Cycling along the canal, enjoying brunch spots with friends, and indulging in all the Danish cultures at museums and castles is a great thing I did when I went on a holiday in Copenhagen last month. But one drawback of the Danish capital is how busy it is, especially when you go to Naihabun, famous for its brightly colored house rows.
Enthusiasm to explore more surrounding areas from the city, I came across three cities that caught my eye. These three cities are Helsingborg, Lund and Malmö, all in Sweden, and are places I've never heard of. Of these three places, what really appealed to me was Malmö, only 25 minutes away from Copenhagen.
Malmö is Sweden's third largest city and is connected to Copenhagen by a powerful Øresund bridge (road and tunnel route) spanning 8km across the Øresund Strait.
The city boasts a complete contrast between the old and the new, packed with Dutch Renaissance buildings in the old town and modern buildings along the waterfront.
To get to Malmo, I decided to take a guided tour to help me learn about the best spots to visit here.
Malmö's first stop is Stoltollgett, a large square in the heart of the city, ruled by a powerful statue of King Carl X Gustav, and also has a lovely fountain. The square is surrounded by interesting historic buildings, including the City Hall and the former palace.
Just a five minute walk away, we reached Gamlla Staden, a beautiful little medieval square. A lively hub for stylish and sociable people, this place is compact and picturesque with a bar, restaurant and cafe.
Built as a market square in 1592, the precincts are primarily pedestrian cobblestone grounds, surrounded by timber houses and dining terraces, making it a great place to see people.
We arrived here late in the afternoon as people were walking around enjoying their drinks. It's a relatively quiet time to appreciate the architecture, especially when the sun comes out to greet halfway through.
Just like Copenhagen, many people living here rely on bicycles, walking, or public transport.
Moving from the centre of Malmö to Vastra Hamnen, this is a new, ultra-modern district that was once the former shipyard area just off the sea.
Here we visited the skyscrapers of Turning Tarso, one of Malmö's most popular landmarks. It is an attractive architectural highlight that impresses its unique design.
For photography fans, it is the perfect theme that always gives new impressions from different perspectives. The surrounding area is just as beautiful and invites you to take a walk.
Before leaving Malmö, I went to the perspective of Öresundsbron, near the Øresund bridge. It's a great place to smoke incredible views of the ocean and bridges, especially while the sun is still out.
