Tourists recognize Sweden by Stockholm and perhaps even Gothenburg or Malmö, but you rarely ever hear anyone talking about the charming little towns in the southern region of this beautiful country.

Lund, Glumslöv, Helsingborg, and Höganäs are true traveling gems for experienced wanderers who feel like avoiding crowded cities. What can you see there? Keep reading to find out!

Lund – The Famous University Town

University building in Lund, Sweden. Photo by Tony Gers.

With 125 thousand inhabitants, Lund is the largest of the four towns on our list. The city is famous for its University, one of the two oldest higher education institutions in Sweden.

Lund is more than a thousand years old as archeological traces date back to the year 990. What is interesting to mention here is that Lund used to belong to Denmark before 1658 – when the Treaty of Roskilde was sealed – but the town officially joined Sweden in 1720.

A 900-year old cathedral Domkyrkan stands proudly in the center of Lund and it is the first go-to place when you visit this lovely town. From that point on, Lund will take you to some of its many cultural events and art exhibitions.

But as a genuine student town, Lund is proud of theatre groups and literary associations. You can also have a lot of fun in student fraternities, also known as The Nations. They will lead you to one of the town’s many disco clubs, bars, pubs, and so on. This is exactly what makes Lund attractive for international students and younger travelers.

Take a Walk through the Cobbled Streets of Helsingborg

Karnan medieval tower in Helsingborg, built in early 1300s. Image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay.

If you want to know how it feels to live in an ancient town that still manages to save much of its originality, then you need to visit Helsingborg and take a walk through the cobbled streets. You will enjoy the walk and a breathtaking image of the fortress Kärnan.

The streets of Helsingborg are very entertaining as they sometimes seem like a genuine labyrinth. As you walk around the town, you must bump into Kullagatan – a shopping oasis for tourists who wish to add a small dose of consumerism to the Swedish excursion. We also recommend you to visit the Helsingborg City Hall, a lovely reddish building with rounded towers.

The thing we love about this town is the Helsingborg waterfront, a place where dozens of yachts and ferries stop by every day. The best thing is that you can take a ferry to Denmark and come back to Helsingborg in a single day.

If you enjoy swimming baths and sauna, then Pålsjöbaden must be on your go-to list. Apart from that, we suggest visiting local mineral water springs, the Church of Saint Mary, and the northern Helsingborg harbor.

Glumslöv – Where Nature Welcomes You

Glumslovs Backar is a nature reserve southwest of the town Glumslov, north of Landskrona in Sweden. Photo by Tony Gers.

With barely 2,000 inhabitants, Glumslöv is definitely not the first place anyone would think of before coming to Sweden, but you should definitely add it to the bucket list.

The small town is located on the shore, but it climbs uphill and makes a wonderful combination of coastal and mountainous sightseeing places. A great way to grasp the full charm of Glumslöv is to climb the hill near the local church and appreciate the 360-view. You will see seven towns (including Copenhagen in Denmark) and dozens of nearby churches.

Glumslöv also offers you incredible hiking trails, so you can rent a bike and spend a whole day in nature. At the same time, you can take a stroll through Sandbergen and the local slopes and valleys – a great area to visit when I need inspiration or blog posts.

Höganäs – The Town of the Ceramics

Travelers interested in high-quality craftsmanship will certainly appreciate Höganäs, the town of the ceramics. Although the town itself has only 14 thousand inhabitants, it didn’t stop local entrepreneurs from making one of the most powerful companies in the field of the ceramics industry.

There is also Höganäs AB, a major iron powder manufacturer that dominates the global iron powder market. You can see some masterpieces of the ceramics in Höganäs, but the town can offer you much more than that.

First of all, you can always visit the local harbor and enjoy the seaside views. Besides that, it is always a good idea to check out the Military Preparedness Museum, the Krapperup Castle, and the sandy beaches of the nearby Kvickbadet.

The Bottom Line

If life ever takes you to Sweden, you better make sure to visit more than just Stockholm and Gothenburg. The country is packed with small but charming places, but we strongly recommend you go to the four southern towns of Lund, Glumslöv, Helsingborg, and Höganäs.

It will be your journey to another realm where the rules of crowded metropolitan areas simply do not apply. The south of Sweden will show you how amazing life can be even in the tiniest of all towns and make you forget about everyday problems of modern civilization.

About the Author

More Places to Visit in Sweden