- Malmo
- (16)
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Sweden
For an interesting train journey, go by rail from London to Brussels on Eurostar, then overnight to Hamburg. The trains are lovely and new, and even have showers.
Next day, press on to Copenhagen by train and boat - the train drives onto the ferry between Puttgarden and Rodby. After that, it's over the Oresund Bridge to Malmo!
Book tickets through Ffestiniog Travel, who will hold the reservation for a few days so you have time to sort out your other arrangements! For those food emergencies, I recommend taking Ryvitas and a jar of peanut butter - no refrigeration required!
Very modern apartments in a converted old chocolate factory - staying here is like stepping into an Ikea showroom. Blond wooden flooring, red sofas, big comfy white beds, a well-equipped kitchen and sleek bathroom. There is a sauna in the basement which you can block book - a great thing to do before you head out for the evening. The building has a variety of different-sized apartments and it works out much cheaper than many of the hotels. Breakfast is available too. It's about 5-10 minutes walk into the centre, on a quiet street.
Accome Mazetti
Norra Skolgatan 24
214 22 Malmö, Sweden
Tel: +46 40 641 30 00
Fax: +46 40 641 30 99
www.accome.com/content/view/29/43/
Giovanni di Penco each weekday serves the most wonderful homemade pasta at the unbeatable price of about £5!!!
Freshly made bread to go with that, a perfect espresso, can you ask for more? If they have time they make panna cotta and tiramisu. Lunch only, no bookings. A bit hard to find, tucked away behind the big theatre. Follow the crowd!
Roskildevagen 3
211 47 Malmo
+4640396655
The hip crowd, and everybody else loves it. Just refurbished, it's still excellent value and the food by wunderchef Bjorn Malmsten is Scandinavian with a twist.
Booking has become essential if you want to eat or simply have a beer in the bar.
Sodra Skolgatan 30A
214 22 Malmo
+4640126021
Lots of nice pubs and good corner shops for well priced food. Worth checking out Krua Thai for Thai food and Runtgang for records and gewgaws.
Also most of the interesting clubs and nights happen up there, and there is Folketspark for wandering about and on special occasions, like Christmas, a funfair.
Follow Sodra Forestadsg. as far as the supermarket ICA - about 1km from the centre of town - beyond the shopping centre at Triangeln.
The province of Skane has absolutely stunning wide white sandy beaches, and the water can reach 25 degrees in the height of summer! One of the best ones is Falsterbo.
Falsterbo beach is around 20 miles south of Malmo.
Head from Malmo along the coast through Halmstad towards Goteborg. Lovely coastal views and beaches and often great weather even during September and August. Fantastic area to explore.
North along the coast from Malmo, in the southwest corner of Sweden
This is a posh suburb with a nice beach and views of the sublime bridge to Denmark.
Limhamn lies to the southwest of the city.
I took the ferry to Sweden and back again, and I think that flying to a place for a "green" vacation is a contradiction in terms. Obviously crossing the Atlantic or Pacific requires a flight, but to really be kind to the planet, travelling surface is the way to go. If you have to fly, you should make sure that you are staying for a long time. Hopping on a plane for a week holiday is about as ungreen as it gets.
You can take the ferry in Newcastle and come back via Harwich for a nice round trip;
www.scandlines.com
The festival takes place in late August, on stages around the city centre, to cheer up the locals when they get back from their summer break. It starts with a crayfish and beer party with hundreds of people standing at long tables. There's also an array of pop, rock, folk and world music on offer. It goes on for around ten days each year: the local tourist bureau will know the exact dates. Good lively urban summer fun.
2006 dates: August 18-25
In this town you have Stortorget (Big Square) and Lilla Torg (Little Square). The lesser of the two is the most charming and its history as a market square (from 1592) makes it a natural place to host several cosy cafés and restaurants - all with outdoor seating from March to October.
The meeting place of choice for the locals.
If you're on the Big Square, you're in the wrong place. Go small.
First of all, you shouldn't miss the number one popular food in Malmo, which is of course the falafel. They come in only two sizes, large and extra large (so don't ask for a small one, even if you are suspicious). The price is as low as 15 kr, which is about a pound and they are good. The best places are Falafel No 1 in the south (close to Mollan) and Varnhemsfalafel in the east.
Furthermore, did you know that Swedes and Finns are the heaviest coffee drinkers in the world? And there isn't a single Starbucks in Sweden. If you enjoy espresso and cappuccino Malmo is the place. The best places are Lilla Kafferosteriet at Baltazargatan, Dolce Sicilia at Drottningtorget (which also has the most amazing ice cream) and Solde at Regementsgatan.
Remember that Malmo is a small place and that you can walk everywhere. Especially thorugh the area of Vastra hamnen and Bo01, with grand architecture, around Davidshall and behind (i.e. west from) Lilla Torg.
If you like jazz, world music and rhythm in general, visit Club Jeriko. Furthermore, check out Inkonst, a very friendly and cool place with both groovy clubs, theatre and poetry slams.
Enjoy. I know I do.
PS.
Swedens have a reputation of being quiet, however, they really want to talk to people. The reason they are a bit difficult to get started is that they are afraid to embarrass themselves. Don't let this stop you; go on and you'll make friends for a lifetime. Remember that everyone speaks English so don't hesitate to ask people how to find things or where to go.
Falafel No 1, Bergsgatan 37, Malmo.
Jeriko,Spangatan 38, 211 53 Malmo.
Tel : (00 46) 401 030 20
www.jeriko.info/index.htm
www.jazzimalmo.com/
Inkonst: www.inkonst.com/pages/program.aspx
Free maps etc. of the whole of Sweden (simply type in the street or place or person you want to find, or search manually by clikcing on "kartor", i.e. maps, on the left):
www.hitta.se
This is the Malmö opera and music theatre. Currently being refurbished, the theatre is a very classy modernist building dating from 1941, and was one of the influences on the Royal Festival Hall in London. The theatre houses a programme which encompasses some surprisingly enterprising opera such as Schnitke's Life with an Idiot and a Matrix-styled production of Gounoud's Faust last year as well as specially commissioned premieres of musicals.Programmes will have a plot summary in English.
Ostra Ronneholmsvagen (Up near Triangeln). www.malmomusikteater.se You can buy or collect tickets from the ticket bureau in the Hansakompagniet store just off Gustav Adolfs Torg in the city centre.
Take a leisurely ride on the canals of the old town and see Malmö's charm from the water.
Boats sail from the quay between the Savoy Hotel and Malmö Central Station and the tour is in English, German and Swedish.
One of Scandinavia's premiere exhibition venues, Malmö Konsthall offers up an impressive line-up every year. Second only to Denmark's Louisiana with regards to the big names.
Near Triangeln.
Address: St Johannesgatan 7
Tel:(+46) 40 34 12 93
www.konsthall.malmo.se
Malmö is eager to exploit the fact that they're back on the map. A surefire way to do that is to build a huge building and The Turning Torso is turning heads.
Architect Santiago Calatrava's fantastic apartment building is 190 metres tall and Sweden's tallest building. When in Malmö, look up. You'll see it.
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