Written by Hayu Hamemayu
Summer is the time when most people in Sweden (if not all) take a break and travel to their favourite summer destinations: Thailand, Greece Spain and so on. But that was the time before Covid-19. This summer, as traveling overseas is still not recommended, Sweden embraces summer holiday within the country or locals call it: hemester. Here are some ideas on where to spend it in Skåne based on my experience as a Lundensian.
Lomma
Lomma is the coastal area in which the closest beach from Lund is located. It is accessible by bus number 139 from Lund Central station and is therefore very popular for sunbathing and swimming. The shallow water also makes it a sough-after spot among windsurfers.
During sunny warm days, it might be difficult for social distancing as the beach is packed with locals, tourists, and boat owners. If you feel uneasy to be in a crowd, just go there to try their local ice-cream seller: Lomma glassfabrik, which sells the best ice cream in town. The place is not far from the harbour area where some cafés, restaurants, and boatyard services are located. It opens until 18.00 or longer when the weather is nice ☺
Bjärred
Not too far from Lomma, there is another beach famous for its long jetty. The 574-meter long bathing jetty is claimed to be one of the longest bathing jetties in Sweden and Skåne’s longest. At the far end of the jetty, there is a bathhouse and a restaurant. The shallow water around the jetty makes it popular for youth and family to swim on the warm summer days. For those who don’t drive, this place is accessible by bus number 137 from Lund C, departs from the same bus stop with the bus to Lomma.
Båstad
Located in the northwestern part of Skåne, Båstad is one of the most popular summer destinations in the region, thanks to the annual tennis tournaments, which have been held since 1948.
This is also the place where the Nordic region’s largest outdoor facility for tennis, Båstad’s tennis stadium, is located.
This year, due to Covid-19, many events are cancelled or held privately, but Båstad is still a good choice if you want to spend the day at the beach since Båstad has one of the longest sandy beaches in Sweden.
To get there from Lund, take the Öresundståg towards Mölndal then get off at Båstad station. From there, you can take the yellow regional bus to get to the city centre and beach area. For more updated schedule and information, visit Skånetrafiken website.
Ystad
Far before I moved to Sweden, I used to watch the Kurt Wallander series on television, without even knowing that one day I will live in the same region with the setting. Indeed, Ystad is the setting of the popular crime series by Henning Mankell, an acclaimed Swedish author. However, this town is nothing like a murder scene. It is, on the contrary, a beautiful town with medieval, pastel-coloured half-timbered houses on cobblestone streets and sun-dappled squares.
Ystad is also where Ystad Djurpark located. This outdoor zoo is a perfect place to visit for a family with kids as it offers fun activities to do such as petting zoo, animal feeding, and even swimming.
Åhus
If there’s a way to sum up Åhus, a town in north eastern part of Skåne, in one sentence, that would be a long sandy beach and a medieval town. This town has a long history that dates back to the late Viking Age and was once a significant trading post.
Before Covid-19 hit the world, Åhus is the place of Europe’s largest beach handball tournament and Åhus Beach Football. But even without those events, Åhus still has a lot to offer. You can stroll around the city centre that still preserves the traces from medieval times, challenge yourself at the adventure park, or try what Åhus was long known for: snuff, schnapps and a surfeit of eels.
But, if those are not really your things, just increase your ice cream intake while in Åhus. The town is also the home for a local ice cream factory producing delicious ice cream perfect for summer: Otto & Glassfabriken.
This summer is definitely different from the summer we used to have. But wherever you go and whatever you do, I hope this summer still brings happy times for you.
All photos by Hayu Hamemayu (except feature image)
About the author
Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.
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