Sweden Road Trip
Skanör, Sweden
2-Day Road Trip in Southern Sweden
Visiting Skåne And Malmö
After phase 2 of our quest to travel to 50 countries in 50 months was derailed by an unexpected illness, we were looking for a relatively close and accessible itinerary to judge our readiness to hit the road again.
Convalescing in Copenhagen and with a rental car ready, southern Sweden crossed off all the boxes. It is astounding what you can see and do in 36 hours when you put your mind to it.
The Øresund Bridge opened in the year 2000, linking Copenhagen and Malmö, Sweden. Forty-five minutes after departing Copenhagen, we could finally increase our country count by one.
The Swedish flag waving in a cozy backyard in the town of Ystad along the Swedish South Coast
What Is Sweden Famous for?
Delighted to finally be exploring new territory we eagerly pointed out everything Swedish we saw or remembered. The hundreds of Volvos on the road, the Ikea sign right after the bridge.
And how about the Danish-Swedish TV series, “Broen”, where the opening scene takes place at the border in the middle of the Øresund Bridge. We talked about Abba songs and spotted a group of roller skiers. We were definitely in Sweden.
Our 2-day road trip in the south of Sweden. Skåne. Click for a larger view.
Places to Visit in Skåne, Sweden
We had originally planned to visit the capital city of Stockholm but the best-laid plans are just that. Google is a wonderful tool for impromptu planning and as we were driving, Di researched interesting places to stop along the south coast and quickly created a circle itinerary driving back to Copenhagen via Malmö the next day.
This must be why most Swedes seem super fit! Fitness workout on the beach in Skanör.
Skanör and Falsterbo
It was about an hour and a half from The Øresund Bridge to Skanör, Falsterbo. The roads were great and it was an easy drive. We were thrilled to be on the road again.
Our summer 2018 trip had been delayed as Di was hospitalized for a week with Ramsey Hunt Syndrome, plus it took a couple of weeks of recovery.
The sight of the small town on the Swedish west coast brought smiles to our faces. It was nice to travel again and forget about health challenges for a while. We drove straight to the harbor and beach area. Skanör is located right on the Sea of Øresund.
The photo is black and white but it was the clearest and warmest water imaginable, and the bluest of skies. And this Sweden - who knew!
The weather was warm and welcoming and we decided to spend an hour or two here. We parked by the Skanör Boat Club and marveled at the many sailboats but quickly ventured onto the beach. When planning a road trip the danger can often be cramming too much into one day.
Skanör was one of those surprise locations we had never heard of but we could easily have stayed for a day or two. And it is so close to Copenhagen.
The sandy beach was absolutely superb and the splendid weather did not hurt our first impressions. We stuck our feet in the water, walked for a while along the coast, and admired the tiny colorful beach houses. Alas before long, it was time to move on.
Tiny beach houses in Skanör, Sweden
Ystad - Quaint Town on the South Coast
The drive from Skanör to Ystad is about three and a half hours along the south coast of Sweden. On this stretch, you drive through dozens of smaller towns, many of them catering to summer tourism due to their stellar location along the sea.
Traffic does not move as fast here but that is okay, as there is plenty to feast your eye on along the route. Campsites, small supermarkets selling ice cream, holiday apartments, beach access roads, people headed for the beach, and lots of towering trees along the road.
We are big fans of the Swedish TV crime series, Wallander. It was set and filmed in and around the city of Ystad, on the southern coast of Sweden.
We drove straight to the center of Ystad and parked near the main square. Ystad is quaint and immaculate. The brick buildings have every imaginable color combination and I spent some time walking along the cobbled streets while Diana was shopping along the pedestrian-only downtown.
We enjoyed lunch at a sidewalk café where we could take in the atmosphere on the stellar summer day.
Kåseberga Ales Stenar at Kåseberga is one of Skåne's most popular attractions.
Kåseberga - Swedish Stonehenge and Fishing Village
A tourist hot spot along the south coast, Kåseberga Ales Stenar at Kåseberga is one of Skåne's most popular attractions. Ales stones consist of 59 large boulders, standing in a 67 meters long and 19 meters wide ship-like formation.
Using carbon dating, it is estimated the stones were placed about 1400 years ago at the end of the Nordic Iron Age. An impressive site where the sea, earth, and sky meet.
After another hour in the car from Ystad and we arrived at Kåseberga. Admittedly we did not know about this gem until we turned off the highway. We spotted dozens of paragliders from a distance and could see they were playing in the updraft wind by the tall bluffs.
A paraglider soars above Kåseberga
The boulders were a short hike from the parking lot. The plateau was windswept and packed with tourists. Despite the crowds, it was a great stop and as an added bonus, I snapped a few photos of the paragliders also. We walked into the small village of Kåseberga and gave in to the temptation of ice cream in the sun.
