Att göra i Malmö - 28 sevärdheter och upplevelser

What to do in Malmö? This Scanian city has a lot to offer in terms of charming neighbourhoods, lovely beaches and exciting attractions. Here are all our top tips for things to see and do in Malmö.

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Malmö

Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden and the closest major city to the continent. Here you'll find history and attractions, but also a multicultural metropolitan vibe.

We have visited Malmö twice this year. First we stayed in the city for a few days before we travelled down in Europe. Then we stayed a few more days when we came back to Sweden. We have been cycling around and exploring the city intensively. And we have to say that we really like Malmö!

Malmö is located in western Skåne, about 27 kilometres southwest of Lund.

What can you do in Malmö?

So what can you do in Malmö? This beautiful Scanian city offers everything from street art and quirky museums to cosy outdoor cafes and great beaches. Here are our top tips.

1. Discover Malmö by bike

Malmö is a great city to discover by bike. There are plenty of cycle paths and it is easy to get around by bike everywhere. If you don't have your own bike, bikes are available for hire, for example via Rentbike or Malmö by bike.

2. Swim at Ribbersborg beach and Kallbadhuset.

Ribbersborg Stand, or Ribban as the beach is popularly known, is a long sandy beach that runs along the coast at the southern end of Malmö. On fine summer days, swimming is extremely popular and bicycles are parked all along the long beach.

The beach has plenty of kiosks and public toilets, as well as an outdoor gym, volleyball courts, an accessible swimming pool, a dog park and a designated area for skinny dipping. You'll also find the Ribbersborg cold bath house here, where you can swim and sauna at any time of the year.

3. Socialising on outdoor cafes at Lilla torg in Malmö.

Lilla torg is a cosy little square that serves as a popular meeting place. There are many restaurants with nice outdoor seating, and when we were here in the spring, this is where we met our friends for a beer and a few hours of pleasant socialising.

4. Discover Möllevång Square

Another square worth discovering is Möllevångstorget, located in the neighbourhood of Möllevången. The area, often referred to as 'Möllan', is a place where you can both shop for vegetables and meet cultures from around the world. Right next door is the small shopping centre 'Mitt Möllan', with some unusual shops.

5. Check out St Peter's Church

St Peter's Church, located in the centre of Malmö, is a beautiful church with a history dating back to the early 14th century. The church is built as a basilica with three naves and transepts, in a style known as Baltic Brick Gothic, and is dedicated to the saints St Peter and St Paul.

6. Admire the Church of St John

Another fine church that you will find in Malmö is St John's Church. This church is considerably newer and was built as late as 1903-1907, after drawings by the architect Axel Anderberg.

The church's triumphal arch is decorated with the Swedish reformer Olaus Petri and his Danish counterpart Claus Mortensen, as a tribute to Malmö's Danish history. The church also contains an image of Martin Luther and a carpet designed by textile artist Märta Måås-Fjetterström.

7. Play with the children in Folkets Park

Malmö Folkets Park was founded in 1891, making it Sweden's first folk park. Today, this is a very popular park, not least for families with children. There are carousels, the Children's Stage, a terrarium, adventure golf and a playground. In winter, the paddling pool is transformed into an ice rink.

Young people and the elderly can also enjoy the park. Sometimes outdoor concerts are organised here. There are also several restaurants in the park, and one of the days we had lunch here, in the form of a vegetarian lasagne. Nice atmosphere!

8. Strolling in Pildamm Park

Another fine park in Malmö is the one called Pildammsparken. The ponds in the park originally served as a water reservoir for the population, and the willows were planted to reinforce the protective walls of the ponds.

In 1914, the park was used as a venue for the Great Baltic Exhibition, which showcased the latest in technology and design and attracted almost half a million visitors.

After the exhibition, the park was completed on the basis of proposals from the Danish landscape architect Erstad-Jörgensen, and the park was then revised in a classicist style in 1926. Today, it is a large and green park, which almost feels monumental with its enormous, well-groomed trees.

9. Rent a pedal boat on the Malmö canal

A great way to experience Malmö on a summer day is to rent a pedal boat and make your own way along Malmö's canals. The pedal boats are rented at Amiralsgatan and you pay 200 SEK to rent a boat for one hour (2022).

On the way to the rental, by the 1938 Davidshallsbron bridge, you can check out the artwork 'Way to go' by Åsa Maria Bengtsson, which is a memorial to the performing artists who have enriched Malmö through their careers. Next to the shoes we saw names like Anita Ekberg and Git Gay.

