Summer in Sweden is infamous – you cannot scroll Instagram or TikTok without seeing pictures of lovely white beaches and flower-clad midsummer celebrations. But when spring term ends and the last exam is written, it can be hard to know where to start, especially for exchange students. Thankfully, Lundagård's Anabel Schüler has put together the perfect list of recommendations for those wanting to explore Skåne this summer.
This year will be my second year in Sweden and I could not be more excited to spend another summer here. The south of Sweden is especially beautiful in the summer. Driving along Skåne’s coast, flowers everywhere and a warm breeze really feels like an Astrid Lindgren novel. To help you make the most out of the Swedish summer, here is a guide with tips and recommendations so you can have an idyllic summer in Skåne!
Before you pack your bags…
While travelling outside Lund and Malmö can sometimes get a bit challenging when the trains are delayed or replaced by buses, discovering Skåne by public transport is doable. I would highly recommend getting the Skånetrafiken summer ticket which is valid in all of Skåne from 15th of June to 15th of August. It costs 595 kronor, which is suitable for a student budget, especially if you’re planning to travel around a bit.
A classic Swedish midsummer at Kulturen in Lund
For international students with no sommarstuga to go to, midsummer can be a hard holiday. Last year, me and my friends had no idea where and how to spend the day until we found out that the museum Kulturen i Lund hosts Midsommar celebrations every year. The ticket price is 120 kronor for students and it is worth it if you are new to Swedish culture. The celebration is located in the museum’s garden in central Lund and offers a full day programme including all the Midsummer traditions: singing, music and dancing around the midsummer pole. It was a great deal of fun and made us laugh and dance all day long. In between the dancing you can either get some food at the café, including cinnamon buns or fish, or bring your own food and have a picnic. With the ticket you get access to all of Kulturen’s exhibitions and historic houses. It’s a perfect way to experience Midsommar if you want to get to know one of Sweden’s most popular holidays.
Swimming, Drinks and Sunsets in Malmö
Malmö is a wonderful place to spend a summer day with its beautiful harbour in Västra Hamnen. You can easily take a 10 minute train from Lund C to Malmö C and walk to the harbour area. It’s a nice spot to get an ice cream, take a walk and take a dip at Scaniabdet, where you can go swimming and jump in the water. Only a few minutes away, you can find volleyball courts, which is one of my favourite summer activities in Malmö.
If you want to finish off with a nice dinner at the harbour you should check out Kontrast- Ghea by the Sea which offers incredibly tasty Indian food. If you want to keep going after dinner, Vaganza Beachgarden is a great place for a drink. The beach bar hosts “Salsa Thursday” every week where you can hang out and dance to latin music. If you have the time and energy I also highly recommend staying late and watching the sun set over the Copenhagen skyline and the Öresund bridge.
A scenic bike ride to Limhamn
Not far from Västra Hamnen is the Ribersborgsstranden and Limhamn neighbourhood in Malmö. I would highly recommend bringing a bike and riding along the beach to enjoy Malmö’s beautiful beach. You can rent bikes from the Malmö By Bike stations all across the city, a yearly membership is 250 sek in their app.
Along the beach, you can find volleyball courts, barbeque grills, ice cream and coffee shops. If you continue biking down the coast, you will get closer to the Öresundbridge and the Limhamn neighbourhood with its cute houses. It’s a great short trip which you can finish perfectly with a coffee and some fika at St. Jakobs Stegnungsbakeri in Limhamn.
Dance, sing and watch Sweden’s most popular artists at Malmöfestivalen
Malmö festivalen is an annual, eight day music festival in central Malmö that takes place in August. This year the festival will be held from the 7th to the 14th of August. With its extensive program, which will be fully published at the end of July, Malmöfestivalen makes the city feel alive and full of culture and people. The festival is completely free and is diverse in its music acts and performances, showcasing many different Swedish artists. Even if you cannot sing along and don’t know much about Swedish music artists you will definitely enjoy the live music and dynamic environment. Last year popular artists like Timbuktu and Viktor Leksell performed. Besides the music acts, the festival also has food courts and stands, pop-op trucks, shops, games and a range of different activities across the festival area, which stretches from Posthusplatsen to Stortorget and Gustav Adolfstorget.
