are in its original form and of 17th and 18th century design. It is known for its fine dining and wines. Anyone can come to taste wines and champagnes from around the world from its wine cellar. Once reserved for the nobility alone, are today open to the public, as museums, hotels and restaurants, or just for a stroll in the castle park. Aside from Kronovalls Castle, you can choose from Bäckaskog Slott, Herrevadskloster, Häckeberga Slott, Snogeholm Slott, Trollenäs Slott, or Örenäs Slott and experience personally the imressive legacy of royal history for a unique vacation in Skane.
Explore the Beautiful City of Parks and Museums
Malmo is the largest city in Skane, a part of Oresund that connects to the bridge. Malmö are known for its different attractions of a different kind, historical museums are interesting and renewed and which are not overcrowded that will make you understand more of its importance. The popular sites in Malmö are its large parks and open spaces, offering an excellent opportunity to escape from the everyday rush or from overplanned Scandinavian tourist itineraries. It will give you peace and serenity. Traditional Kungsparken and Slottsparken are known for a peaceful walks through time, the famous Pildammsparken is great for bird watching or a walk along the lake, and if you prefer recreation of any kind then go jogging to Bulltoftaparken or swimming at Ribersborgs beach. There are also new parks in Västra Hamnen area, where you can be amazed with its deep hidden meanings brought about by its composition or just simply want to enjoy the sunset over the Öresund strait.
The most interesting place in Malmo is Stortoget, Malmo’s city center square. It is surrounded by the Gamla Staden known as the old town. It was built in 1536 and became the Scandinavia’s largest city square. You can see the statue of King Charles X within the square. The bronze water sculpture on Malmo’s Stortorget depicts the location of the old city well.
Well, if you love trying fine dining restaurants and can’t allow an evening pass without experiencing a nightlife, you can’t miss, Lilla Torg. It is a square surrounded by buildings erected between 1600 – 1800, which nowadays offer crafts, lots of food, mall-style shopping, and other entertainment.
Lies in the west of Lilla Torg, is the Gamla Vaster, which is Malmo’s most colorful attraction. It is a representation of Malmo itself, a colorful very low houses and brick buildings made up of rainbow colors.
You haven’t been to Malmo if you can’t get a glimpse of the Turning Torso & Västra hamnen, found in the Western Harbour in Malmo. It is known as a Landmark and a skyscraper. It has a height of 190 meters and is so far the highest building in Sweden and the highest residential building in Europe with 54 floors.
Take a look at the entire Western Harbour while at the location where Turning Torso. It was once an industrial harbour area and home of the Kockums wharf where wharf cranes can be found, it was renovated though when Malmö hosted Bo01, a Swedish fair for modern architecture, in 2001. The place is a sort of representation of Docklands development with housing in all kinds of shapes. Scaniaplatsen is a wide place facing the sea, where people gather on sunny summer days to stroll around the seafront.
You cannot miss of course the main museum of the city, Malmohus. A renaissance castle known to be the oldest in Scandinavia when Malmo still belonged to Denmark. It was originally built in 1434 and it was expanded and became a royal residence in the mid 16th century during the reign of King Christian III. You can walk though the royal apartments with their fine interiors and portrait collections. The building also houses the Municipal Museum (archaeology, natural history and art and culture). It can also be a best place to go if there are kids that tag along during this trip, the Natural history section (to the right and down stairs as you enter) will be the best entertainment – the aquarium is fascinating, and the gorgeously coloured poison frogs, the sloths and the fruit bats.
As you step down the train as it entered the city of Malmo, you can see the oldest building which is an example of a Baltic Brick Gothic, the St. Peter’s Church, dating from the early 14th century, peeks out from behind the City Hall. The church was is very similar to St Mary’s Church in Lübeck. The medieval paintings that covered the church vault were whitewashed during the Reformation in the 16th century, but the original paintings in the Tradesmen’s Chapel were successfully uncovered during a restoration in the early 20th century. The pulpit, baptismal font and retable are all Renaissance works. That can’t be all, another interesting feature of the Sankt Petri kyrka (St Peter’s Church) is the large variety of epitaphs paid for by wealthy citizens who had their tombs inside the church. The oldest of these epitaphs date from the 1600s.
