CallumElsdon.com

View Original

A visit to Malmö…in pictures

For those not in the know, Malmö is a Swedish city that is extremely close to the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen. Getting between the two cities was made easier than ever following the opening of the Øresund Bridge in the year 2000 which allowed rail and road connections between them cutting journey times dramatically - but is it worth you visiting?

Trains from Copenhagen depart from København H Station to Malmö Central Station - most services are operated by Øresundståg - a joint venture between Danish (DSB) and Swedish (SJ) national rail operators.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Both København H Station and Malmö Central Station are visually impressive stations owing to their older nature.

Close to the railway station, the harbour side is extremely modern and has clearly been built up over the past few years. There’s not much going on though…

Malmö is Sweden’s third largest city with a population of around 350,000 people - but it feels more like a restful town or village in parts. Copenhagen is around 600,000 people.

Malmö Castle is likely to be near the top of your list when visiting - but it’s not particularly impressive…and in all honesty a little drab.

Moving into the City Centre, some parts are quite beautiful but are extremely similar to other Scandinavian cities - particularly with the combination of older 1930s buildings with ugly 1960s ones.

Södergatan Street and surrounding is particularly lovely - with a quaint look and lots of shopping if you’re into that.

But if you’re in Malmö, the thing you should most be excited for is the food! It’s great…and actually I preferred it to traditional Danish food in Copenhagen. We began with the classic Swedish Meatballs at Bullen, which is kind of like an English pub…but Swedish - you’ll see what I mean from the pics! The meatballs were a delight to eat.

We then moved onto a local pastry shop for some fab local delights and a coffee to perk us up. These were really good, although maybe a little heavy after eating meatballs.

And finally, if you’re in the mood for some local chocolate, visit Ahlgrens who have a fantastic selection of local chocolates for you to purchase - though beware many have liquorice in!

Is visiting Malmö worth it? For most people who are visiting nearby Copenhagen, my answer is probably no. It’s a lovely little city, but there’s just not too much going on. If you’re in Copenhagen over an extended period, it may be worthwhile to take a look over there and to feel the experience of taking a train over water on the famous bridge. Besides that, there’s far more to do in Copenhagen - besides trying Swedish Meatballs.