It seems that whenever you talk to someone in Copenhagen and say that you are going to cross the long Øresund Bridge in order to visit Malmo, Sweden, the question that pops up is: “Why would you want to go there?” Of course, you start telling people that Malmo is the third largest city in Sweden and that its old town has the type of scenery that is every photographer’s dream, but I’m not sure even this argument would convince most of the Copenhagen locals. But notwithstanding the humorous comments, the city of Malmo is definitely worth visiting. Once you have a chance to stroll the city’s historical center with its great squares and cafes, it will become readily obvious that this sleepy city across the water from Denmark insists on moving at a much slower pace than its more cosmopolitan neighbor to the west. Crossing the Øresund Bridge into Sweden was like moving from a busy main street to a much quieter, and less populated side street of a major city. However, it was precisely this slower pace (and cheaper prices!) that made Malmo such a nice place to spend a sunny summer day.
Getting to Malmo from Copenhagen takes about 45 minutes when you allow for some of the local trains to be a few minutes late. But the good news is that once you arrive at the Malmo train station, the city is just a short walk across the Rundan Canal bridge linking the station to the old town. Follow Hamngatan street for about one block and you will find yourself at the imposing Stortorget square (see photo above), the heart of the old city. From here any direction will take you to quiet side streets with quaint cafes and restaurants where you can sit and watch the day go by. But if shopping is what’s on your mind, then you want to head on down the pedestrian Sødergatan street with its many shops and well-stocked department stores. Of course, I’m referring to the ladies, as I am convinced that men only have one store in the world and it follows us everywhere we go. Well, that didn’t seem to matter in this beautiful city, and at the end of the day I felt tempted to label Malmo the European version of “the big easy.” Relaxed, civilized, and photogenic, the city leaves you with the feeling that you have only just begun to discover this wonderful Nordic country. Yet another thing to add to my long and ambitious “to do” list.