10. Take a sightseeing trip on the Stromma River

If you want to join a guided tour on the water, you can go on a sighteeing trip on the Stromma instead. The regular tour takes 50 minutes. The same company offers rental of the GoBoat picnic boat and sightseeing by bus.

11. Check out the Disgusting Food Museum

Located in the centre of Malmö, the Disgusting Food Museum showcases around 80 of the world's most disgusting dishes. How about grilled guinea pig, tarantella or fermented shark? At the museum you can look, smell and possibly even taste some of the dishes. A different and exciting thing to do in Malmö!

READ MORE: Disgusting Food Museum - a 'disgusting' visit

12. See art at Moderna Museet

If you like art, you won't want to miss the Moderna Musee in Malmö. The museum has been in Stockholm since 1958 and opened in Malmö in 2009. Moderna Museet is one of Europe's leading museums for modern and contemporary art, with a collection from the 20th century onwards.

13. Learn about history at the House of Technology and Shipping

The House of Technology and Shipping houses exhibitions on technology, vehicles, shipping and science. There is also a boat playroom and a museum shop. As the museum is part of "Malmö Museums", the ticket is valid both for this museum and for the museums located on Slottsholmen, including Malmöhus Castle, the Aquarium and Malmö Art Museum.

14. Shopping for fish at "Fiskehoddorna"

Right next to the House of Technology and Shipping, on Banérskajen, are the charming "fishing huts". These fishing huts became common at the end of the 19th century, when there were many fishermen in Malmö. A group of stalls have been saved and today you can buy fresh fish, pickled herring or smoked fish from their own smokehouse.

15. Visit Malmöhus Castle

One thing you won't want to miss in Malmö is a visit to Malmöhus Castle, the oldest surviving Renaissance castle in the Nordic region. The castle was built between 1526 and 1539, on the site where Erik of Pomerania had previously built a castle. The castle has served as a residence for a number of lords, and later also as a prison.

The castle is open to visitors and you can see several interesting sites and rooms, such as the gate tower, the knight's hall, the king's parlour and the king's chamber. There is also a nice and engaging exhibition about those who fell from grace and had to endure various unpleasant punishments.

16. See exhibitions at Malmö museums

Malmöhus Castle is part of "Malmö Museums", which includes much more than "just" the castle. This means that when you pay an entrance fee, you get access to the other museums on Slottsholmen and the House of Technology and Shipping.

In addition to the castle itself, Slottsholmen houses the Malmö Art Museum, which has one of Sweden's largest art collections, as well as an aquarium with fish, reptiles, spiders and other exciting animals. There are also many different temporary exhibitions. In other words, there is a lot to see!

17. Walk in the Castle Park and the Royal Park.

Slottsparken and Kungsparken are two very central parks that are nice to walk around in. In Slottsparken there is a pond and one of the city's themed playgrounds, the fairytale playground.

Kungsparken dates back to the mid-19th century and is the oldest park in Malmö. In this romantic park you will find exotic trees, a cave, works of art and a fountain.

18. Check out the city library

In Slottsparken you will also find the Malmö City Library, which consists of three very different buildings: Cylindern, Ljusets kalender and Slottet. For locals, the library is a popular resource for students and others, but the building is worth checking out for tourists as well.

19. Experience Malmö's street art

The street art festival Artscape was founded in Malmö in 2014, which resulted in many beautiful murals created by artists from all over the world. Over time, the artworks have become more and more numerous, and you can find them both in the centre of Malmö and in the city's various suburbs.

READ MORE: Street art in Malmö - a guide to Malmö's street art

20. Take a selfie at the Turning Torso

One building you can't miss when visiting Malmö is the Turning Torso. This skyscraper, which is both Sweden's and the Nordic region's tallest, is visible almost everywhere you go in the city. The building, located on Lilla Varvsgatan in Västra hamnen, was inaugurated on 27 August 2005.

The Turning Torso is 190.4 metres high and mainly a residential building. In addition to its height, its special architecture makes it worth seeing. In fact, this is the world's first twisted skyscraper.

21. Hang out at the Western Harbour

If you made it to the West Harbour to see the Turning Torso, take the opportunity to look around. This neighbourhood has undergone major changes over the past few decades. From a run-down industrial area, it has become an attractive neighbourhood with a focus on sustainability.

When we were here, the summer weather was glorious and the beautiful beach was full of sunbathers. We also checked out Stapelbäddsparken, which is a large area including a skate park, boulder park and roller derby track. Here is also the bike hotel Ohboy, which impressed us with its lovely greenery. Here, a bike is included in each room!

