Malmö

The 3rd largest and southern-most city in Sweden, it’s either a long swim, or a cool, 35 minute ride across the ‘disappearing’ Oresund Bridge from Copenhagen, Denmark.

Avid footy fans will know of Malmö’s famous son: Zlatan Ibrahimović. Sadly, he sold his mansion on the outskirts of town, so the likelihood of a chance encounter (or a trespassing charge/restraining order 😉 is low.  Luckily, there are other things to see in this lively little city!     

 

Suggested duration of stay: 1 full day should suffice, depending on what you want to check out.  

 

Getting there & around:    

The SJ intercity, high-speed train (X2000) arrives at Malmö Central Station.  The ride from Stockholm is about 4.5 hrs (2.5 hrs from Gothenburg) and there are 2 wheelchair spots (“rullstolsplats”) on these trains, located in 2nd class. There are also 2 additional seats (next to the wheelchair spots & close to the washrooms) for those with mobility impairments, who are ambulatory. If you require assistance boarding the train, let the SJ ticketing agent know in advance, so they can make the necessary arrangements.

Malmö has a transit system, but you won’t need it, if you don’t mind a bit of exercise (though you can use it to travel back-and-forth to Denmark, if you’re using Malmö as a base).

What I saw:  

Turning Torso – Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, this iconic twisted tower is 190 meters high, has 54 floors, and does a 90 degree turn from the base to the top floor!  It’s the tallest building in Sweden and home to business offices and personal residences, which also bestows upon it the distinction of being the tallest residential building in all of Europe.  

 

 

Malmö Castle – The oldest preserved Renaissance castle in the Nordic region, it was built in the 1530’s and was an important fortress for Denmark (I didn’t go inside, so I can’t comment on accessibility). It houses a variety of exhibits, year round.  

Kungsparken/Slottsparken – neighbouring the castle, this green space has canals, flower beds, a café, play areas – ideal for picnics, walking, and outdoor games.

 

 

Stortorget – The main, “Old Square”, with plenty of restaurants, shopping, and hotels. It’s mainly cobblestone, but it’s fairly level and has some flat-tile pathways embedded, so getting around isn’t too bad.

S:t Petri Kyrka – (“St. Peter’s Church”) – The oldest building in Malmö, founded in the early 14th century.

 

 

 

Gustav Aldorf’s Torg (“square”) – A small market square in central Malmö, roughly 1 block from Stortorget. Vendors set up daily to peddle their wares. 

Ribersborg Beach – Malmo’s main beach and home to the Ribersborg Kallbadhus and Ribersborgs handikappbad (an accessible facility where people with disabilities can swim indoors and in the sea).  The promenade makes it easy to zip along the coast, with the joggers, ‘bladers, and walkers.

Malmö Idrottsplats – (“Malmo Sports Field”) – The 3rd largest stadium in Malmö.  Current home to women’s footy team FC Rosengård and formerly, men’s teams IFK Malmö and Malmö FF.  It’s located on the north end of Malmö’s largest park Pildammsparken.

  

 

Etage – A multi-floor nightclub, located in Stortorget.  The young crowd stays late – regardless of the day of the week.  The club does have an elevator, so wheelchairs can get in and enjoy, but I can’t recall whether the washrooms were accessible (it was so close to my hotel, it didn’t matter).    

Where I stayed (year):

Scandic S:t Jörgen (2008 & 2009) – Located next to Gustav Aldorf’s square, in central Malmö.  This property is 1 km from the train station and close to the restaurants and nightlife of Stortorget.  Wheelchair access in their accessible room wasn’t great (back in 2008 & 2009), so they bumped me up to the top floor suite.  Still not ideal, access wise, as there weren’t any grab bars or level entries to the shower or tub, but the common areas had a lot more space to maneuver around.  Buffet breakfast, gym, and sauna are included. Rating: 3.25/5  

 

 

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