We spent a weekend in Malmö, Sweden for some sightseeing and to run Malmö Ribersborg parkrun. My two day itinerary consists of one day wandering around the canals and the old town, followed by a day exploring Ribersborg on the coast plus Malmö castle and surrounding parks. Even if you’re not interested in parkrun, Ribersborg is worth a visit, just at a rather more leisurely pace…
How to get to Malmö
We flew to Copenhagen in Denmark, then travelled to Sweden by train across the Øresund Bridge. Copenhagen Airport is just 20 miles away from Malmö. There is a regular (around every 20 minutes) direct train service from København Lufthavn to Malmö Centralstation. The journey takes approximately 25 minutes. A single ticket costs around 150 DKK (£17).
Getting around Malmö
We did most of our sightseeing on foot, just attempting to take the bus in one direction to Ribersborg. (Bus No 7 departs from Malmö Djäknegatan in the old town to Malmö Ribersborg). Day 1 of my itinerary is around 2 miles, while Day 2 consists of 4 miles in total (2 miles in each direction). Malmö has a good bus network. However, buses don’t accept cash and I had issues with my card not being accepted, so had to get off and walk. The most convenient way to travel by bus is to download the Skånetrafiken app prior to travel. Alternatively, there are plenty of electric scooters scattered around town.
Where to stay in Malmö
We stayed at the ProfilHotels Hotel Garden. We chose this hotel because of its location, right in the centre of the old town. It’s built above a multi-storey car park with our sixth floor room opening onto a very pleasant roof garden.
Malmö in 2 Days Itinerary
| Day 1 | Travel to Malmö Øresund Bridge Malmö Centralstation Suellshamnen Lilla Torg (Little Square) St Peter’s Church Gamla Kyrkogård (Old Cemetery) Gustav Adolfs Torg Accommodation – ProfilHotels Hotel Garden |
| Day 2 | Ribersborg Turning Torso Malmö Castle Kungsparken |
Malmö Day 1
Travel to Malmö
We fly to Copenhagen and head straight for the airport station, from where you can catch a train direct to Malmö, which lies on the other side of the Øresund.
Øresund Bridge
We catch the train across the Øresund Bridge; which crosses from Denmark to Sweden, via an artificial island. At almost 5 miles long, the bridge is the longest cable-tied road and rail bridge in Europe.
It sounds spectacular, but it’s a double decker bridge with the railway running beneath the motorway. So, in reality, there isn’t much to see from the train. Just little glimpses of Malmö through the gaps in the ironwork.
Malmö Centralstation
We arrive at Malmö Centralstation. The station was originally built in 1856 and now consists of two perpendicular buildings – the Central Hall and the Terminus Train Shed – connected by a glass corridor.
Suellshamnen
Just east of the station is the Suellshamnen harbour area, leading into a canal which runs round the Old Town.
The waterside is criss-crossed with bridges and lined with plenty of interesting sculptures and, of course, photo ops.
Lilla Torg
Lilla Torg (Little Square) is a historic market square. It has a central fountain and is surrounded by old buildings, many of them now housing restaurants. It’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by on a summer’s day.
St Peter’s Church
The red brick Gothic St Peter’s Church is Malmö’s oldest church, built in the 14th century.
Gamla Kyrkogård
The Gamla Kyrkogård (Old Cemetery) runs along the edge of the canal. Paths lined with flower beds and sculptures run past the gravestones.
Gustav Adolfs Torg
Gustav Adolfs Torg is a large park-like square with a central fountain. When we visited, it was Swedish National Day and there was a drunk man in the middle, having a fight with a statue…
Accommodation – ProfilHotels Hotel Garden
Our accommodation in Malmo is the ProfilHotels Hotel Garden. Our sixth floor room is clean and comfortable and opens onto a roof garden, which is very pleasant, particularly as the temperature has reached 31 degrees. It’s the first hotel I’ve stayed in which has in-room gym equipment.
Malmö Day 2
This morning, we are heading 2 miles west to the coast at Ribersborg, primarily to run parkrun.
Ribersborg
Ribersborg is a beachfront park on the strait overlooking Denmark. There is also a beach and a bathing house (Ribersborgs Kallbadhus), reached via a wooden pier.
Malmö Ribersborg parkrun takes place on Saturday mornings around a lake in this pretty shoreline park. For more on our visit to Malmö Ribersborg parkrun, click here.
Turning Torso
From Ribersborg, you get a great view of the Turning Torso building. At 190 metres tall, this 54 storey skyscraper is the second tallest building in Scandinavia. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava and the structure twists through 90 degrees from bottom to top.
Malmö Castle
We walk back to the old town via Malmö Castle. The 16th Century castle sits on its own island, surrounded by a moat. Much of the medieval castle was damaged by fire, with the building being restored in the 1930s. It now houses a museum.
Kungsparken
Kungsparken (King’s Park) is a large park, which runs round the south and east sides of the castle. The city’s oldest park dates back to the 19th Century and contains trees from around the world, ponds, gardens, trails, sculptures and a fountain.
- Trip taken: June 2019
- Updated: November 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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