Exotic Earth

Little Falsterbo Museum, at the southern tip of the peninsula, is a pleasing jumble: a small Naturum, old shops and smithies, WWII mines, and the remains of a 13th-century boat. Falsterbo has a long sandy beach that’s popular with locals and Malmo holidaymakers. The sandy hook-shaped island of Maklappen is a nature reserve, off-limits to the public from February to October. There are seals and over 50 species of birds, including little terns, Kentish plovers and avocets; in the autumn, between one and three million migrating birds rest their wings here. Near the museum is Falsterbo Fagelstation, a bird observatory which studies these feathery visitors.

Ljungens Camping: This orderly site is a friendly place a couple of kilometres from alsterbo; amenities include a small creperie. Kust Cafe: Catering to the fashionable city set is this stylish nautical cafe, with excellent coffee, ciabattas, salads, pasta and cakes.

The passing of big hairy men in longboats is one of Sweden’s most interesting and unusual attractions, about 700m north of Hollviken. Vikingareservatet vid Foteviken is unique, an excellent ‘living’ reconstruction of a late-Viking Age village. Entry price includes a highly recommended one-hour guided tour. Around 20 authentic reconstructions of houses with reed or turf roofs have been built on the coast, near to the site of the Battle of Foteviken. These belong to various tradespeople; the town’s jarl, juror and scribe; and the chieftain, whose home has wooden floorboards, fleeces and a Battle of Foteviken tapestry. There’s even a shield-lined great hall known as the Thingholl, and a reconstructed warship and lethally powerful war catapult, which you may get to see fired at the end of our tour. The amazing thing is that this reserve is home to people who live as the Vikings did, eschewing most modern conveniences and following the old traditions, laws and religions even after the last tourist has left! These modern-day Vikings lead visitors on guided tours through their houses and provide an entertaining and insightful glimpse into Viking times. If we visit in early June we can witness warrior training and a re-enactment of the 1134 battle. Viking Week is held in late June, and culminates in a Viking market.

Families and sun-worshipers will love the white-sand beaches at the edges of Falsterbo Peninsula, and ornithologists will enjoy the area’s bird-life. The peninsula also has some real one-off attractions: the unmissable Viking reserve Foteviken, and the weird little amber museum. The area’s major tourist office is just outside Hollviken, near the lifting bridge. Hollviken is a reasonable-sized town with facilities like banks and supermarkets.

Barnstens museum
Trapped in sticky resin 40 million years ago, insects forage, fight, mate and feed in pieces of amber at the Barnstensmuseum. It’s small but interesting; movie buffs might like to know that the museum staff acted as advisers to the makers of Jurassic Park. Beachcombers may find pieces of washed-up amber in this part of Sweden. The museum is near the southern edge of Hollviken.

Families and sun-worshippers will love the white-sand beaches at the edges of Falsterbo Peninsula, and ornithologists will enjoy the area’s birdlife. The peninsula also has some real one-off attractions: the unmissable Viking reserve Foteviken, and the weird little amber museum. The area’s major tourist office is just outside Hollviken, near the lifting bridge. Hollviken is a reasonable-sized town with facilities like banks and supermarkets.

Barnstensmuseum

Trapped in sticky resin 40 million years ago, insects forage, fight, mate and feed in pieces of amber at the Barnstensmuseum. It’s small but interesting; movie buffs might like to know that the museum staff acted as advisors to the makers of Jurassic Park. Beachcombers may find pieces of washed-up amber in this part of Sweden. The museum is near the southern edge of Hollviken.

So small it could almost be a miniature elephant

Various museums in and around Malmohus slott make up the Malmo Museer. There are cafe-restaurants inside all the museums. The interesting aquarium has a nocturnal hall, as well as coral reefs, brightly coloured tropical fish and representatives of local species such as cod and pike. It was being revamped at the time of writing, so should be even better when you visit! The aquarium is associated with the Naturmuseum, which has typical collections of rocks, stuffed animals and birds. The galleries of Malmo Konstmuseum contain the largest Swedish collection of 20th century Nordic art, and the Stadsmuseum dealsith w the cultural history of Malmo and Skane. The Knight’s Hall has various late-medieval and Renaissance exhibits, such as the regalia of the order of St Knut. The northwest gun tower is intact and atmospheric, with cannons pointing in every direction. On Malmohusvagen, the excellent Teknikens och Sjofartens Hus is a short distance to the west. It’s a technology and maritime museum, with aircraft, vehicles, a horse-drawn tram, steam engines, and the amazing ‘U3’ walk-in submarine, just outside the main building. The submarine was launched in Karlskrona in 1943 and decommissioned in 1967. Upstairs is a superb hands-on experiment room for kids, which will keep them enthralled for ages.

