Malmö, where the Swedish side of the Öresund bridge comes to land, is a gateway to Denmark and Europe; it’s often referred to as the least Swedish of Swedish cities, though whether it’s meant as compliment or an insult depends very much on who exactly is saying it! Most Malmöites would simply shrug and tell you that Malmö is its own thing—and whether you’re interested in cutting-edge culinary delights, unusual intentional communities, high-tech hotels or radical urban agriculture, the evidence is easily found.
In fact, it might be more accurate to say that Malmö is many different things to many different people. Those with a hankering for official history (or big-ticket shopping excursions) should see the old town (aka gamla staden), but there are more adventurous options available, from the old docklands—some of which were redeveloped and are now in decline, some of which were given over to intentional communities—to the gentrifying “downtown” zone around Möllevången. It’s a city of contrasts, too, with chalk and cheese living cheek by jowl, as in the case of Holma and Hyllie. There’s beachside vibes and quiet village-y enclaves, there’s blocks under community governance and former retail estates all but overrun by artists… and so much more!