Going on vacation abroad kills the planet as well as your wallet. But luckily for you, you can find anything you’re looking for in a holiday right here in Sweden. Kat Riesner gives you the tips that show that the Spanish beaches got nothing on a vacation in Skåne.
Want to relax at the beach? There is no need to fly hours on a plane to get to sandy white beaches. Lomma is only a 10km bike ride away from Lund. With the marram grass on its dunes, it looks like the beaches along the coast of North Carolina. For the true vacation feeling, grab an ice cream cone at Glassfabrik right next to the pier.
Want to go on an adventure? Then you can follow Skåne’s own web of hiking trails. The Skåneleden trail is over 1000km long and twists through the entire region. The coastline sections with views over the Baltic Sea and the occasional old fishing villages are breathtaking. Kullaberg’s nature-reserve with its steep cliffs at the northwestern tip of Skåne is the highlight for many hikers.
Want to enjoy some music? In Lund, Kulturen offers live music for free in Stadsparken on a few evenings in July. The large crowds will flock to Malmöfestivalen from August 12-19 for the international street food and the big music stage in the middle of the city.
If you can’t wait that long, the streets of Copenhagen also turn into one big music festival during Distortion (June 1–5), where around one hundred different artists will perform in clubs. Every night, the party hops from one neighborhood to the next. Or you attend the largest culture and music festival in Northern Europe, Roskilde, which starts on June 25.
Want to see some sights? Lund’s Cathedral may be a daily sight for LU students but the ‘Greater Copenhagen area’ has more photo-worthy spots. One other ecclesiastical gem is the Trinity Church in Kristianstad. For a picture-perfect view of the Öresundbridge, climb on top of Emporia shopping mall in Malmö. Or make the trip to Helsingborg and soak in its beautiful old town. From there, the small town of Helsingør is only a 20-minute ferry ride away. It is home to the UNESCO world heritage site Kronborg, a Renaissance castle, known to be Shakespeare’s inspiration for Hamlet’s castle.
Want to relax? Summer is about relaxing. Besides the comfortable hammocks in Stadsparken, Västra Hamnen area in Malmö is great for that. Grab a coffee, let your legs dangle over the pier, and watch the boats going in and out of the harbor.
Want to eat great food? In Malmö, my favorite place is Barbacoa on Södergatan. They serve Mexican street food to affordable prices. For a fancier vacation day, the place to go to in Lund is VED (Mårtenstorget). They make delicious middle-sized dishes that change every few weeks and may be home to Lund’s best pizza.
So don’t sulk in the Swedish summer. Go out, explore, and enjoy!
For more tips on how to spend a great summer in the Skåne-area, check out:
www.sommarlund.se (in Swedish)
www.malmotown.com/en/summer/
www.visitskane.se/en
www.visitcopenhagen.com
www.copenhagen.com