Once you’ve caught a glimpse of Scandi life in Copenhagen, I bet you’ll want to see how they do it across the border! Luckily, the Danish capital closely neighbours Malmö in Sweden, so it’s really easy to experience life in another Scandinavian nation for the day. On a day trip to Malmö, you can enjoy beautiful architecture, interesting history, traditional cuisine, and of course, practice the famous Swedish art of fika.
This complete guide will take you through everything you need to plan a day trip from Copenhagen to Malmö, including practical info and top tips, as well as the best things to do in one day in Malmö and an itinerary to plan out the perfect day!
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Is Malmö Worth Visiting on a Day Trip?
Malmö is definitely worth visiting if you’d like to enjoy a little slice of Sweden on your visit to Copenhagen! It’s really easy to get from Copenhagen to Malmö – just 40 minutes on the train will see you in another country for the day.
Although it’s the third largest city in Sweden, Malmö is quite small, which means you can see pretty much all of the main sights in just a day.
How to Get from Copenhagen to Malmö
The easiest way to get from Copenhagen to Malmö is by train. It takes around 40 minutes to get from Copenhagen Central Station to Malmö Central Station, thanks to the Øresund Bridge which links the two countries. Trains depart every 15-20 minutes – you can check exact times here. Single tickets cost around £10-15 (€11-17/12-18USD) and are best bought at the station.
Since you’ll be entering a new country when you go from Copenhagen to Malmö, make sure you take your passport and any necessary visa documentation. Checks can be carried out on the train. Denmark and Sweden are both members of the EU and in the Schengen Zone, so if you have a visa to visit one you should be covered for the other, but it’s always worth double-checking this before you go.
If you’d prefer, you can also take the bus between Copenhagen and Malmö. There are regular bus connections via Flixbus (roughly one an hour). They take about double the time but are a little cheaper. You could also drive, which will take roughly the same amount of time as the train.
How to Take a Day Trip to Malmö from Copenhagen
With such good transport links, it really couldn’t be easier to take a day trip from Copenhagen to Malmö. Here are a few top tips to think about before you go:
- Denmark and Sweden use different currencies – the Danish Krone and the Swedish Krona (DKK and SEK). Make sure you take out some Krona for your trip to Malmö or exchange some in advance if you use a travel currency card.
- Malmö is a small city, and you can easily get around by foot. However, there is a bus network around the city if you need it.
- As mentioned above – don’t forget your passport! Checks might be carried out on the train as you pass the border.
- You might want to take a guided day tour from Copenhagen to Malmö if you’d prefer to let someone else organise your day trip.
Read Next: The Best Things to Do in One Day in Ghent
The Best Things to Do in Malmö in a Day
With one day in Malmö, you’ll want to make sure you experience all the best things to do there! Although a small city, Malmö certainly packs a punch when it comes to culture and history. Check out these top things to do in Malmö in a day.
Explore Malmö Castle
Malmö Castle, known as Malmöhus Slott in Swedish, dates back to the 1400s and is now the oldest preserved castle in Scandinavia from the Renaissance period. As well as a royal palace, the castle has also been used as a prison and an emergency shelter for refugees during the world wars.
These days, Malmö Castle serves as a museum which houses a whole host of exhibitions where you can learn about Malmö and beyond. When you visit Malmö Museum, I recommend starting at the castle side, where you can learn about the history of Malmö and the castle itself. Then, if you have more time, you can visit the aquarium and natural history museum on the other side.
Location | Website (in Swedish)
Visit Lilla Torg and Malmö’s Old Town
In the centre of Malmö, you’ll find a cute little cobbled square, surrounded by colourful buildings of several different architectural styles. This is Lilla Torg, the city’s medieval market square. Although now surrounded by restaurants and cafés, this was once a bustling hub of fishmongers, bakers, grocers and more.
The most interesting buildings to see at Lilla Torg are the colourful thatched buildings at the south end of the square. And look out for the cute old-fashioned phone booth as well!
You’ll find some equally charming architecture in the streets surrounding Lilla Torg. I particularly recommend seeing the colourful houses on Jacob Nilsgaten, but take some time to stroll around the city centre and soak up the atmosphere.
Enjoy the Art of Fika
The Swedish concept of Fika has become popular outside of Scandinavia in recent years, encouraging us all to take a moment to pause while enjoying a coffee and a sweet treat. And although you might not have time to Fika every day like the Swedes do, what better time to embrace this tradition than during your day trip to Malmö?