Malmo’s castle has an intriguing history, although not much remains of the older citadels built on the site: today, with its redbrick, functionalist buildings, it looks more like a factory. Some of the Malmo Museer are based inside the castle. Erik of Pomerania built the first fortress here in 1436, to control the growing medieval town and Oresund shipping. This castle was destroyed between 1534 and 1536 during a popular uprising in Skane. In the years immediately after the rebellion, King Christian III of Denmark had the castle rebuilt in forbidding late-Gothic and early-Renaissance styles. The most famous prisoner at Malmohus Slott was the Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell married Mary, Queen of Scots, but was forced to flee from Scotland after she was deposed. On reaching Europe, he was detained by the Danes until his death in 1578. After the Swedish takeover of Skane in 1648, the Danes made a futile attempt to recapture the castle in 1677. When peace was restored, interest in the castle waned and most of it became derelict by the 19th century. A devastating fire in 1870 left only the main building and two gun towers intact. These sections were renovated in 1930.

Hemse is a commercial centre, with supermarkets, banks and a bakery, and the smaller village of Burgsvik, further south, is similar. Oja church dates from 1232 and has Gotland’s highest church tower (67m). It has a magnificent cross, and the wall and ceiling paintings are very detailed. We should look for the inscribed stone slabs under the covered shelter just outside the churchyard. Hablingbo church has three lavishly carved doorways, a votive ship, carved floor slabs and rune stones. Lojsta has the deepest lakes in Gotland, remains of an early medieval fortress and a fine church. On the eastern coast near Ronehamn, Uggarderojr is a huge, late-Bronze Age cairn with nearby traces of settlement. The cairn, probably a navigation marker, is now a long way inland due to post-glacial uplift.

Lund is a beautiful place with a 1000-year old history. It has a mighty cathedral, with giants in the crypt and a magical clock. But really the whole town is infused with a mellow charm. Delicious medieval houses are scattered amongst green parks and gardens, and the university adds a quiet buzz of bright young things though not during the summer holidays when the students go on vacation. The second-oldest town in Sweden, Lund was founded by the Danes around 1000 AD. It went on to become the seat of the largest archbishopric in Europe after the cathedral was built. Lund’s ancient claim to fame were the Vikings and the bishops. Now, Lund’s modern claim to fame is as the birthplace of the ink-jet printer.

It’s hard to imagine a better way to see the area than by cycling up to Faro and following the bike trails around the little island. There’s a visitors center with internet access in Faro town. On the way, we can stop at the Bungemuseet, an open-air museum with 17th-century houses and picture stones dating from 800. It’s near the northeastern tip, about 1km south of where the ferry connects to Faro. Across the road is a charming cafe with some of the best saffron pancakes on the island. The grotto south of Lummelunda is the largest in Gotland. The temperature in the grotto is a cool 8°C, so we need to bring some warm clothing. The impressive raukar formations at nearby Lickershamn are up to 12m high. We need to look out for Jungfru (signposted), with its haunting legend. Near the Jungfru trailhead at Lickershamn there’s a campground and
friendly cafe serving authentic Thai food and a hut where we can buy smoked fish. The frequent ferry to Faro is free for cars, passengers and cyclists. This island, home to Ingmar Bergman, has magnificent raukar formations. We can watch the beautiful sunset at Langhammarshammaren. There are lots of fossils in the rocks by Faro lighthouse, at the eastern tip of the island. British troops who fought in the Crimean war are buried at Ryssnas , in the extreme south. We have to obey the signs posted along roads here, as this area is still used for military training and testing.

Ancient monuments include the Bronze Age ship setting, Tjelvars grav, 1.5km west of road No 146, and its surrounding landscape of standing stones, almost all linked with the Gutasaga legends. Gothem church is one of the most impressive in Gotland. The nave is decorated with friezes dating from 1300. Torsburgen, 9km north of Ljugarn, is a partly walled hill fort, the largest in Scandinavia measuring 5km around its irregular perimeter. Ljugarn is a small seaside resort, and there are impressive raukar formations at Folhammar Nature Reserve, 2km north. Southwest of Ljugarn in the village of Alskog, Gotlands Djurpark is a small zoo, home to around 40 types of animals,  including kangaroos, ostriches and zebras. Southwest of here, the impressive Garde church has four extraordinary medieval lych gates and an upside-down medieval key in the door. The original 12th-century roof can also still be seen.