Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Malmö & the South
Why Go?
Artists love southern Sweden. Here, the light seems softer, the foliage brighter and the
shoreline more dazzling. Skåne (Scania) was Danish property until 1658 and still flaunts
its differences: the strong dialect (
skånska
), the half-timbered houses and the region's hy-
brid flag: a Swedish yellow cross on a red Danish background. Copenhagen is a mere
bridge away from vibrant Malmö, the region's largest city.
South of Malmö is a bona fide Viking settlement, while, just to the north, erudite Lund
with its cycling students is Sweden's answer to Cambridge. Pottery studios, elegant man-
ors and dramatic cliffs dot Skåne's northwestern coast, while its southern shore is home to
medieval showpiece Ystad, as well as Bronze Age remains and the rosy apple-orchard
landscapes of Österlen.
Northeast of Skåne lies the forested county of Blekinge, splashed with fish-filled lakes,
and once home to Sweden's 17th-century sea power. Topping its crown is handsome Karl-
skrona, a Unesco World Heritage-listed site.
