Malmö was originally built in the first half of the 13th century. It was jointly administered by Germany and the Kingdom of Denmark at that time. It became a Swedish city in 1658. It was once a prosperous industrial city but it was later depressed by the decline of the shipbuilding industry. Malmö has both the vibrancy of a modern city and the casual lifestyle. You can look at the uniquely designed rotating building and experience the novelty of modern architectural art; you can madly shop at Emporia Shopping Center or feel the vicissitudes and changes of history in the Grand Place; and you can enjoy the works of art from different periods in the Hus Museum. There are both ancient relics and new types of architecture that connect ancient and modern times.
1. Øresund Bridge
The Øresund Bridge spans 16 kilometers and connects Copenhagen and Malmö. It was started in 1995 and completed in May 2000. It is the world’s largest cable-stayed bridge that bears the most weight. The bridge starts from Malmö and an artificial island is built in the strait. The section near Copenhagen is a submarine tunnel for railways and highways. Therefore, the bridge consists of three parts including 8 km bridge, 4 km artificial island highway and 4 km undersea tunnel. The eastern part of Denmark and southern Sweden that are connected by the bridge are the most densely populated, economically active and most culturally exchanged regions in the Nordic and Baltic regions.
2. Øresund
The Øresund is also known as the “Sund Strait”, which connects the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat Strait between southern Sweden and Zealand. It is 110 kilometers long, 4 to 28 kilometers wide and 12 to 28 meters deep. It is the deepest waterway in the Baltic Sea. Take a walk along the Malmö coastline and you can overlook the cross-sea bridge. There are people who walk the dogs, jog and bask in the sun. The life so comfortable and you won’t help sighing “The life is so beautiful, please walk slowly and appreciate it.”
3. Lilla Torg
The square is built in 1591and it is surrounded by half-timbered houses built from the 16th to the 18th century. At first, the square is used as the main market in the city. Today it is the most lively place in Malmö. It is also the most concentrated place for restaurants, coffee shops and gift shops. You can imagine the lively past by the architectural styles around the small squares and the scenes of many people. Both local residents of Malmö and tourists focus on this small and lovely square with open-air tables and chairs with great passion. You can sit at the square and drink a cup of coffee or beer with the cute little house in the south half of the square.
4. Stortorget and City Hall
This is the oldest square in the city. It was built more than 470 years ago by the mayor, Cook. His former residence is near the square and is a typical Hanseatic-style brown-red building. The town hall on the east side of the square was built in 1546 and is a Dutch Renaissance-style building. In the middle of the square is the riding image of the Swedish King Carl X. He defeated Denmark and turned Malmö into a Swedish city.
5. Malmö Castle
The King of Denmark, Christian III has ordered that Malmö Castle be restored in the early 16th century and built into the Dutch Renaissance style today. In the first two hundred years, the castle was mainly used in the royal palace. It was once very glorious in the 16th century and there were often kings and nobles. After the return to Sweden in 1658, the castle was used as a military fortress by the Swedish royal family. At present, Malmö Castle is home to four museums in Malmö: the City Museum, the Art Museum, the Science Museum and the Natural Science Museum.
6. St Pierre Cathedral
The 14th-century Gothic church is the oldest building that is well preserved in the city. At that time Malmö was still under the control of the Hanseatic Union, so the design of the church is based on the Maria Church in Lübeck. The interior of the church is decorated with ornate murals and has an 88-meter-tall spire. A small chapel built for medieval merchants is the oldest and most special part of the church. The church is the Baltic Gothic style, and its medieval murals from the roof originated in the 15th century and they were discovered only when the church was repaired in the early 20th century. The reason is that Lutheranism’s pursuit of simple religious ceremonies and architectural styles during the 16th century religious reform, so he rejected such seemingly flashy decorations. The 15 meters high altar in the church is the largest wooden altar in Northern Europe was completed in 1611 after four years.
7. Pildammsparken
This is the largest park in Malmö. It was built for the Baltic Expo in 1914. There are large forests, green spaces, ponds and small lakes in the park. There is also a pavilion called Margaret that was built by King Gustav VI to commemorate his wife. There is also an amphitheater in the park where the comedy drama plays in the summer that is appreciated by the Malmö people. The amphitheater is a circular platform surrounded by mountains, hence it’s also named “plate.” The iconic building of Pildammsparken is a water tower with a history of more than 400 years.
8. Turning Torso
This is Malmö’s landmark building and it’s literally translated as “twisted waist.” With a total of 54 floors and a height of 190 meters, it is the tallest building in Sweden. It is divided into 9 districts and each district is rotated a little, which makes whole building rotate 90 degrees. The two units on the ground floor are office areas with approximately 400 square meters per floor. There are 147 apartments in the building for rent. At the same time, there are three high-speed elevators that takes only 38 seconds from the ground floor to the top floor. There is also a very spacious wine cellar on the ground floor of the building where the upstairs residents can hide their precious red wine. The best view is on the top floor of the building where visitors can overlook Malmö, the Öresund Strait and the Danish capital on the strait. In 2012, it was named “the top five skyscrapers in the world in 2012” by Travel & Leisure magazine.
9. Ribersborgsstranden
Ribersborgsstranden is a white sandy beach. It’s located next to the Øresund Strait and very close to Malmö Castle. The beach is about 2 kilometers long and there is a large green area next to the beach. Here you can also see the long Øresund Bridge.
10. Malmö Library
This is a wonderful building that is both old and modern with a simple and elegant appearance and a modern and refined interior. The left part is the old red brick building that was opened in 1905, while the modern building “Calendar of Light” on the right was designed in 1997 by the famous designer Henning Larsen who designed the Danish National Opera. The north and west sides of the “Calendar of Light” are pure glass curtain walls. That’s why there are plenty of natural light sources all year round. Sitting in the library, you can see the beautiful nature scene outside the glass curtain wall. This is exactly the reason why the architect named the building “Calendar of Light”.
