Travel Guide to Malmo: Day Trip from Copenhagen

Travel Guide to Malmö

This travel guide to Malmö will be shorter than my usual travel guides. It will be similar to my Sintra, Portugal travel guide. This is because we went on a day trip to Malmö, Sweden during our time in Copenhagen. We went in early June and the weather was a little chilly. The temperature was very similar to Copenhagen. We spent an entire day there, and we felt like we were able to see most of Malmö, Sweden. It’s not a big city but it is Sweden’s third largest city.

Malmö seemed to be so much calmer and less touristy than Copenhagen. There were times when we were walking around that it felt like it was just Tre and I walking. We were not sure if it had to do with the fact that we went on a Sunday. So note to self, we would love to visit on another day of the week. It did seem that some places were closed. But later throughout the day, we did start to see more people. Yet, not as busy as Copenhagen.

In general, Malmö city is a very walkable city. You can get to most neighborhoods and places by foot. CNN Traveler voted it as the top 10 places to visit in Sweden and it was an extremely friendly city.

Getting to Malmö, Sweden

Malmö, Sweden is about a 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen. So if you are in Copenhagen, you will head to the Copenhagen Central Train Station to take the train there. Several trains frequently run to Sweden and it is common for locals to commute back and forth between Copenhagen and Malmö. The train ticket didn’t cost that much either.

They randomly check for passports, so I highly recommend bringing it. We ended up not getting our passport checked, but we didn’t want to risk it. Even the people working at the train station warned us that you have to make sure your passports are with you because technically we were heading to another country.

They randomly check for passports, so I highly recommend bringing it. We ended up not getting our passport checked, but we didn’t want to risk it. Even the people working at the train station warned us that you have to make sure your passports are with you because technically we were heading to another country.

Things To Know

Unlike Copenhagen, Sweden participates in Frika. Frika is a swedish break that happens in the afternoon. It’s somewhat similar to the Spanish siesta. The purpose of the Frika is to be able to relax from a busy day (morning) and enjoy spending time with with friends while having a cup of coffee and Swedish pastries. Therefore, there are lots of bakeries! Highly recommend trying the Kanelbular and Spattekaka.

Kanelbular is a Swedish version of the cinnamon roll. Very similar to the Danish kanelsnegl. Tre had this growing up because his childhood friend is Swedish. So when he saw these in Malmö, he knew he had to get some!

Spettekaka is another Swedish dessert. It’s basically a cake on a spit. The look of it is unique and people usually have it with coffee. It does pair really well with coffee!

What to Do and See

• Davidshall Neighborhood
  This neighborhood is so cute and quaint and it is known for shops, trendy boutiques, coffee shops, and gorgeous architecture. You’ll find some of the most delicious coffees here!
  
• Gamla Staden Neighborhood
  It is Malmo’s historic heart and original city centre. This neighborhood has three well known squares. The squares are Stortorget, Gustav Adolf Torg, and Lilla Torg.
• Jakob Nilsgatan
  This is a street in the Gamla Staden neighborhood. This area is so cute and extremely picturesque. It is exactly what I pictured traditional Swedish houses looked like. So much charm, character, and color.
  
• St. Peter’s Church
  This church is also known as Petri Kyrka. It is a church from the 14th century and will not be hard to miss! It was known as “the main Gothic monument within church architecture in Skane”.
• Turning Torso
  It is the tallest building in Scandinavia. The name basically describes the building. The tower looks twisted! It is the only skyscraper in Malmö and without a doubt you will see it. The Turning Torso is located in Western Harbour. This area is known to have the biggest transformation. It used to be a run-down industrial area and now revitalized to a beautiful architectural area. The most popular neighborhood in Western Harbour is Västra Hamnen.
  
• Salongsgatan Street
  This area is known as “new Malmö”. The houses there are very cute.
• Malmö Castle – Scandinavia’s oldest surviving Renaissance castle. It’s very affordable to check out and there are so many exhibits to see.
• Fishing Village – It’s a cute little area known as the fishing village. You’ll notice cute little fish houses and boats. You can buy fresh fish and seafood. We went on a Sunday so unfortunately they were closed. Things to note for next time!
• Ribersborg Beach – It’s a beach where you can also get a good view of the Turning Torso.
• Slottsgarden – This is a park where the giant windmill is located.
• Kungsparken – This is the oldest park in Malmö. Basically a Swedish Central Park (in NYC). We walked through it and it is such a pretty site. There’s a cute pond and so many places to sit and people watch. We followed the canal through the park. Another park worth checking (but unfortunately we didn’t have time) is Folkets Park. It has the oldest amusement park in Sweden.
  

Where to Eat

Since we were only there for a day, we didn’t get a chance to eat at several places. Most of the ones we went to are cafes and we definitely took advantage of Frika! Here’s some places to eat in Malmö.

• Gustav Adolf – This is where we had brunch. They had a brunch buffet which gave us the opportunity to try all the different types of Swedish foods. We really enjoyed it and it seemed like a popular place. It was one of the most crowded restaurants in Malmö.
• Lite Off Cafe – It is a cute cafe in the Davidshall neighborhood. It has a very hipster feel to it.
• Coffee Factory – This is another cafe/ coffeeshop we went to. It faces the Galma Staden square. Love the decor! It has cute book shelves and cozy nooks.
• Malmö Saluhall – We didn’t get a chance to go here but it was top of our first. It’s Malmo’s food hall and a food lover’s paradise.This place is known to have a variety of different foods from different cultures.

Where to Stay

Since we decided last minute to check out Malmö, we did not have the opportunity to spend the night there. Originally, when we thought we could be out there much longer we were thinking we would spend 2 days and 1 night in Malmö. As I mentioned earlier, one day was sufficient. Maybe an extra day would be nice so we could hang out at the beach or explore more of “new Malmö”.  If you are planning to stay there, here were a few places we were considering.

• Havshotellet
• Scandic Triangeln
• Hotel Duxiana Malmö
• Profilhotels Hotel
• Moment Hotels

Hope you all enjoyed this travel guide to Malmö. I highly recommend taking a day trip here especially if you are visiting Copenhagen. It’s just a quick and short ride!  Next time, it would be nice to visit perhaps in July when the weather is a bit warmer and not on a Sunday so we can see more places that are open!

xo RD