Travel Tips for Skåne in South Sweden · Happy Interior Blog
A few weeks ago I embarked on a wonderful trip to Skåne, the southern tip of Sweden, following an invitation from the local tourism board Visit Skåne. I was excited because the only thing I knew about Skåne so far was its biggest city: Malmö. I traveled a few years ago to discover the city and its vibrant design scene. This time my mission was similar, yet broader. I was going to visit Malmö, Trelleborg and Helsingborg and attend the new design festival, the Southern Sweden Design Days.
Little did I know how beautiful and picturesque Skåne is. My first days I spent in the vicinity of Trelleborg, in the southern tip of the region. It is there where you can actually visit the southernmost point of Sweden and take in the fresh sea breeze and the green landscape. Actually in this season the landscape is all green and yellow with rapeseed fields all to the horizon.
What I loved about the Trelleborg area was its close proximity to Malmö, and yet you felt like really out at the countryside – even though it was a mere 20 minutes drive by car from the city. I have three personal highlights from that region: Slättarps Gård, a farm-turned-concept store in the midst of fertile fields with a great restaurant; the chic and new Weinbergs Hotel with a great restaurant; and Axatorpsgården, a dreamy Bed & Breakfast where I was staying (but I will tell you more about this one is a separate blog post).
Malmö was its brilliant self as usual – this city kind of mixes Swedish and Danish vibes, yet it also feels very cosmopolitan. And sunny days are the best in town – it is as if everybody is outside enjoying the sunshine and mild temperatures. My mission was to go and visit this year’s Southern Sweden Design Days, which are scattered around the city in various locations. In between I needed to stop in one of my favorite little restaurants in town: Noir. And just after a good bite & vino, I stopped at Olsson & Gerthel, a shop packed with Scandinavian design that always makes my heart skip a beat.
The rest of the day I spent discovering the creative scene and designs from southern Sweden. I loved the colorful and playful designs of Swedish Ninja as well as the stylish outdoor furniture range of Nola. Speaking of outdoor (and indoor why not): the wooden bench by designer Marc Hoogendijk would be definitely my choice if I had space!
Another great discovery was the work of young Swedish Artist Elsa Unnegård. She showcased a stool made of burnt wood that looks like driftwood, but is in fact sculpted by her. I found it very sculptural, very artsy – yet practical, as you can really use it as a stool. Also I loved to see a mix of organic shapes, materials, colors as opposed to functional, stylish furniture that stems from what they call ‘technomimicry’, mimicking and seeking inspiration in technical designs. I spotted some plant solutions as well – of course. Skandiform showcased the Allé Corner room dividers that are basically smart plant stands to structure spaces with plant divisions.
Also for those of you thinking of Malmö as a nice travel destination (and I encourage you to add it your travel bucket list): staying in the Duxiana Hotel is a perfect solution: you are super central and you will sleep like a baby in their amazing beds!
The last part of my Skåne trip brought me to Helsingborg, a 50 minutes drive north of Malmö. The city is vibrant and has a wonderful coastline to enjoy (windy) walks, cute coffee places like the Bruket Kaffebar, amazing restaurants like the Sillen & Makrillen overlooking the Öresund, as well as a very funky hotel: the Vault Hotel!
But when in Helsingborg, I encourage you to drive out to the surrounding countryside, as the nature is beautiful and the soil here has a lot of clay which resulted in one of Sweden’s oldest and most traditional pottery factories: the Wallåkra Stoneware Factory. There I had the amazing opportunity to get back to the potter’s wheel after so many years and throw my own little piece of the very typical Skåne clay. I am curious to see the little bud vase once it’s fired and arrives here in Berlin. Close by you can also stop at the ‘Tomatenshus’, a tomato growing farm, that grows incredibly delicious tomatoes. And yes, I got hungry there too – so just next doors is the restaurant Miss Alice Kroog & Delikatesser and their signature dish is: tomato pie! Yes, go for it! Oh yes!!
From Helsingborg I said goodbye to Skåne by taking the ferry and setting over to Helsingør in Denmark. But that is another story to be told. For now I hope you enjoyed the little tour of Skåne and its vibrant places and design scene. See you soon at the Axatorpsgården Bed & Breakfast here on the blog!
This blog post has been brought to you in collaboration with Visit Skåne. As always all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who support this blog!
Photography by Igor Josifovic-Kemper
