Blessed with a mild climate, long summer nights and verdant countryside, the province of Skåne in southern Sweden makes a convincing claim to be one of the most relaxing places in Europe.
In contrast to the forests and lakes of northern Sweden, Skåne (pronounced scorn-neh) is a flat landscape of pretty farms and quaint villages, rounded by rugged coastline and long sandy beaches.
Until 1658, Skåne was part of Denmark, and the contested history of the region is evident in its legacy of some 200 castles, palaces and manor houses. The region still wears its Danish ancestry proudly. At its narrowest point, the strait separating Skåne from Denmark is just 4km, and Scanians regard Copenhagen to be more of a capital to them than distant Stockholm.
Public transport in the province is excellent if a little pricey, but the quiet, flat roads make Skåne ideal for driving. It takes roughly an hour to cross from side of the region to the other.
A city reborn
Sweden's third largest city, Malmö is an economic success story, having recovered from an industrial collapse in the 1990s to reinvent itself as a university town, a design capital and culinary pace-setter.
Malmö's centre can be crossed easily on foot, but the best way to get about is by bike. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find buses and cars surrender the right of way at the drop of a hat, and - given that a large portion of the downtown area is reclaimed land - you won't find hills a problem.
The pedestrianised shopping centre boasts a pleasing array of shops, cafes and cobbled squares. Close by is the Western Harbour district, a model village of award-winning modern architecture built on top of the former shipyards. Looming overhead is Turning Torso, Scandinavia's tallest tower, which is supposed to resemble a twisting human body.
Malmö's place as a centre of Scandinavian design is cemented by a string of arts and crafts shops, a design market and the Form/Design exhibition centre. One of its leading hotels is the Duxiana, owned by a top design company. All of the furniture in the hotel - including the hi-tech beds, which promise you the best night's sleep you'll ever have - can be bought at the Duxiana store in town.
Just outside the city is the 8km-long Oresund Bridge, linking Malmö with Copenhagen. Opened in 2000, the bridge provides a 40-minute road and rail connection - in effect offering you two cities for the price of one.
Ystad and around
East of Malmö lies Ystad, a picturesque bundle of half-timbered houses now most famous as the setting for Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels. The dogged, diabetic detective is Sweden's answer to Inspector Morse, and a BBC TV version starring Kenneth Branagh has been filmed in the town. Elsewhere, Ystad's prize-winning shopping precinct includes a number of specialist boutiques, while film fans can play director at the nearby studios and cinema museum.
A short distance away on the sparse Ystad coast are the Ale Stones, an oval of ancient rocks once thought to represent a Viking longship, but now believed to date from the 6th century.
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