And if your tour is from Copenhagen to Skane, then you have the chance to experience crossing the famous Oresund Bridge (locally called Øresundsbron) is the bridge that connects Amager and Oresund in Denmark (on the island Zealand) with Skane, Sweden, in a total length of just over 10 miles (16,4 km). This is the road connection between the metropolitan areas of Copenhagen and Malmo.
While in Sweden, why not take the chance to live like a Viking does, you can experience that in Foteviken viking village.
After a long day, take a dip and relax or have a sauna, take a walk along the Ribersborg beach, commonly known as Ribban, is a huge recreational area situated within walking distance of the centre of Malmö. The recreational area is of two parts, the beach with the old open-air swimming baths known as Kallbadhuset, and the green part which is home to trees, ponds and lawns and several football and rugby fields. A broad promenade runs along the edge of the beach, ideal for cyclists, rollerbladers, runners and people just out for a stroll. It is just a short walk from the city center of Malmo.
Moreover, if you love contemporary art, then don’t forget to visit MalmoArt Hall and Galleries at the center of Malmo, where the art works of the international artists are exhibited both new or unknown artists as well the well known artists. This is where art develop and prosper, so better yet, witness their works when you can.
As you leave Malmo, you can check out Torup Castle, Torup is a small village centred around a 16th century castle which is really nice and can be toured weekends in May and June (as it is still inhabited). You can also visit a fascinating museum dedicated to the castle farm labourers in their old dwellings nearby. Both are surrounded by a lovely beech forest usually used by Malmö citizens in summer.
Lund
Just like Malmo, your vacation in Skane will not be complete without taking a glance of what is instore in Lund. As you enter the Municipality of Lund which is just 20 minutes drive from the city of Malmo, you wont miss the famous Lund Cathedral. Lund Cathedral was consecrated in 1145, and contains many well-known artifacts and features of considerable historical interest. Next to Lund Cathedral, you can find Lund University, so why not take a visit at the prestigious University known to be as one of the 100 top Universities in the world. Lund University was founded back in 1666, making it the second-oldest university in Sweden. The university was originally named Academia Carolina. And if you really are crazy about museums, take a peep at Kulturen, it is where you can find everything that represents the history of Lund both distant and recent. In the main building, there are dozens of artefacts unearthed by archaeologists and all the facts and figures. The building of Kulturen has been renovated but nothing was changed from its original form which actually presents an actual experience of living in a typical merchant’s house. Upon leaving Lund, take a hop to the most exotic park of the land. If you love the beauty of nature this is something you can never afford to miss.* Dalby Söderskog is the most exceptional grove of broad-leaved trees on the fertile plain of Skåne. It is a mature and an unusual wood, it is surrounded by impressive display of spring flowers, dense summer foliage and ardent birdsong. It is also undergoes a transformation resulting from both natural processes and the human impact on the surrounding landscape.
Helsngborg
Head on if you have more days left with your vacation in Skane, and go to Helsingborg. It is a destination in Skane where you can actually experience a combined touch of both Swedish and Danish. *Helsingborg is located where the straits are narrowest between Sweden and Denmark. The main alternative to the capital cities of the Baltic sea region. Helsingborg is a beautiful city. It is a place where Architectural sights that extend from the early Middle Ages via the functional style to the present day can be found. The city comprises an old and modern history both Danish and Swedish. Dunkers Kulturhus, Fredriksdal, Kulturmagasinet, Kärnan and Sofiero tell some of the story. Other locations and museums give an account of different occupations and industries like the rubber factory, fishing, the printing works, the stoneware factories etc. All of these can be found in the independent museums.
A vacation sometimes can be more than fulfilling if we have learned something other than just have the liesure and pleasure of the travel. We learned as to how a beautiful destination has become through the historical remains that can be experienced in such a short period of time. It doesn’t take years to appreciate deeper the beauty of a place. A vacation in Skane is sure one of those interesting destinations where you have to experience the culture of both Swedish and Danish.