It begins in Malmö
Malmö is more than a city. Malmö is meetings, food and laughter. Malmö brims with people creating experiences for others to enjoy – theatre, art and music. Malmö is the place where you’ll meet a promising young designer, a chef whose restaurant is boasting its first Michelin star, a director pushing boundaries, a band recording its first album. Ideas and momentum flow in Malmö and you'll feel it when you visit. You feel it in art, music, food. You feel it in diversity and people. Malmö is a place where people come to fulfil their dreams. It's a city with room for ambition and talent – that invites you to join in.
Malmö boasts more restaurants per head than any other city in Sweden. Probably because half the population is younger than 35. Young restaurant and bistro owners around Möllevångstorget and Davidshallstorg experiment with influences from France, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Iran and many other nations.
Exquisite Scandinavian cuisine and oriental flavours
Malmö has one restaurant awarded with two Michelin stars, Restaurang Vollmers. At the opposite end of the scale, Malmö is Sweden’s falafel capital and has excellent fast food to suit every budget.
Expect the unexpected from Malmö’s cultural life
The Malmö Live concert hall hosts everything from children’s’ musicals to world names in rock, classical music and jazz. The Sommarscen summertime Malmö outdoor festival surprises and challenges. Malmö Festival is a food and music extravaganza. Malmö Opera presents ballet, musicals and classical opera with unique scenography and artistic expression.
Malmö also has a rich heritage of experimental theatre. A diverse array of small groups with their own venues push boundaries and nurture new talent. Watch a musical at a private theatre or see world names perform at one of the arenas.
Museums, arts and crafts
There are more than 300 works of art on public display and numerous examples of architectural innovation. Visit private galleries or enjoy contemporary art at Malmö Konsthall. Malmö Art Museum exhibits older artworks and Form Design Center at Lilla Torg showcases leading modern Swedish and Scandinavian design.
Fans of vintage and second-hand fashion, design and craft have many stores to choose from. The city has lots of small outlets and boutiques, as well as shopping centres like Hansa, Mobilia and Emporia selling the latest in design and fashion.
The main city attractions are just 20 minutes away by bicycle. Peddle power takes you easily from the district of Rosengård to the beach, and from town to country. Go for a picnic in the park or stop for a beer in a square. Explore the waterfront on foot or skateboard down a ramp. Everything’s within easy reach in Sweden’s smallest big city.
What to see
Turning Torso
Survey the skies from 190 metres high. Malmö’s Turning Torso is the tallest building in Scandinavia. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, this awesome building twists its way into the skyline, resembling the shape of a human being.
Ribersborg beach
Malmö’s vibrant Ribersborg beach is on the Öresund, between Limhamn and Västra hamnen (Western harbour). Relax on the long sandy beach, bathe in shallow, child-friendly water, jog in the dunes, walk the long piers overlooking Denmark, or pop into northern Europe's largest open-air bathhouse ('Kallis').
Malmö's city library
Malmö’s city library is a fantastic blend of modern glass on one side and a historic part the castle on the other. It has been awarded several prizes for its architecture and work with knowledge and integration. With more than 600,000 media publications, books in 60 different languages, and free events for both children and adults, the library is one of the European Commission’s Europe Direct information relay centres.
What to do
Visit the Malmö museums
Take a walk down Malmöhusvägen and visit Malmö Muséer, three different and fascinating museums in a row. See everything from the Nordic region´s oldest surviving Renaissance castle, a real submarine, a new aquarium, to vehicles from the past, including jet planes.
Discover The Disgusting Food Museum
What we might find disgusting, other cultures might call a delicacy. This exhibition at the Caroli City mall has 80 of the world’s most disgusting foods on show. Fancy smelling the world’s stinkiest cheese? Or tasting sweets made with metal cleansing chemicals? Disgust is one of the six human emotions. Could changing our ideas of disgust help us embrace environmentally sustainable foods of the future? After all, sharing a meal is the best way to turn strangers into friends.
Go on a Matkaravan
“The Foodie Caravan” is a guided hike around a range of exciting taste experiences together with a knowledgeable, food-savvy guide. Try a caravan around the vegetables and spices on offer at Möllan, or a seasonal caravan that uses all the different produce at Saluhallen. Or even a fika caravan, where you try pastries, sweets and chocolates.
Take a dip at Ribersborg’s Kallbadhus
Spoil your body and soul at "Kallis", a cold bath house with beaches, sun deck, sauna and café in a stunning turn-of-the-century environment. Take in the view over the sea from the sauna while you sweat, then jump into the cold, invigorating water before grabbing a coffee or a beer at the restaurant.
Bike around Malmö
Your way to see all the great things in and around Malmö is by bike. And you can pick one up on almost any corner. Both Malmö By Bike and Donkey Republic rent bikes, so hop on and explore everything the city has to offer. From lush green parks to a beach promenade, ancient castles to the modern architecture of the Western Harbour and everything in between. Getting around this bike-friendly city couldn’t be easier.
Where to stay
MJ's
MJ's is a recently renovated urban oasis in the middle of Malmö’s old town district. Right in the centre and just a short walk from the train station, it's a great meeting place consisting a hotel, bar and a restaurant. One of Malmö’s most popular after-work hangouts, there’s always something going on. Excellent food, nice wine and a superb ambience, MJ’s is a great place to stay and play when you’re in Malmö.
Grand Circus hotel
Open during the summer months, this unique hotel is a cluster of circus wagons on a disused railway lot. Each wagon is one room, and all twelve rooms are decorated in different themes; the Clown’s Wagon, the Manager’s Wagon, the Magician’s Wagon, etc. Each room has a built-in kitchen and some wagons have bathrooms, others you share. All rooms come with two bikes that are free to use during your stay. Hire more bikes if you need. The hotel also has ten spaces for guest caravans.
Ohboy hotel
The Ohboy hotel in the Western harbour offers 31 neat loft hotel rooms ten minutes from the Central station and a stone’s throw from the sea. Each room offers comfortable beds, a kitchen, workspace and your own bike to cycle around town. Ohboy is also home to 55 apartments. Built around a philosophy of green solutions, Ohboy is all about sharing resources and reducing emissions, all while living a comfortable life in the city. Book a night, or even stay for a season.
