Must-see attractions in Southern Sweden

  • Blekinge Museum

    Southern Sweden

    This evocative museum explores the local fishing, boat-building and quarrying trades. The most captivating part is Grevagården, an impressively preserved…

  • Kärnan

    Helsingborg

    Dramatic steps and archways lead up from Stortorget to the square tower Kärnan (34m), all that remains of the medieval castle. The castle became Swedish…

  • Historiska Museet

    Lund

    Behind the cathedral, the Historiska Museet has a large collection of pre–Viking Age finds, including a 7000-year-old skeleton. It’s joined with…

  • Regionmuseet Kristianstad

    Skåne

    Originally intended as a palace, the building ended up being used as an arsenal. It now houses local-history exhibits and art, handicrafts and silverware…

  • Lund University

    Lund

    Lund University is ranked as one of the world's top 100 universities and is one of Europe's oldest institutions for education. It's buildings are…

  • Toy World

    Helsingborg

    We think you'll be hard pressed to find an adult who won't also enjoy this dinky collection of toys and games from around the world – there's something to…

  • Malmö Konsthall

    Malmö

    Malmö Konsthall, south of central Malmö, is one of Europe’s largest contemporary-art spaces, with exhibitions spanning both Swedish and foreign talent…

  • Sofiero

    Helsingborg

    About 5km north of Helsingborg, Sofiero is an impressive former royal summer residence and park with wonderful rhododendrons (best seen in full bloom in…

  • Fredrikskyrkan

    Southern Sweden

    This striking, somewhat mesmerising baroque church on the main square is included under the broad World Heritage listing of Karlskrona's architecture. At…

  • Skottsbergska Gården

    Southern Sweden

    This magnificent former mansion and merchant house is filled with antiques and valuable paintings. It falls under the Karlshamns Museum banner but a…

  • Ystads Konstmuseum

    Skåne

    Included in the same ticket as Klostret i Ystad is the Ystads Konstmuseum with its savvy collection of southern Swedish and Danish art, including works by…

  • Per Helsas Gård

    Skåne

    Housed in one of Ystad’s most iconic (and magnificent) half-timbered buildings, dating from the 1500s and set around a courtyard. The central cobbles here…

  • Bastionen Konungen

    Skåne

    One of Kristianstad's 10 original bastions (fortifications) dating from the late 1700s is now an outdoor information point and museum of sorts, with…

  • Drottens kyrkoruin

    Lund

    Subterranean Drottens kyrkoruin contains the foundations of an 11th-century church, as well as a grisly collection of skeletons that build a picture of…

  • Universitetshuset

    Lund

    The main university building, topped by four sphinxes representing the original faculties, looks a little bit like the White House. It's often…

  • Autoseum

    Skåne

    Rev-heads shouldn’t miss Sweden's largest auto museum with its booty of classic cars, bikes and buggies, plus the more recent addition of a music section…

  • Trefaldighetskyrkan

    Southern Sweden

    Inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, this gorgeous church built between 1697 and 1709 looks somehow out of place on the vast and juxtaposing Stortorget.

  • Höganäs Museum & Konsthall

    Skåne

    Art lovers should head to this fascinating museum where the highlight is a brilliant collection of witty, exquisitely humane sculptures from home-grown…

  • Botanical Gardens

    Lund

    The 8-hectare Botanical Gardens, east of the town centre, feature around 7000 species and nine climate zones. The tropical greenhouses are open from 11am…

  • Mariakyrkan

    Helsingborg

    In the old town, the 15th-century Gothic brick Mariakyrkan has a magnificent interior, including a triptych dating from 1450 and an ornate Renaissance…

  • Lundskonsthall

    Lund

    This contemporary art space has cutting-edge exhibitions, including Tate Modern–style installations and other forms of creative art.

  • Charlotte Berlins Museum

    Skåne

    For fetching interiors, pop into Charlotte Berlins Museum housed in a late-19th-century, middle-class abode.

  • Pilgrändshuset

    Skåne

    Scandinavia’s oldest half-timbered house, dating from 1480.

  • Kreativum Science Center

    Southern Sweden

    This hands-on science museum, touching on all of the major scientific disciplines through fun activities and exhibits, is great for families. Its primary…

  • Kockska Huset

    Malmö

    Kockska Huset (1524) is a stately pile that mayor Jörgen Kock had built for himself; it’s said that Gustav Vasa stayed here when he came to town. The…

  • Tropikariet

    Helsingborg

    Tropikariet is a semi-zoo, with a reptile house, an aquarium and exotic furry critters housed in faux-natural habitats. Many people think having an indoor…

  • Bärnstensmuseum

    Skåne

    There's something a little macabre about this unique museum, which shows ancient insects trapped in sticky resin from 40 million years ago, forever…

  • Rådhuset

    Helsingborg

    The mighty Rådhuset was completed in 1897 in neo-Gothic style and contains stained-glass scenes illustrating Helsingborg’s history. It still houses city…

  • Amiralitetsklockstapeln

    Southern Sweden

    This freestanding three-bell clock tower dates from 1699 when it was used as a clock for the dockyard workers. Since 1909 it has been under the care of…

  • Apoteket Lejonet

    Malmö

    At the southeastern corner of Stortorget, the city’s oldest pharmacy (still in business) flaunts an exquisite art-nouveau interior, with carved wooden…

  • Axel Ebbe Konsthall

    Skåne

    By the town park, Axel Ebbe Konsthall features nude sculptures by Scanian Axel Ebbe (1868–1941). For a preview, check out the fountain Sjöormen (literally…

  • Stadsmuseum

    Malmö

    The City Museum is chock full of exhibits on the history of Malmö and the Skåne region. Admission includes access to all the other museums in the Malmö…

  • Apoteket Svanen

    Lund

    Opposite Lund Tourist Center, this little pharmacy – still operating today – is one of the oldest in Sweden. Pop in to look at its beautiful historic…

  • Länsresidenset i Malmö

    Malmö

    Although the bones of this attractive building on Stortorget were built in the 1600s, its stuccoed facade dates from 1849. The building is owned by the…

  • Filmmuseet

    Skåne

    Swedish filmmaking began in Kristianstad, so it’s appropriate that Filmmuseet, one of Sweden’s few film museums, is based here. That said, the…

  • Amiralitetskyrkan

    Southern Sweden

    Sweden’s oldest wooden church is the stocky Amiralitetskyrkan, with a gorgeous pastel interior. Outside, the wooden statue Old Rosenbom raises his hat to…

  • Falsterbo Museum

    Skåne

    Little Falsterbo Museum, at the southern tip of the peninsula, is a pleasing jumble: a small Naturum, old shops and smithies, WWII mines and the remains…

  • Latinskolan

    Skåne

    Latinskolan, next to Sankta Maria Kyrka, is a late-15th-century brick building and the oldest preserved school in Scandinavia.

  • Rådhuset

    Malmö

    The city hall, dating from 1546, has undergone some notable renovations. It's used for administrative and civil functions and not open for visitors, as…

  • Rosenvingeskahuset

    Malmö

    This magnificent building dates from 1535 when it was the residence of a Danish and Norwegian noble family. It can only be viewed from the outside.