Parks and gardens in Skåne

Voted the most beautiful park in Europe, this dreamy location overlooks wooded gorges and the strait between Sweden and Denmark. Visit in May or June when 10,000 rhododendrons are in bloom. Explore the Wine House with vines stemming from 1914, the tiny Melon House with its ripening fruits and the scented garden of Queen Ingrid, and a garden of fragrant geraniums cultivated using cuttings from the queen’s collection. There are flowers dedicated to Crown Princess Margareta, an aisle of roses and the Victorian vegetable garden. Enjoy lunch or dinner and the view of Öresund from café Glasverandan, or savour a gourmet meal inside the castle, ranked as one of Sweden’s best culinary experiences.

Fredriksdal, in Helsingborg, is one of the largest open-air museums in Sweden. It features botanical gardens with flowers and plants from the region to historical vegetable and herb gardens. The crown jewel is the rose garden with its spectacular collection dating back 2,000 years. Wander through historic buildings and preserved town quarters complete with cobblestones and old houses, surrounded by meadows and pastures.

Krapperup Castle just north of Helsingborg is one of Sweden’s best preserved 19th century privately owned gardens. The park is open all year around and is designed in the English romantic style. Covering about 80 acres, it boasts winding paths, carp ponds and small bridges reminiscent of Monet’s paintings from Giverny. Visit Krapperup during May to enjoy the rhododendron bushes, and the roses in June. 

Slottsträdgården next to Malmöhus castle is a large vegetable and flower garden surrounded by canals. It’s full of fruit trees, themed miniature gardens and a charming outdoor café.
Rainy day? Just bring your coffee into the orangery and sit under the grapevines. Drop by for the Harvest Festival, onion festivals and the yearly Malmö Garden Show.

These seven themed gardens in Båstad are set around the main building. Norrviken holds concerts, theatrical performances, fairs and exhibitions. Enjoy the greenhouse atmosphere in Restaurant Orangeriet and have lunch prepared from local produce, or enjoy a drink in the Salamander café.

Home to over 7,000 species, this lush botanical garden has been part of Lund University since the 15th century. Walk through the colourful plantations and stop at the pond to watch goldfish before visiting the orangery. And see if you can spot the small quail families that live here. The park runs a diversified operation within botany, gardening and ecology for research at the university, and for schools and the public to enjoy and explore.

Mandelmanns is in Rörum, Österlen. Using non-toxic methods such as crop rotation and companion planting. The owners have turned the old farm into a garden experience. Free-range hens are guarded by a small dog as they help clean up insects from the vegetable plantations, then pigs turn the soil and fertilize it. Buy organic tomatoes, cucumber and gourd. The main attraction is the flower beds in the interior garden, with small ponds full of edible water cress and water lilies. At weekends enjoy lunch prepared using produce from the grounds. Note: A visit needs to be booked in advance.

“This is like stepping through the gates of Eden”, said one woman about the English Garden in Svabeholm just outside Kivik. This small garden inspired by English romance give you lots of inspiration, from creative flower beds to Austin roses in the nursery. The garden shop sells classic garden furniture, and there is a small café on site.