A relaxing day by the Dalby quarry
Dalby stenbrott is a quarry outside of Lund, and great for a swim and a picnic. You can easily take bus 160 from Lund C to Knivsåsen, which runs frequently during weekdays and hourly during the weekend. From Knivsåsen it is only a 10 minute walk to the quarry. I recommend bringing some snacks and games to have a picnic and of course a swim in the clear blue water. You can also take a walk or even a small hike around the lakeside by following the Dalby stenbrott-Knivsås-Borelund loop, a shorter trail around 2 kilometers.
A summery beach day in Lomma
Lomma is a picture-perfect beach town. Located between Malmö and Lund, it’s easy to reach from both cities. My friends and I took the bike from Malmö C to Lomma last summer, which was about a 40 minute bike ride. Similarly, you can take a 40 minute bike ride from Lund C or take Bus 139 to Lomma station. Lomma has a white, sandy beach and a cute town center with some shops, cafés and restaurants. It’s the ideal place to spend a beach day when you need to get out of Lund and Malmö. After the beach you can get an ice cream, walk through the town, the little harbour and Flädangsparken.
Skånes most picturesque hike
The nature reserve Kullaberg and fishers village Mölle is the ultimate hiking spot in summer. Using public transport takes around two hours and a few transfers – but it’s so worth it! You start your journey by taking the train to Helsingborg central station where you continue with Bus 220 to Höganas Busstorget. There, hop on Bus 222 to Mölle bus station. Once you arrive in Mölle you can walk to the little harbour where you can get some snacks and fuel up before you walk to the nature reserve and begin your hike.
Kullaberg has several different routes and trails. The loop trail between Mölle and Kullens fyr guides you along the dramatic coastline up to a light house where you find a shop, kiosk and a little museum, convenient for a break and a picnic. Afterwards you continue through the forest back to the village. The trail is around 12 kilometers long and includes some rocky and hilly parts. The view along the coast and on the blue water was incredible and definitely worth the trip.
Discover Skåne’s most charming town Ystad
Ystad is another beautiful beach town that’s well worth a visit, just an hour’s train ride away from Lund C. The picturesque small town is characterised by colourful houses, blooming flowers and rose bushes, and many cafés located at the main street, Stora Östergatan. From there, you can walk through the town and continue on a scenic walk that leads you through Gamla Staden-Sandskogen, a small forest and a charming neighborhood of summer houses. The path eventually leads you to a white sandy beach with clear blue water, a beautiful summer spot to swim, relax and enjoy the sun. After spending a few hours at the beach you can finish your day with some food or a drink in the town centre.
Explore sandy beaches, a medieval town centre and a nature reserve in Åhus
Åhus is another town perfect for visiting in Summer. From Lund C, take the train to Kristiansstad and then continue with bus 552 to Åhus Järnvägsgatan. The trip takes around two hours. The town, also known as the home of Absolut Vodka, has a medieval historical center. You can take your time and wander through the charming streets and visit Aosehus, the ruins of a medieval fortress. In the south of Åhus, you can find the forested area Kronoskogen, which is part of the Äspet nature reserve and is a great place for a hike. Through the forest you can make your way to the long sandy coastline and forested sand dunes of Hanö Bay.
Visit colourful bathing huts and horse shows in Skanör-Falsterbo
This picturesque peninsula Skanör-Falsterbo is on my bucket list for this summer. The trip takes around an hour and a half starting with a train to Malmö Hyllie and then Bus 300 to Höllviken. Skanör and Falsterbo are two towns that are located closely together and well known for the white sandy beaches and colourful bathing huts that follow along the coastline. To discover this coastline you can follow stage 20 of the Skåneleden, which runs from Falsterbokanalen to Skanör. The 16 kilometer trail follows the coast, sandy beaches and nature reserve, before ending in the centre of Skanör, where you can then explore the town. If you want to discover something unique, Falsterbo hosts the Falsterbo Horse Show every July, attracting tourists, equestrians and participants from all over Sweden. This year, it takes place from 4-12 July. If you visit during these dates, the atmosphere will surely be lively, but if you want to explore the peninsula’s nature you might want to come another time.