Simrishamn Swim and Kivik Dinner
We continued our drive along the coast and picked a route to Brösarp via Simrishamn and Kivik. By the time we reached Simishamn, we were highly due for a swim. We had a few GPS navigation issues but finally found a place where we could access the beach.
Our afternoon nap on the beach was followed by a refreshing swim. The drive to Kivik was stunning as small communities and an endless number of cute cottages were basked in the low sunlight of an early August evening. A photographer’s golden hour.
We stopped for a swim in Simrishamn and later for dinner in Kivik, followed by a quick stroll. Lots of families cooling off by the water.
Given our location, the logical choice for dinner was seafood. Enticed by the lineup and seemingly happy customers dining at picnic tables along the dock, we opted for Sillaluckan, a cafeteria-style hangout where fried herring and other treats are sold from the take-out window.
It was one of those beautiful summer evenings with no wind to speak of. We pinched ourselves and enjoyed the evening atmosphere.
A photo for my good friend Hooley Dooley. I am sure you'd enjoy this Dooley. 0.5L of Swedish nonalcoholic Silla (=herring) beer to go with our choice of dinner, fried herring, salad for Di, and fish and chips for me.
Airbnb in Brösarp
Booking at the last minute there were limited choices for accommodation. We opted for an affordable and very basic Airbnb in Brösarp, the Old Doctor's Annex. A few things surprised us about the old doctor’s annex.
The shower was in the adjacent building and we had to make the beds upon arrival. A flyer in the unit advised we were to strip the beds in the morning and vacuum before checkout or risk additional fees.
Astrid Lindgren country - soft light and winding roads en route to our Airbnb i Brösarp.
Come to think of it, we also did all of the work booking it online. Practical Swedish, Ikea-like efficiency to get the job done I guess. All kidding aside, we slept well and the host was super friendly and offered plenty of advice on what to see in a region he was clearly very proud of.
The Hills of Brosarp
The Hills of Brosarp, or in Swedish, Brösarp Backar is host to rolling hills, trees, and hiking trails in abundance. We arrived in Brösarp at the golden hour and as a photographer this means you drop everything and grab your camera. I did just that.
Despite the fact that we had been on the road for the entire day I was enticed by the light and went out to explore for another hour after we had checked in to our Airbnb to chase the light.
The Hills of Brosarp
Hallmölla Waterfall
The local bakery in Brösarp was recommended for its hearty breakfast buffet. A perfect start to the day. The weather on this second day of our Sweden road trip proved to be every bit as good as on the first and we started out with a hike to the top of the hills of Brosarp to see the views down the valley. Hallmölla was our next destination a half-hour drive from Brosarp.
Hallmölla is the site of the largest waterfall in Skåne but we are sorry to relay the message; it was not much of a waterfall compared to what we are used to in Canada.
It took a little while to find it and when we arrived we were still not sure we were in the correct location. With that said, we enjoyed Hallmölla. We cooled off by the creek and I captured a few photos.
Hallmölla is the largest waterfall in Skåne, and with a height of 23 meters, the tourist pamphlet photos looked impressive. It was perhaps not quite as majestic this very dry and hot summer day. The 23 meters appears to be the total drop of 4-5 smaller falls.
Exploring Central Malmö
After our hike and visit to the waterfall in Hallmölla, we were ready for the final stretch of our road trip. We had only booked one night away and knew we had to be back in Copenhagen by the end of the day.
But first, we wanted to make a stop in Malmö. Because of our early start to the day, we still had time despite the four-hour drive to reach Malmö.
Traffic was light and we put on some good tunes and spent the time in the car planning our Europe trip, which was to start two weeks later. Parking is always a challenge in cities and Malmö was no exception on a busy summer day.
Malmö side street, Sweden
We settled on a parkade near the center. It was a bit further away from the action than we had anticipated but it made little difference as our goal with the stop was to take in the atmosphere of the city.
For lunch, we picked a pasta place with seating in a cozy backyard. The service was good and the meal was okay but forgettable.
Downtown Malmö, Sweden
We spent most of the afternoon in central Malmö. We were, however, more impressed with the sections of town we drove through. The city has an impressive road system, nice parks, and facilities. More to explore next time.
Final Thoughts
The days are long in Scandinavia in the summertime. At the beginning of August, in Malmö, the sun sets at 9:14 pm. This fact gave us plenty of time to explore so many things in just two days.
Prices are perhaps a bit higher than what we are accustomed to in Canada but after spending a month in Denmark it was not hugely different.
The Scandinavian countries are known for being expensive for travelers. We come away with an increased appetite to travel more in Sweden.
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our trip to Stockholm this year but we could definitely see ourselves going there sometime in the future. We still had daylight as we rolled into Copenhagen happy with our choice to go to Sweden for a couple of days.
Our choice of music on the drive to Malmö was Bo Kaspers Orkester and Lisa Nilsson, a couple of our favorite Swedish artists.
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Photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Lightroom. I have made use of Fujifilm film simulations in this article.