The best place to fika in Malmö is at Lilla Kafferosteriet. Housed in a gorgeous 17th-century house, here you can enjoy a coffee or tea with a traditional Swedish pastry – try a cardamom or cinnamon bun! It’s also a great spot for breakfast to kick your day in Malmö off the right way.
Discover Stortorget
Lilla Torg’s big brother, Stortorget lies to the north of the medieval square, and shares just as much history. It’s the largest and oldest square in Malmö and was once the largest market square in Northern Europe. Here, you can see the Malmö Town Hall, a 19th-century pharmacy, and a large statue dedicated to Karl X Gustav, a former Swedish king.
Check out the top things to do in Malmö!
Try Some Swedish Meatballs
Meatballs are a very quintessentially Swedish dish, mainly thanks to IKEA! It’s not surprising that when coming to Sweden, most people want to get a taste of authentic Swedish meatballs… or at least more authentic than the ones from a furniture shop.
You won’t find them in every restaurant or food outlet you stop by, but there are a few places serving up traditional Swedish meatballs in Malmö. I opted for Spoonery and enjoyed meatballs (or Köttbullar) with potatoes, pickled cucumber, lingonberries and cream sauce. You could also check out Bullen (on the pricier side).
Marvel at St. Peter’s Church
St Peter’s Church, or Sankt Petri kyrka, is a gothic church in the centre of Malmö, just a few minutes from Stortorget. Dating back to the 1300s, the church is the largest in the city and is a perfect stop for architecture lovers.
The brick gothic style of St Peter’s Church is quite typical of architecture in the middle-ages in Sweden. If you’re particularly interested in this style, you can visit the nearby Jörgen Kock’s house.
Wander around Slottsparken and Kungsparken
Get some fresh air in the biggest green space in the centre of Malmö. These two parks are separated by Malmö’s canals, and in them, you can find Malmö Castle, as well as a cemetery, windmill and a cute garden with a café.
If you visit in the summer months, you can rent pedal boats to explore the park from the canal waters. And if you’re hungry, check out Badran’s Super Falafel, a food stall on the south edge of the park, serving up the Middle Eastern snack that Malmö is surprisingly famous for!
See the Turning Torso
A little out of the centre lies the Turning Torso, arguably Malmö’s most famous building. As one of the very few twisted skyscrapers in Europe and the world, the residential building has attracted many visitors to see its innovative architectural style.
With just one day in Malmö, you might not have enough time to venture out to the Turning Torso. The good news is that you can still catch a glimpse of it from the city centre!
Discover more things to do across the bridge in Copenhagen!
Suggested Malmö Day Trip Itinerary
With so many great things to do in Malmö and just one day to do them all, you might be overwhelmed at the thought of how to plan out your Malmö day trip. Luckily, I’ve put together this one day in Malmö itinerary which you can follow exactly or use as a base to fit your interests!
Spend your first couple of hours in Malmö exploring the city centre and old town. Start at Stortorget and the nearby St Peter’s Church, and then head to Lilla Torg. You’ll want to fuel up for a day of exploring, so grab some brunch at Brunchoteket before wandering around the rest of the old town streets.
Head over to Slottsparken and Kungsparken to enjoy a stroll in Malmö’s green spaces. Then pay a visit to Malmö Castle. You could easily spend several hours exploring everything here! If you’re hungry after soaking up all the culture, grab some falafel from Badran’s Super Falafel in the park, or head to Spoonery for some meatballs (but you might want to save this for dinner!)
For the rest of the afternoon, either head north to see the Turning Turso and enjoy a walk along the waterfront promenade, or head back to the city centre to partake in the art of fika. Grab a pastry and a cosy drink from Lilla Kafferosteriet and watch the world go by for a little while.
Once evening rolls around, it’s almost time to head back to Copenhagen and end your Malmö day trip. If you’d like to grab dinner in the city, head to Spoonery or Bullen to taste some Swedish meatballs. You could grab a drink around the city centre to see the famous squares by night, or if you’re keen on craft beer, head a little south of the centre to Malmö Brewing Co.
With all this info under your belt, you’re now ready to journey across the Øresund Bridge and enjoy the perfect Malmö day trip from Copenhagen. I truly enjoyed exploring this quaint little city and I’m sure you’ll be swept up in all of its charm and culture too!
If you’re looking for more day trip inspiration, check out how to spend one day in Milan, or this round-up guide of the best day trips from Brussels by train.
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