22. Eat well at the Malmö market hall.

Malmö Saluhall is an inviting place for gourmets and other hungry people alike. There are deli counters with cheese and chocolate, as well as lots of stalls where you can buy a simple meal such as burgers, home cooking or falafel.

23. try falafel

Falafel is often described as Malmö's favourite dish number 1, and there are countless places where you can find a good version of this dish. For our part, the choice fell on Malmö Saluhall, as we passed by here when we were hungry. Here we got a really good falafel with halloumi as a bonus.

24. Shop at Emporia in Malmö, Sweden

For those who like to shop, there is of course a wide range of malls and shopping streets in Malmö. The mall that stands out the most is perhaps Emporia, with its futuristic and stylish design. This shopping centre, located near Malmö Arena in the south-western part of the city, has around 180 shops and restaurants.

25. go to the theatre

If you like theatre, there is a lot to choose from in Malmö. Malmö City Theatre puts on around 15 productions each year and has three stages: Hipp, Intiman and Studion, although Hipp is currently closed for renovation. Other theatres include Malmö Opera and Nöjesteatern.

26. Take a trip to Jakriborg.

Jakriborg is a residential area between Malmö and Lund that looks like a cross between a medieval Hanseatic city and a modern fairytale town. Here you can see colourful houses with steep roofs, cobbled streets and signs for 'specerier' and 'charkuterier'.

The neighbourhood is not as old as it might seem, but was built in the 1990s by architects Robin Manger and Marcus Axelsson. A day trip here is interesting!

READ MORE: Jakriborg in Skåne - inspired by the Middle Ages

27. Take a trip across the Öresund Bridge - to Copenhagen!

The Öresund Bridge is a 15.9 kilometre long bridge connecting Malmö (Lernacken, Limhamn-Bunkeflo) with Copenhagen (Kastrup, Amager). The bridge opened on 1 July 2000, immediately bringing Sweden and Denmark a little closer together. If you take a trip across the bridge, you can take the opportunity to visit the beautiful Danish capital of Copenhagen.

28. Take the ferry to Travemünde in Germany

Malmö is not only close to Denmark, but also to Germany. Finnlines operates the Malmö - Travemünde route, from where you are close to Lübeck and the entire German Baltic Sea coast. If you choose a late-night ferry, you can sleep most of the journey and wake up the next morning in Germany, ready for new adventures.

READ MORE: Finnlines Malmö-Travemünde - en route to Hamburg

More things to do in Malmö for culture and history lovers

There is of course even more to see and do in Malmö than our suggestions. Here are some more tips for those who like culture and history.

Ebba's house is Malmö's smallest museum - a street house with housing from the 1910s. Currently closed for renovation (Snapperupsgatan 10).
Form Design Centre is a museum with exhibitions on modern design, patterns and architecture (Toffelmakaren, Lilla Torg 9).
Knotted gun (or Non-Violence) is a bronze sculpture by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd (near Malmö Central Station).
Malmö Konsthall is one of the largest contemporary art spaces in the Nordic region (St John's Street 7).
Malmö Live is a concert hall. (Dag Hammarskjöld Square 4)
Malmö mosque is the second oldest mosque building in Sweden (Jägersrovägen 90).
The main square is a historic square where you can see the Governor's residence, Malmö City Hall, Kockska huset, Hotel Kramer and Apoteket Lejonet, and an equestrian statue of King Karl X Gustav.

More things to do in Malmö for food and drink lovers

Do you like good food and drink? Here you will find even more tips on things to do in Malmö that are suitable for gourmets.

Gourmet farm Katrinetorp serves Swedish locally produced food. (Katrinetorps allé 1)
Kitchen & Table Malmö is a restaurant at the top of the Clarion Hotel & Congress, with unbeatable views of the city (Dag Hammarskjöld Square 2).
Malmö Arena Hotel has a skybar (Hyllie Boulevard 12).
Malmö Brewing Co & Taproom is a beer brewery that organises beer tastings (Bergsgatan 33).
Malmö chocolate factory produces premium chocolate. (Virkesvägen 9, Oxie)
Sherlocked organises escape games and adventures, which can end with food and drink (Östergatan 5).

More things to do in Malmö for those who like shopping

Do you like to shop? Then you've come to the right place, because Malmö has a wide range of malls and shops.

