Malmö

Malmö is Sweden’s third-biggest city, with a population of over 300,000, and the capital of Skne (Scania), located on the country’s southernmost point. Malmö is a port city on the resund strait, facing Copenhagen on the other side, which is linked by the Öresund bridge. Together, the two towns constitute a duopolis and the heart of the broader Oresund area, which stretches over portions of Denmark and Sweden.

Malmö was formerly an industrial city, reliant on its port and shipbuilding industries, until the latter failed in the late twentieth century. Even though it lacks the recognition of a big tourist destination like Copenhagen or Stockholm, it has managed to recover and recreate itself as a contemporary city, a model example of sustainable development, and a flourishing multicultural center. Notable is Malmö’s well-developed bike infrastructure, which has earned the city a reputation as a bike-friendly city (and indeed, biking is the preferred method of transportation there).

NIGHTLIFE

Malmö offers a lively nightlife, although costs are often much higher than in Copenhagen, which is only over the river. Lilla Torg is the epicenter, but prices are exorbitant; instead, visit Möllevngstorget, where any of the numerous pubs, cafés, and restaurants in this lively area of town is reasonably priced. Expect most of the drinking to be restricted to Friday and Saturday, as it is in Copenhagen and much of Scandinavia, except at the height of summer when many Swedes are on vacation. To learn more about Malmö’s nightlife, pick up the free Nöjesguiden and Dygnet Runt magazines at different places. However, they are only accessible in Swedish.

SHOPPING ON THE STREET

Södergatan and Södra Förstadsgatan are the major shopping streets, where you can find all types of businesses. Look for Village, which sells well-designed homeware at low costs.

Explore the multicultural region around Möllevngstorget. Exotic businesses providing Asian and Middle Eastern foods, as well as a diverse assortment of pubs and restaurants, may be found here. There is also an open market in the mornings where you can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.

Malmö has an oceanic climate, as does the rest of southern Sweden. Despite its northern position, the temperature is relatively moderate in comparison to other sites in comparable latitudes or even somewhat farther south, owing to the Gulf Stream. Due to its northern location, daylight hours range from 17 hours in summertime to roughly 7 hours in midwinter. According to 1961-1990 averages, the real sunlight is 1,700 hours per year in Falsterbo, a little farther south, and 1,592 hours per year in Lund, a little further north. Sunlight is recorded at 1,895 hours per year in Falsterbo and 1,803 hours per year in Lund from 2002 to 2014. The sunlight data in the weather box is based on Falsterbo data from 2002 to 2014, which is most similar to Malmö data.

Summers are mild, with typical high temperatures ranging from 20 to 23 degrees Celsius (68 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit) and lows ranging from 11 to 13 degrees Celsius (52 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit). Heat waves occur on occasion throughout the summer. Winters are chilly and windy, with temperatures ranging from 3 to 4 °C (27 to 39 °F), although seldom falling below 10 °C (14 °F). Summers in Scania are often warmer owing to its proximity to the main Atlantic, with Denmark in between, resulting in semi-continental effects with substantial temperature changes between seasons.

Rainfall is modest to moderate throughout year, with 169 rainy days. Snowfall occurs mostly from December to March, however snow coverings do not last long, and some winters are nearly snow-free.

Malmö lies at 13°00′ east and 55°35′ north latitude. It lies in the Scania province of Sweden, at the country’s southwestern point.

Malmö is part of the transnational Øresund Region, and the Øresund Bridge has connected Malmö to Copenhagen, Denmark, since 2000. The bridge, which opened on July 1, 2000, is 8 kilometers (5 miles) long (the whole connection is 16 kilometers long), with pylons rising 204.5 metres (670.9 feet) height. Most ferry connections have been stopped, except the Helsingborg-Helsingø boat routes farther north.

Malmö’s economy has historically been focused on shipbuilding (Kockums) and construction-related sectors such as concrete plants. Lund, the region’s major university, as well as its related high-tech and pharmaceutical sectors, lies approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) to the north-east. As a consequence, Malmö’s economic status deteriorated after the mid-1970s. Between 1990 and 1995, 27,000 jobs were destroyed, and the budget deficit exceeded one billion Swedish krona. Malmö had Sweden’s highest unemployment rate in 1995.

However, there has been a comeback in recent years. The primary factor has been the economic connectivity with Denmark enabled by the resund Bridge. Almost 10% of Malmö’s population works in Copenhagen. The institution, which was formed in 1998, and the impact of integration into the European Union have also had a role.

Wage earners made up 63 percent of the population in 2004, compared to 74 percent in Stockholm and 71 percent in Gothenburg. As a result, Malmö municipality had the ninth lowest median income in Sweden in 2007.