A day trip to Malmo
Whether you are visiting Sweden for a few days, or are based in Copenhagen and want to explore their Scandinavian neighbours, Malmo is a beautiful day out.
With a short hop across the Oresund Bridge (pictured below) by train, bus or car, you can be in Sweden’s third largest city in no time.
In this guide, I’ll take a look at some of the areas I went during my last visit to Malmo, as well as a few specific cafes, restaurants or attractions which might well be worth stopping by. I hope you enjoy this guide!
Refresh at Malmo Saluhall
No matter what time of day you arrive in Malmo, a visit to the fantastic food hall at Saluhall is a must.
Given the hall’s location a few minutes walk from the Central Station, this was my first port of call when I arrived mid-morning from Copenhagen.
Opening in 2014, the hall provides a culinary treasure trove for food lovers, with a combination of food stalls, restaurants and cafes, as well as delis, butchers, fishmongers and bakers selling fresh produce. There is plenty of seating in the 50 metre hall, but visitors in the warmer months can enjoy their food and drink outside the hall too.
We enjoyed a delicious sandwich from Poms which I can thoroughly recommend, although you can browse the full list of traders at Malmo Saluhall here.
Visit Malmo Castle
Refreshed and nourished, I’d suggest a 10 minute walk to the impressive Malmo Castle, aka “Malmöhus Slott”.
The castle was built in 1537 and is oldest preserved renaissance castle in all of Scandinavia.
Much like some of the fortifications you see around Copenhagen were built to keep out the Swedes, the formidable moat surrounding Malmo Castle was built to keep Danish invaders out. As you can see at the Kastellet in the Danish capital, the Swedes also built a mill (the Slottsmöllan, pictured below). inside the confines of their fortress to ensure they could keep making bread even if they were under seige. Luckily the two Scanidavian nations seem to have patched things up and were were allowed across the bridge over the moat and into the courtyard of the castle.
The Malmo Castle and its museum are well worth a visit and are open daily from 10-5 with tickets costing 40 SEK, or free for those younger than 20 years old, making it a great place to visit for families.
A view of the Castle Mill (Slottsmöllan) just beside the castle.
Explore the Old Town (Gamla Staden)
While in this neck of the woods, I recommend strolling around the Kungsparken and Slottsparken, nice public gardens with open green space in the middle of the city.
Now you can head down into Malmo’s old town, an area of beautiful old streets dotted with the pastel shades you might have seen in other Scandinavian cities like Aarhus or Gothenburg.
Head down to the canal and explore some of the cobbled streets, making sure you pass through Lilla Torg or “little square” as well as Stortorget or “big square” to check out some of the excellent cafes, bars and restaurants scattered throughout this area.
While here, you should definitely check out the Lilla Kafferosteriet, a lovely cafe with an excellent menu for breakfast, with a selection of drinks and scones and plenty of outdoor and indoor seating.
Some beautiful old adverts preserved on the walls of Stortorget.
St. Peter’s Church
Just a few minute’s walk away from Stortorget square you’ll come across the 14th-century Gothic and main church of the city, St. Peter’s Church.
The main chapel features a 15-metre-tall wooden altarpiece, which has a carving of the Last Supper in the centre. Even if you’re not a religious person, it’s worth paying a visit to Sankt Petri Kyrka for its impressive architecture.
Södergatan
A trip to Malmo isn’t complete without visiting the main pedestrian shopping street, lined with late medieval architecture.
Similar to Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter, this area boasts lots of independent shops and cafes, particularly lifestyle, design and fashion.
Western Harbour
Västra Hamnen (Western Harbour) is a gentrified neighbourhood in the old docklands, now lined with oceanfront parks, cafés and restaurants.
We visited on an extremely windy day, but I would definitely recommend visiting to see the beautiful views of the Øresund Bridge leading to Denmark and the famous Turning Torso skyscraper (pictured). The 190-metre-tall residential tower is one of the tallest structures in Sweden, with its topmost segment twisted 90° clockwise.
Moderna Art gallery
Moderna Museet Malmo occupies a 20th-century brick building with a red steel façade. Its 800 sq m space displays travelling exhibitions of contemporary artwork from all over the world and is definitely worth a visit.
The museum’s permanent collection of 20th-century masterpieces features prominent names such as Picasso and Dali, and I was surprised to learn that it is always free to visit and view.
One of many lovely bars and restaurants in the Gamla Staden of Malmo
FAQs About Visiting Malmö from Copenhagen on a Day Trip
How to get to Malmö from Copenhagen?
Copenhagen to Malmo by Train
Trains leave from Copenhagen’s main train stations, including Copenhagen Central Station and Copenhagen’s Kastrup Airport every 10-15 minutes.
Copenhagen to Malmo by Car
To reach Sweden from Denmark, you’ll need to cross the famous Oresund Strait on the Oresund Bridge, which happens to be the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe. I would definitely recommend taking the train as the bridge toll costs €54 in each direction.
Copenhagen to Malmo by Flixbus
A bus ticket on Flixbus start at around €7 one way but can be significantly more if booking close to your day of travel.
Explore more of Scandinavia
There you have it. We saw some beautiful things and enjoyed some delicious food and drink in our visit to Malmo. I found out that it really is a beautiful Swedish city right on the border with Denmark and makes an excellent option for a day trip from Copenhagen.
I hope this guide is useful to you! Reach out if you have any questions or leave a comment below if you have suggestions or ideas from your own visits to Malmo which could be added to this guide.
Why not check out my other guides to:
The best Bakeries or Swimming Spots in Copenhagen
The best Danish pastries (In my opinion!).
The Lofotens in Norway
Or explore the rest of the Scandi Culture Experiences to find out what’s on offer.