Caroli shopping centre is located at Caroli church (Östergatan 32).
Entrance is a shopping centre between the northern motorway entrance to Malmö and Värnhemstorget. (Fredsgatan 10)
People to Rock is a record shop, where you will also find a café. (Lilla Torg 4)
Hansa citygalleria is located in the centre of Malmö city, with shopping, fashion and food. (Stora Nygatan 50-56)
Mobilia is one of Malmö's major shopping centres, with several hundred shops (Per Albin Hanssons väg 40).
shopping street include Södergatan, Skomakaregatan, Baltzargatan and Södra Förstadsgatan.
triangles is a central shopping centre in Rådmansvången (Södra Förstadsgatan 41).

More things to do in Malmö for event enthusiasts

There is of course also a lot to do in Malmö for those who like events and festivals. You can find more tips here.

Casino Cosmopol is a casino, which organises many different events (Slottsgatan 33).
Women's football can be seen at Malmö sports centre. FC Rosengård is an independent women's football association.
Football matches you can watch at Eleda Stadion (New Malmö Stadium), both national and international matches.
Jägersro is Sweden's oldest stationary racecourse for equestrian sports. Trotting and races are organised here (Jägersrovägen 212).
Malmö Festival is a recurring festival in August each year.
Malmömässan is a venue for various trade fairs, such as for example The senior citizens' fair.
Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey club that plays at Malmö Arena.

More things to do in Malmö for nature lovers

Do you like nature best? Then you can find more suggestions for things to do in and around Malmö here.

Beijer Park is a park in eastern Malmö, home to various bird species (Östra Fäladsgatan 42).
The beech forestor Torup recreation area, is a forest area between Bara and Svedala (Torupsvägen 230, Bara).
Dalby quarry, in Dalby southeast of Lund, offers lush beech forest and a popular swimming spot, with jumps from high cliffs.
Dalby Söderskog National Park outside Lund is Sweden's smallest national park.
Lomma Beach is a sandy beach, about one mile north of central Malmö.
Naturum Öresund tells about the sea and life under the surface. (Ribersborgsstigen 4, Limhamn)

More things to do in Malmö for those travelling with children

Here are some more tips on things to do in Malmö for families with children or teenagers.

Bus factories offers a jungle-themed playground (Jägersrovägen 202).
Funky's adventures is a world full of fairy tales (Per Albin Hanssons väg 36D).
Hyllie bath is a bathing centre, especially for families with younger children. (Hyllievångvägen 20)
Climbing centre is for everyone who wants to try climbing (Kopparbergsgatan 8).
Leo's playground has thousands of square metres for play and adventure. (Stadiongatan 24)
Race House has the longest indoor go-kart track in the world (Bjurögatan 48).
Themed playgrounds There are many in Malmö, such as the Africa Park, Circus Playground, Jungle Playground, Nangijala Playground, Water Playground and Adventure Playground. You can find them all at the city's website.

Where to stay or park your motorhome

In Malmö there are many hotels, bed & breakfasts and apartments to choose from. We travelled with a motorhome and therefore don't have any specific tips for hotels, although we did find that Ohboy cycling hotel in the West Harbour looked very charming.

We ourselves have spent a number of nights on the The Lagoon car parkwhich is located at Lagunen marina, at Vaktgatan 9 in Limhamn. It is within easy cycling distance of the city centre and has all the services you need, including electricity. Here you can find more places where you can stay overnight with a motorhome in Malmö:

Elly farm, Lockarps kyrkoväg 21 (car park)
First Camp Sibbarp, Strandgatan 101, Limhamn (premium campsite)
Grand Circus Hotel, Södra Bulltoftavägen 51 (camping)
Limhamn guest harbour, Vågbrytarvägen (car park)
Margareta Pavilion car park, Pildammsparken (car park)

More to see and do near Malmö

Skåne is full of beautiful and amazing places! In the vicinity of Malmö, we can recommend a visit to the marvellous Lund, fine Landskrona, exciting Helsingborg, cosy Trelleborg, beautiful Skanör and charming Ystad. Click on the reading links above or the articles below for more reading and lots of tips!

Even more tips for things to do in Malmö?

Have you visited Malmö? Do you have any other tips on what to see and do in Malmö? Let us know!

Facts about Malmö

Landscape: Skåne
County: Skåne County
Municipalities: Malmö, Burlöv, Lomma
District: Sankt Johannes, Sankt Pauli, Sankt Petri, Kirseberg, Slottsstaden, Möllevången, Sofielund, Västra Skrävlinge, Husie, Eriksfält, Södra Skallerup, Fosie, Kulladal, Hysie, Limhamn, Burlöv, Bunkeflo, Oxie
Population: Around 325,000 in the urban centre and 353,000 in the municipality (2022).
The name: The place name Malmö (recorded in the form of Malmöghae around 1170) is a compound of 'ore' (meaning sand or gravel) and 'heaps'.
Metropolitan area: Stormalmö or Stor-Malmö is one of the three metropolitan areas defined by Statistics Sweden and comprises twelve municipalities. In addition to Malmö, it includes Lund, Trelleborg, Burlöv, Kävlinge, Lomma, Staffanstorp, Svedala, Vellinge, Eslöv, Höör and Skurup.
Read more: You can find more information at the city's website.

