Malmö- a shopper's world

Start at Malmö's train station. It's only a few minutes, across the road and over the canal, into the main square, called Stortorget. You'll know you're there by the huge statue of King Karl X Gustav mounted on his horse. He's the chap who liberated Skåne from Denmark in 1658. Stortorget in a natural meeting place during the city's festivals and outdoor theatres. You can read the about the historical sites of the square in a separte blog later on.

Walk straight through stortorget for now, and head up the main pedestrianized area, on Södergatan. Past the bronzed statues of a marching brass band, and into your first shopping zone.

Punctuated by small cafes, larger restaurants, and pastry shops, the clothing boutiques along here are relatively main-stream, the chain stores that you see in every major city. But look out for the smaller boutiques crammed in between these large shop fronts, you'll be surprised at the diversity on offer. Some of these stores sell one-of-a-kind pieces that you won't find anywhere else.

Soon you need to swing right into Skomakaregatan, and head towards the old timber houses that date back to the 16th century. Here you land in Lilletorg, probably the most popular outdoor gathering place in the city. Stop at the cheese shop on your left just before entering the square, it's a heavenly paradise for cheese lovers. In the summer, you can get a plate of various cheeses made up, with some Swedish crackers. A few doors along is a systembolaget where you can purchase a good bottle of wine. The city park is just a short walk away and you have an impromptu picnic.

Lillatorg is filled with restaurants and cafe's. In the far corner of the square is an indoor market with a great selection of food to eat in or take out. The sushi trays are delicious here, as is the ice cream counter just inside the front door.

Malmö - what this city is all about

It may not be as pretty as Stockholm, or as exciting as Amsterdam, but it will be .... one day soon. Malmö is growing and undergoing massive change. From an industrial city to a city of fast-paced commerce and rising house prices. It has all the important ingredients to make it a city Sweden is proud of - easily accessible, (we have great rail links, a harbour, an international airport and an excellent motorway system where driving is easy), wonderful shopping, green parklands, an abundance of restaurants, nightlife and cultural attractions.

The opening of the Øresund Bridge between Malmö and Copenhagen has had a huge impact of the growth of commerce and the transportation routes in and out of Sweden.

All positive. If city living is for you, then Malmö has many international hotels. Otherwise the attractive surrounding smaller towns and countryside along the coastlines of the Baltic Sea make summer in the south of Sweden idylic.

A stone's throw from the attractive older city, there is one particular area in Malmö that has undergone a drastic transformation. Västra Hamnen, or the western harbour, was once an old shipyard. Now it's known as the City of Tomorrow. The character of the area has changed with the building of new university buildings,
commercial offices and fantastic residential apartments with views over the Baltic ocean.

Architect Santiago Calatrava's created a spectacular apartment building in the area. It reaches 190 metres high, and is called the Turning Torso. It is the tallest building in Sweden. The Turning Torso consists of nine cubes, making up 54 floors. It has a 90° twist from the bottom to the top. Viewed at a distance, the entire building looks as if it's rotating.

Malmö is currently constructing an underground tunnel system for the railway. This will make moving around the city even easier, and lessen the traffic levels in the centre of the city.

Without doubt, the best way to see Malmö is to walk it. Plus hop on a bus for a few of the sights outside of the city. But first of all, I'm going to walk you through the best shopping in town.