Twenty-one days in Malmo, Sweden

Malmo City Mall

Malmo City Mall

Malmo City house

Turn left and and you reach a canal with its pathways for pedestrians and cyclists........turn right and you have a river of green with pathways for pedestrians and cyclists plus playgrounds, local shops and cafes. They both cater for a city packed with residents and provide an environment that they can truly boast.

Malmo is a city of around 250,000 and provides an entry and exit point for southern Sweden via a bridge over the now not so troubled waters. The history of Scandinavia and the countries of Denmark, Sweden and Finland is not a friendly one with wars and counter wars over the centuries; wars of aggression and defense, moveable boundaries and languages. Today they all get along but with a past that continues to play a role in their futures.


Malmo has an underground or rather a turning circle for trains to service the transport needs of the Oresund Region - Denmark (namely Copenhagen) and southern Sweden (namely Malmo); three stations no more - Central, Trianglen and Hyllie are certain to become major commercial and residential hubs for those wanting to reside in Sweden. The City also has an extensive cycle network with one cycleway into and out of the city centre having had 1 million cyclists already pass its way this calender year. Buses are also in great number and run on biogas around the city and into its environs of villages.  Market gardens and farmland envelope the city.

Malmo City HalI

I have been living in an apartment in the centre of the city. The 3 storey building with 3 residencies and commercial use on the ground floor has access to a grassed courtyard area with its trees, flowers and a sun room. On all sides are apartment buildings of 4 or 5 storeys; medium density no less with their enclosed balconies (windows open for the summer sun) and internal gardens. We looked into each others living rooms and lives (maybe the Swedes are shortsighted along with other Europeans as there were no unsightly opaque screens as we need back home to secure our eyes.

Turning Torso, Western Harbour

Malmo City market

Malmo Underground

Over the road was the bus stop that serviced passengers from dawn to dusk; that is from 4am to 10pm such are the northern lights that filter down form the Arctic! No wonder the trees, flowers and foliage generally is so prolific and the bees and the birds buzz and tweet seemingly all night long! 

The city has an extensive mall network (no delivery vans to be seen when the stores open their doors).  Side walk cafes, restaurants and the usual suspect clothing stores dot the malls and streets and laneways nearby. Residential 4 and 5 story apartments backfill the commerce and provide the bread and butter trade. 

Malmo City apartments

The malls are interrupted by squares both large and small with their fountains and seagulls, buskers and  the occasional demonstration for Palestinian rights and Fairtrade. The main square is home to City Hall and is a prestigious and impressive building that seems to have little activity at least through the front entrance!


Coffee is the predominant drink of choice but ranges in quality. The coffee bean seems to have to endure either being drowned in milk or suffer a roasting technique that leaves a bitter aftertaste.  One day we will hopefully have included in any world city ranking a coffee indicator along with air and water.  However the pastries of all sorts take the cake!


Tourists abound with their maps pressed hard against their faces and there is a babbling sound of different languages coming from side walk cafes and restaurants.


Cars are seldom seen nor heard except when you venture beyond the malls and the enclosed apartment building neighbourhoods. Prams dominate the footpaths. Babies are in abundance as are an increasing number of immigrants but this maybe shortlived if the Sweden Democratic Party has its way. The Party has achieved good (sic) results at the recent national election and has also had good (sic) results at some local council elections in the south. There is a wave of anti-immigration parties now becoming ingrained in the body politic in Europe and Sweden is no exception. It will take a 'no-negotiation' policy by the major political parties to remove the cancer together with public policies that prevent the disengagement and disenfranchisement of some sections of the community that such parties rely on to garner support.


The sun is at its hottest at 4pm and this effects ones body clock and makes drinking at 5 seem like the end to a long lunch! The planned population of 350 to 400,000 will take considerable planning as the region is also a food bowl and density will be an issue. Oil security (or rather lack of oil) has driven the Government's renewable and sustainable energy (electricity and fuel) policy. It will now need to develop a food security one!


Malmo remains an attractive and liveable city with environment and economy high on the national, regional and local agenda. It will be the social bottom line that will play an increasing role in its future