Visit Malmö

First impressions of Malmö

Malmö is Sweden's third city and the most accessible — connected to Copenhagen by the 8km Øresund Bridge (the longest combined road-and-rail bridge in Europe, opened in 2000) and turned over the past 25 years from a depressed shipbuilding port into one of Scandinavia's most diverse, walkable, and architecturally interesting cities. The most photographed sight is the Turning Torso — Santiago Calatrava's 190m twisting white residential tower (Sweden's tallest building, completed 2005) which marks the regenerated Västra Hamnen harbourfront district. The compact medieval Old Town (Gamla Staden) revolves around the cobbled Stortorget square and Lilla Torg (the wonderful little square ringed by 16th-17th century half-timbered houses, now full of restaurants). The dramatic Malmö Castle (Malmöhus, the oldest Renaissance castle in the Nordic countries, 1530s) houses the brilliant Malmö Art Museum and Aquarium. Don't miss the impressive Modern Museum Malmö (the spectacular northern branch of Stockholm's Moderna Museet), the famous Folkets Park (open since 1891, the oldest urban people's park in Sweden), a long pleasant walk along the Västra Hamnen seafront (the regenerated former shipyard, now a model of sustainable urban planning), and the easy day-trip across to Copenhagen by train (35 minutes).