Malmö (Malmoe) in Sweden

Malmö, Sweden's third-largest city, is a commercial hub and a cosmopolitan metropolis. But with a population of 270, 000 people who between them speak more than 100 languages and have roots linking them to more than 160 countries, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Although much of its history is preserved in its architecture, Malmö is not an "old" city. It has undergone massive change at several levels, and will continue to do so. The most notable of these changes is the city's transformation from industrial city into a seat of higher learning, technology and modern housing. Malmö University, which first opened its doors in 1998, has in just a short period of time become Sweden's eighth-largest institution of higher education, with more than 21, 000 students.

But in addition to Malmö's burgeoning population, the city itself is growing too, having found-and is consolidating-its position in the expanding Öresund region. Whole new districts are emerging and new housing areas are under construction. One of these is Västra Hamnen, a fascinating amalgam of different architectural styles and a pioneer in the field of eco-friendly housing. Sundspromenaden, new bathing spots and Sweden's second-tallest building, Santiago Calatrava's Turning Torso are just some of the examples of the diversity that Malmö has to offer. From Västra Hamnen you can also see Sweden's tallest construction, the Öresund Bridge.

The city, the sea, the people and the joie de vivre-Malmö simply has so much to offer for people of all ages and interests. In Malmö you can enjoy both. In the city centre you will find Ribersborg, a two-kilometre sandy beach which has received the Blue Flag environmental certificate. In the summer months, people come here to sunbathe, swim, barbecue and or go jogging along the beach and its surrounding green belt.

For art and culture enthusiasts there is everything from Malmö Museums's wide and diverse range of galleries to Konsthallen, Rooseum and many more besides. For aficionados of design, there's the illustrious Form Design Center, which has its own shop and a varied programme of exhibitions all your round, to the eye-catching David Design and Formargruppen to name just a few.

Malmö's numerous parks are a key part of the city. In Kungsparken and Slottsparken (which border the old town centre) you will find canals, rare trees and-weather permitting-a leisurely crowd of people out for a stroll with their picnic baskets looking for that perfect spot in the grass. Pildammsparken's wide-open spaces och two large ponds attract many different species of birdlife and is occasionally a venue for fantastic light displays.

Möllevångstorget is the scene of Malmö's largest and liveliest open-air market, while around the square and in the neighbouring streets you will find stores and restaurants offering an array of tantalizing aromas and flavours from all corners of the world.

By plane

Both Malmö Airport (Sturup) http://www.lfv.se/templates/LFVAirportStartPage___4125.aspx and Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) serve Malmö. If you get to the Malmö Airport you'll then have to take the bus shuttle service to downtown Malmö, but first check the schedules at Flygbussarna's homepage because on Saturday afternoons they don't have many buses. Sterling will begin flights to Malmö from Alicante, Barcelona, Florence, London and Nice in March 2008. From Copenhagen Airport you can either take the train or the bus, bus being the cheapest option.

By train

Trains from Copenhagen cross the bridge in 35 minutes. During high traffic they leave every 20 minutes to Copenhagen/Malmö. There are about ten daily X2000 trains to Stockholm and roughly 100 daily departures for the nearby university town of Lund (17km north). There is also an over night service connecting Berlin http://www.berlin-night-express.com/.

By car

If you don't take the train across the bridge (and tunnel), you can drive for yourself. It is a pay bridge, where you pay to enter Sweden (250 DKK in 2008), after you go through the tunnel and across the bridge, and then it costs the same to come back. The view is much less obstructed if you choose to go by car as compared to train. http://www.oeresundsbron.com

By bus

Gråhundbus, Swebus Express, and Säfflebussen have routes to Copenhagen and other places. To Copenhagen the buses take longer but are cheaper than the train, especially for daytrips.

By boat

There is a ferry link from Travemunde|Travemünde, Germany to Malmö.

Malmö is best experienced by bicycle, the city is interlaced with lots of bicycle roads. Use the green Skånetrafiken buses to get around town. Taxi is also a priceworthy option, fixed rates begin at 49/59/79 SEK.

By the locals, Malmö is sometimes called Sweden's Chicago. Street crime has become a problem, but the offenders and victims are usually young people.

The biggest problem facing a tourist is the unregulated taxi market. There are many instances of tourists being charged exorbant prices by unscrupulous taxi drivers. To avoid this happening to you, stick to the well known companies like 171717, 232323, Taxi Skåne, Taxi kurir etc. Avoid unmarked taxis (there is a small risk that the driver will rob or rape you, especially if you are a single, drunk woman). Always ask for the price of your trip before getting in.

Malmö, which once belonged to the Danes, is first mentioned in writing in the 1170s. It grew in the following centuries from the size of a small village into a fortified town that played its part in the violent history of medieval period. Malmö was captured by King Magnus Eriksson of Sweden in 1332, only to fall back into Danish hands in 1360 under the reign of Danish king Valdemar Atterdag. But the tide finally turned in favour of the Swedes in 1658 when Karl X Gustav wrested control of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge from the Danish king.