Attractions

The Malmö Card, which is available from the Malmö Tourist Office, entitles visitors to free admission to most of the city's museums. It also grants free parking and free bus travel within the city limits. A card that's valid for 1 day costs 130SEK ($26/£13); one that's valid for 2 days goes for 160SEK ($32/£16); one that's valid for 3 days is 190SEK ($38/£19). An adult who has a Malmö Card can be accompanied, with no additional charge, by two children up to 16 years of age.

You have to begin your exploration somewhere, and we find that the best place to do that is around Stortorget, the main square of Malmö, dating from the 1530s. The vast square was more of a market square than it is today. In its center stands an equestrian statue of King Karl X Gustav, who took Skåne back from the Danes. That event in 1658 is also commemorated with a fountain that is one of the most imaginative in Scandinavia and includes a nightingale, the symbol of Malmö.

Bordering the eastern side of the square is the Rådhuset (Town Hall), once imbued with a look of Renaissance splendor back in 1546. It has undergone major changes over the years, most notably in the 1860s when Helgo Zettervall redesigned the facade in the Dutch Renaissance style, which is more or less what you'll see today. Unless you have official business, the interior cannot be visited except for its cellar restaurant (Rådhuskällern).

Nearby lies Lilla Torg, Malmö's most charming square and the centerpiece of much of its nightlife and cafe culture. An attractive cobble-covered plaza ringed with fine half-timbered buildings dating from the 16th to the 18th century, it looks like a film set. In addition to its status as a place to see and perhaps meet other people, many handicraft shops are found here. For many centuries this was the bustling open-air marketplace of Malmö; however, in the early 20th century, a covered market (the sturdy brick-built Saluhallen) replaced the open-air booths and stalls. Today, the Saluhallen houses a small-scale shopping mall with handicrafts, foodstuffs, and a number of restaurants, the best of which are recommended in "Where to Dine," later in this chapter

While on this square, check out the Form Design Centre at Lilla Torg 9.