MALMÖ, The Capital of Skåne County

MALMÖ, The "inventive city" is a key player in the region of Öresund

COAT OF ARMS

Malmö old city hall.

This visit to Malmö was scheduled because Mrs. T had important business to attend to in the city. For her driver-photographer-husband (that's me) this trip also gave a chance to capture the first pictures of the third largest city in Sweden. Malmö was founded in 1275 as a fortified quay of the Archbishop of Lund. Today (Wikipedia) it is classified as a Global City in the gamma-category by GaWC, ranked 5th in Scandinavia by Global Cities Index and 7th most bicycle friendly city in the world. It has also been ranked as 4th (Grist Magazines) among 15 green cities. Once the Öresund bridge was finished in the year 2000 the region has attracted new biotech and IT companies and now forms, together with Copenhagen, the most densely populated area in Scandinavia. As a result, based on the number of patent applications per 10.000 residents, it has been ranked as fourth most inventive city in the world.

During this trip I had the chance of visiting a few selected places; Malmö Opera House, the Old Town and its market squares, the church of Sankt Petri and also the coastal line to photograph the bridge of Öresund that would take you from Malmö over to Copenhagen in no time.

Malmö Opera House

Malmö opera house

The present opera house was built in 1944 in a functional style and then considered as the most modern theater in Northern Europe. They play both classical and freshly written opera as well as musicals. Above dresses are from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar and the opera Turandot. Below a large painting including e.g. Falstaff in the upper right hand corner. An audio system guides anyone interested around in the opera house.

Malmö opera interior

Malmö Old City; Lilla Torg

Lilla Torget, or the "Small Market Square", is in the centre of the old town and a vivid place summer time with many restaurants. Hedmanska Gården, top picture below, dates back to the 17th century while other are from the 18th century or newer. In the old days merchants offered there produce (meet, fish, bread and other groceries) for sale.

Lilla Torget at the heart of the Old City.

Gudrun Sjödén

Mrs. T is a big favorite of Gudrun Sjödén, the designer with a worldwide reputation (see our previous blogpost about her exhibition in Lund). The colorful fabrics and style is in our taste. This shop is in the old town and I entered to admire the products themselves as well as the display of them.

Gudrun Sjödén has several shops in many countries.

The City of Parks and Squares

Malmö is sometimes called the "City of Parks" because it has 15 larger and well kept green areas each with a slightly different characteristics. Normally we like to take a stroll in these oasis's but this time there was no time for this. However, the drive towards the Öresunds bridge along the coast confirmed that the coastal line in itself is one large park area offering many leisure time activities. We now look forward to our next visit to Malmö on a warm summer day. Walking in the old town will take you through a number of open market places and squares (Wikipedia offer 13 pages of them). It should also be noted that there are several large shopping centers in the city. 

Left Gustav Adolfs market place and right Stora Torget.

Church of Sankt Petri

The Cathedral of Malmö majestically dominates the old town.

One of the most popular sights in Malmö is Sankt Petri Church situated very close to Stora Torg. The church is from the early 14th century which makes it the oldest building in Malmö today. It has gone through several construction phases over the years and the tower has been rebuilt having collapsed twice. The pulpit is from 16th century and likewise a selection of old gravestones, literature and epitaphs. This is a very beautiful church with white shiny arches and is indeed worth a visit. The Krämar (or Baptism) Chapel with preserved medieval paintings in the ceiling is particularly delightful. 

It is the oldest building in Malmö and a shiny place of worship.

The Krämar (or baptism) Chapel.

The Coast and Bridge across the straight of Öresund.

The lighthouse in Malmö harbour and the bridge across the straight of Öresund.

The last point of visit was the magnificent bridge of Öresund. We passed the beaches of Ribbergsborg and entered Limhamns marina and its breakwater for some photographs. Cloudy weather conditions limited our chances for quality pictures this time but will anyway give an idea of the span of the bridge with an overall length of 7,8 km's. The maximum height is 57 meters. A railway system has been constructed under the road and special locomotives are required due to the gradient of the bridge. Conveniently, it is possible for us to take a direct train from Hässleholm all the way to Copenhagen and e.g. Helsingör, passing Kastrup airport.

The Bridge of Öresund from Malmö to Copenhagen.

This was our first and rather short stay in Malmö that, as a city, has a unique profile and role due to its closeness to Denmark and mainland Europe. We now return home via E22, pick up some spare parts for our water pump and call it a day. Hope you enjoyed the trip with us. Have a good week everyone!

:-)