Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
THE ÖRESUND BRIDGE
Linking Malmö with Copenhagen in Denmark (and thus Sweden with the rest of continental
Europe), the elegant
Öresund bridge
was finally completed in 1999, after a forty-year debate.
From Lernacken, a few kilometres south of Malmö, the bridge runs to a 4km-long artificial
island off the Danish coast, from where an immersed tunnel carries tra
c and trains across to
the mainland - a total distance of 16km. The bridge itself has two levels, the upper for a
four-lane highway and the lower for two sets of train tracks, and comprises three sections: a
central high bridge, spanning 1km, and approach bridges to either side, each over 3km long.
In December 2010,
Citytunneln
, a new underground rail tunnel was opened beneath the
city, speeding trains directly into the heart of Malmö from Denmark; the journey to
Copenhagen is faster and more frequent as a result.
The Turning Torso
From the western side of Malmöhus, Malmö's most breathtaking sight looms on the
horizon: the
Turning Torso
. An easy walk north along Mariedalsvägen, crossing the
canal over Varvsbron, leads you to Västra Varvsgatan, which streaks in a straight line
to the city's Västra Hamnen district, home to the
skyscraper
that bears down on you as
you approach. The tallest building in Scandinavia, this sleek, twisting tower of steel
curves 90° clockwise as it rises to a height of 190m above the ground. It was designed
to reshape the city skyline that had been dominated for decades by the massive
Kockum shipyard crane, and now houses luxury flats and penthouses.
Malmö's beaches
Ribersborg kallbadhus: Contact for opening hours •
T
040 26 03 66,
W
ribban.com • Bus #32 runs here from the centre of town
Separated from the Turning Torso by delightful
Ribersborg
park
, Malmö's long stretch
of sandy
beaches
stretches several kilometres to the old limestone-quarrying area of
Limhamn to the southwest. Fringed by dunes and grassland, the beaches, popular with
young families as the water remains shallow for several metres out to sea, are numbered
according to the jetty which gives access into the water. At jetty #1, the
Ribersborgs
kallbadhus
is a cold-water bathhouse offering separate-sex
nude bathing
areas and
sauna whilst the last jetty, #10, denotes Malmö's popular
nudist beach
.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
MALMÖ
By train
Malmö's newly rebuilt Centralstation is on two
levels; all services to and from Denmark use the
underground platforms.
Destinations
Berlin (1 daily; 8hr 30min); Copenhagen via
Kastrup airport (every 20min; 20min); Gothenburg (hourly;
3hr); Helsingborg (hourly; 40min); Karlskrona (hourly;
3hr); Lund (very frequent; 12min); Stockholm (hourly; 4hr
20min); Ystad (hourly; 50min).
By bus
The main bus terminal is in the square immediately
outside the train station. Since the train service is so
comprehensive, though, you're unlikely to use buses much,
unless heading to Skanör (6 daily; 50min). For long-
distance bus information call Skånetrafiken on
T
0771 77
77 77.
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
Opposite Centralstation at Skeppsbron 2
(late June-Aug Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat & Sun 9am-4pm;
Sept-May Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-2.30pm;
T
040 34 12 00,
W
malmotown.com). Offers a wealth of
free information, including the English-language listings
brochure
Malmö Guide
, and free internet access.
GETTING AROUND
By bus
Although the city centre is easy to walk around, its
central squares and streets all interlinked, you'll need to
use the city bus service to reach some of the sights and
places to stay. You cannot buy tickets on the bus so instead
get a prepaid travel pass (see opposite).
By taxi
Several taxi companies in Malmö operate a
fixed-price system within the city and surrounding area,
but you should always agree the price before you start your
journey. To give a rough idea of costs, a trip across the
centre costs around 150kr. Taxi 97
T
040 97 97 97, Taxi
Kurir
T
040 700 00, Taxi Skåne
T
040 33 03 30.
By boat
Canal boat tours, known as Rundan Sightseeing,