Travelling to Malmö

Flight: You can fly to Malmö from many different locations in Sweden. You land at Malmö Airport, formerly known as Sturup Airport.
Trains: You can travel to Malmö from various Swedish cities with SJ or Snälltåget. You can also take the train from Copenhagen.
Car/caravan: Of course you can take the car to Malmö. From Stockholm you can take the E4 motorway to Helsingborg, and then continue on the E6 to Malmö. The driving distance is 618 kilometres and takes about 6.5 hours.

Getting around in Malmö

Go for a walk: If you don't plan on travelling too far, Malmö is a nice city for walking.
Cycling: Malmö is an excellent cycling city. There are plenty of cycle paths and it is easy to get around by bike. Bikes can also be rented, for example via Rentbike or Malmö by bike.
Car/caravan: Driving in the city centre is the hardest thing to do, but if you're going to visit places on the outskirts of the city, taking the car can of course be convenient.
Bus: You can also get around the city by bus, operated by Skånetrafiken.
Taxi: If you need to take a taxi, there are several companies to choose from, such as Taxikurir, Taxi Malmö and others.

History of Malmö

12th century: Malmö was a church village located on the site of the current Triangle.
13th century: A town was built on the coast, and this took the name of the village. It may have been the Danish archbishop who established the town as a communication centre between Copenhagen and Lund.
14th century: The rich fishing in the Öresund contributed to the expansion of the city. Over time, Malmö became more important than Lund. The oldest buildings, at Adelgatan and Sankt Petrikyrkan, date from this period. Malmöhus Castle was also built.

16th to 17th century

16th century: Malmö experienced an economic boom.
1534-1536: Malmö played a role in the 'Count's Feud' to reinstate King Christian II, but Malmö lost the battle. The new king, Christian III, had a moat dug around the castle.
1658: The Peace of Roskilde meant that Malmö became Swedish.

18th to 19th century

18th century: At the end of the 18th century, a proper harbour was built and Malmö began to recover from a difficult period.
19th century: The city began to grow again.
1860s: Malmö passed Norrköping in size, becoming Sweden's third largest city.
The turn of the century: The city got an electricity plant and a new gas plant. The former horse tramway was electrified and the tramway network was expanded.

20th century

1918: The Spanish flu came to the city and 725 people died, until 1921.
1950s to 1970s: Growth meant that the city was expanded with several new residential areas.
1990-1994: Many suffered unemployment when what was left of the manufacturing industry, including the lime industry in Limhamn, was closed down.
1995: Construction of the Öresund Bridge began, providing jobs. Malmö also gained a college, independent of Lund, which later became a university.

21st century

2000: The Öresund Bridge was inaugurated.
2001: The Bo01 fair was held, marking the beginning of a new neighbourhood, the Western Harbour.
2002: The Kockum crane moved to South Korea, symbolising the disappearance of the old 'Labour Malmö'.
2006: Malmö became Sweden's first Fairtrade City.
2010: The City Tunnel opened for traffic.

READ MORE: Things to do in Skåne - attractions and experiences
READ MORE: Holidays in Sweden - your guide to Sweden's best destinations

3 Comments

Add yours →

BP says:

It almost feels like there is more to do in Malmö than in Stockholm. To some extent this may be true, as Malmö offers significantly more nationalities than Stockholm, and in a smaller area.
Saluhallen certainly beats Hötorgshallen by a wide margin, and has nothing in common with the fashionable Östermalmshallen...
I have heard a lot about Emporia from my best friend, who always visits the mall during her holiday in Skåne.

31 July 2022 - 21:52

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Malmö certainly has a lot to offer! I think Stockholm also has it in itself, but it's a bit difficult to compare, they are two completely different cities. The market hall in Malmö was very nice, we liked it a lot! 🙂
  
  01 August 2022 - 11:02
  
Kristina Ponting says:

Nice, was inspired to the max, although I have been to Malmö, but then been competing at athlecium, will take the train at the end of the week for some of the above tips, Hugs from Karlshamn.

19 March 2024 - 12:21

Things to do in Malmö - 28 sights and experiences