A Day Trip to Malmo, Sweden

Traveling between Copenhagen and Stockholm? Please tell me you’re planning a stop over in Malmo, Sweden! This small, seaside city has it all!

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We always visit Malmo on a day trip. It’s located towards the bottom of Sweden, so is just so convenient from Copenhagen. We’d spent a couple of weeks in Sweden at this point, so we were a little travel weary. Malmo was just the place to perk us up and give us some relaxed tourism and great food.

A Day in Malmo

I didn’t remember much from previous day trips other than visiting the amazing Malmohus castle and walking around near the harbor, one of our favorite activities. However, after coming back and driving through the city, seeing all the beautiful architecture, I felt that maybe Malmo had grown and we definitely should spend some time exploring the city before heading out. Boy was I right! I ended up falling in love with this town all over again.

We spent a whole day walking the river and the old cobblestone avenues of Lilla Torg, or Small Square, as well as making a few stops at some key Malmo sights that I’ve listed below. I have to say, though, with all the beauty, the modern and medieval architecture, friendly people, and great places to visit, both Erika and I left still dreaming about the amazing food that we’d eaten along the way.

In fact, as soon as Jim pulled up and parked the car, the first thing we did was take him to fika. He’d already experienced a few on his own, but it’s a tradition that I think is worth keeping. Do you know what fika is?

Fika is a morning or afternoon break. In the morning, most people have a coffee and a kanelbullar, or cinnamon roll. In the afternoon, they may have a sandwich, piece of fruit, or a sweet of some sort. Unlike American coffee breaks, it’s so ingrained in Swedish culture, that the whole office may take it at the same time. I loved it.

After a day of hoofing it all over, we climbed into the car to head on over to Copenhagen so we could meet up with our AirBnB hosts and find a good dinner. Don’t be like me and think that Malmo isn’t worth a stop. It is, and luckily it’s a great stopping point between other parts of Sweden and Denmark.

Things to see in Malmo

Storm the Castle

This old and charming fortress, dating back to the 1400s, is well worth a walk around. It houses some museums, like the Museum of Natural History, and one ticket allows you entry into everything.

Turning Torso

The Turning Torso is probably Malmo’s most iconic architectural art piece. Built in 2001, it is Sweden’s second tallest residential building. In fact, it houses 147 apartments. It is not right downtown, so in order to see Santiago Calatrava’s masterpiece you either need to ride your bike on the many bike paths, or take a bus to Lilla Varvsgatan 14.

On the bottom floor there are a few places to grab a coffee or lunch as well. Malmo Castle and the Malmo Museum are a worthwhile stop for a few hours to wander the castle and learn the cultural and natural history of the area. Address: Malmöhusvägen 6 and it’s open daily from 10:00 – 5:00.

Take a Walk in Lilla Torg and Stortorget

Two of the most beautiful and charming parts of town, you can get lost in the Lilla Torg and Stortorget because there are so many cafes and shops to while away the hours.

Visit a Museum

There are two art museums that are both fantastic, but you might have to choose which one you go to if your time is limited like ours was. 

If you like modern art,  Moderna Museet Malmo is pretty shiny and new. You can’t miss it with its bright orange façade.  Address: Ola Billgrens plats 2–4. Open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:00-6:00. Cost: Free.

The other art museum, reputed to be the largest in Europe, is the Malmo Konsthall. Address: S. Johannesgatan 7, and it’s open daily from 11:00-5:00, except on Wednesdays when it stays open late (until 9:00).  Cost: Free it.

Enjoy the Midnight Sun on the Beach

Ribersborg beach has it all. Water, sand dunes, a long pier, and great views of the city. Soak in that Vitamin D and relax.

Getting Around Malmo

Like most European cities, Malmo has fantastic public transportation. We took the train in and drove out, while busing all around for a couple of days. I would have liked to rent a bike, and headed out of the city on any of the many bike paths, but we had to get moving.

One thing I loved about the Malmo train station was the annex with plenty of cafes. I would venture to say, I had the best lunch there…in a train station.

Where to have Fika in Malmo

It’s not hard to find a great coffee shop in Malmo. In every museum, in the castle, in the shopping malls, along the street, you will find many. Here are a couple that you might want to look for: Lilla Kafferosteriet Baltzarsgatan 24 Cafe Number 6 Master Henriksgatan 6

Hollandia 8 Soedra Foerstadsgatan

Hotels in Malmo

We stayed in the Radisson Blu which had a lovely view of the entire city, and we thought this might just be the best hotel in Malmo!   Part of our visit to Malmo was sponsored by Visit Sweden, but as always our opinions are our own.

Traveling to Malmo was partially hosted by the friendly folks at Visit Sweden. Thanks go out to them for all of their support!

Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.