Öresund 2003

Malmoe * Copenhagen * Ystad

29 - 31 August, 2003

For the second time this year, my wanderlust led me to the north of Europe. I had found a special offer at Ryanair, and so I was headed from Hahn to Malmö for less than € 40. Thanks to the Öresund bridge, a day trip to Copenhagen was a must. And since the old port town of Ystad was in reach, too, and so I made a visit there as well.

Accomodation
I had booked the Comfort Hotel at Malmö through a local internet site. Its location right behind the railway station isn't quite romantic, but very central and concenient. Furthermore, the sound level was suprisingly low, which was a very positive element. Room and bathroom were a bit small, but well equipped and clean. An absolute highlight was catering: breakfast was very comprehensive and diverse, from cereals and various kinds of bread to scrambled eggs and fried ham. Besides, coffee and tea were always available for free in the dining room, and in the evening the hotel served a little buffet with bread, salads, fish bits etc. And staff members were very polite and helpful. The rate of roughly € 80 per night - Sunday night was more expensive than the others - was not too high for Swedish standards, so I can recommend Comfort Hotel for a trip to southern Sweden for sure.

Sites in Malmö
The old port and industrial city of Malmö might be most well-known to football fans, since the local club even made the Euopean Cup final in 1979. But Malmö has some nice touristic sites as well. The partly very picturesque old town has its center in the Stortorget, where for example the town house, the old residence of the mayor, and the ancient Lejonet pharmacy are located. At nearby Västergatan you can find the palais of the former mighty mayor Jörgen Kock. Close to the central square, there is the Lilla Torg, the romantic old market square of the city. Another highlight of the old town is the St.Petri church.
Located west of the old town is the Malmöhus Castle, a former citadel, which later served as prison and now holds a number of museums. These are well worth a visit - unfortunately, all the explanations are only in Swedish. Around the castle, there are the extensive green areas of Slottsparken and Kungsparken, nerved by canals. A particularly beautiful site is the old wind mill.

Another nice piece of shaped nature is the Pildammsparken, located a bit further southwards, around a lake where you can observe numerous kinds of birds. A nice site there is the old water tower. Near this park, you can find the modern municipal theatre, as well as the big, beautiful St.Johannes church.

Excursion to Copenhagen
It takes only 35 minutes by train to get to the Danish capital, via the new combinations of tunnels and bridges across the Öresund. Copenhagen is a most lovely city full of interesting sites. Not far from the central station, there is the impressive town hall square. Further central sites are Christiansborg palace with the old stock exchange right next to it. One has to mention Amalienborg palace, the residence of the queen of Denmark, as well as the nearby marble church. The formerly naughty quarter around the Nyhavn is worth a visit, just as Rosenborg castle, surrounded by a wonderful park, and the breath-taking Redeemer's church. Yes, one should spend more than just one day in Copenhagen...

Excursion to Ystad
As I had missed the old hanseatic city of Visby on my first trip to Sweden, I definitely wanted to visit Ystad this time. This city I knew from the good old trade simulation "Der Patrizier" as well. The train brought me to Ystad in about 45 minutes, right through the countryside of Skane province. Ystad certainly is no glamorous trade city, but it can delight visitors with colourful houses and picturesque alleys. A most lovely site is the old monastery.

A few tips
One of the newer sites in Copenhagen is the Erotica Museum, which is worth a trip, although the price of € 15 is fairly inflated. Well, as they say: "Sex sells!"
There is a lovely place to shop for football fans near the Malmö central station. The place is called "Fotbolls Affären", and sells jerseys of many club and national teams. Unfortunately, they don't sell those of Malmö FF, so I had to buy my souvenir somewhere else.
What is amazing is how Scandinavians deal with the local weather. Even on my second trip this summer, it was mostly raining. Maybe winters are the more beautiful then - could be worth a try...