Locals refer to the center of Malmö as Gamla Staden (Old Town) and they flock to its cobbled streets to socialize and shop. Incorporating three historic market squares – Stortorget (the town square), Lilla Torget (the little square) and large Gustav Adofs Torg – its attractive buildings, compact nature and lack of car traffic make it a delightful pocket to explore on foot or bicycle.
When wandering the streets, you'll see many charming half-timbered houses, the dominant building style in medieval times. These buildings have external and internal walls constructed of timber frames but the spaces between the frames and other lode-bearing elements are filled with harder materials, usually brick. The oldest half-timbered house in the city is Thottska Huset (1558) on the corner of Östergatan and Humlegatan. Other notable examples include the buildings in the St Gertrud Quarter, a courtyard complex at Östergatan 7B. Threatened with demolition in the 1960s, the three historic manor houses in this complex were given a reprieve when the City of Malmö bought and renovated them. The quarter now houses a restaurant, bakery, wine bar and boutiques. More half-timbered buildings can be found in nearby streets.
Dating from 1590, petit and wonderfully pretty Lilla Torget is the epicenter of Malmö’s eating and drinking scene, with plenty of outdoor seating in the bars and bistros surrounding the square and in the narrow streets leading towards Kungsparken (Kings Park). It's probably the nicest spot in town to hang out and watch the world file by.
