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Malmö has
not been Swedish that long (1658), and this shows on the behavier of the
citicens. We seem to have more Danish than Swedish blood, which the people
up north often tease us about. Especially when we talk.
And as often as we can, we take the boat (but soon will be cross the bridge)
to have a "Hof" (Carlsberg beer), a "röd pölse"
(deeply red Danish hot dog), or just be there for the lovely atmosphere.
You must remember we didn't ask to be Swedish, so we probably can't let
go of our motherland just yet...
If you travel here by sea the first sight you get
is not very delightful, but if when you approach the center of town, cross
the first channel, pass "Stortorget" (The big Square) and reach
"Lilla Torg" (Little square) and all it's bistros and restaurants
where when the weather allow it we all sit outside, you will just love
the pittoresk atmosphere.
Don't hesitate to stop and have a cold drink and talk to us "natives".
We love when foreigners comes to visit us, and we see it as an honor to
make you feel comfortable in our town.
When you finished your drink, you walk down the small
"Skomakaregatan" (Shoemaker street) till you reach a cross. Now
you find yourself at "Gågatan" (The walk street) and the
big stage for everybody. Here you can find people reading poetry, clowns
for the children, speakers shouting out their rights, and sometimes also
they put up a play. All along this street you will find shops and restaurants
for every taste.
If you walk the street south you will reach "Gustaf
Adolfs Torg" (Gustaf Adolfs Sq) which we shorten to "Gustav".
This square is newly rebuilt unfortunatly.
If you havn't still found any restaurant, you could always go to McDonalds
or Burger King, which are placed beside eachother (as always).
What you definatly must visit is "The Pickwick
pub", placed on a small street by "Gustav". Here people
in all sizes, age and gender will meet up for a beer after work, and you
will most certain feel welcomed here.
Next to The Pickwick pub is "Gränden" (The alley). An outside
restaurant and bar in the back yard.
When you have crossed "Gustav" you will reach
the next Channel and walk street, which will take you to "Triangeln"
(The triangle). Here's was the city limit a long time ago, but now is part
of the centre. The citys pride (I'm sorry to say) is placed here. The new
Sheraton hotel.
A descraseful new glass building with outside elevators, which looks akward
to the rest of the town houses around "Triangeln".
The name is old and it herits from the time when there was 3 way cross
here, and so from above it looked like a triangle. Let's use "Triangeln"
as a starting point.
If you then continue walk straight foreward from here
you will end up on "Möllevångstorget" (Don't ask me
to translate that) where there towns commerce is, especially in weekends.
You will meet people from all over the world here selling all kinds of
fruits, vegetables and flowers.
When the commerce is over you will again see the small taverns and pubs
along the houses by the square.
The atmosphere is comparable to "Lilla Torg", but here it is
more relaxed. More international, and above all... cheaper.
The places are more the one you visit after work, or a lovely sunday afternoon,
while "Lilla Torg" is a place most people visit during Friday
and Saturday evenings.
The streets around "Möllevångstorget"
is a must to visit.
All the tiny international shops where you can buy what not, make you belive
you are in a different country for every store you enter.
Let's get back to our starting point, "Triangeln".
If you take a left and continuing north you will soon reach HSB:s head
quarters, which has its own story in Sweden, so it deserves a page by it's
own.
Then on the same side a little further up, you will
see the citiy's new "konserthus" (consert house).
Malmö has been under huge reconstruction the past 20 years, and so
the "konserthus" is one of them.
Continuing you will get to the citys ugliest parts with "Värnhems
torget" (Värnhems Sq) as the most ugly bus square in history
I think. Pass it very quickly and you will find yourself at the end
of town and a very historical part of it: "Kirseberg" (Cherry
in Danish) which by people is called "Backarna" (The hills).
Here the towns poorest people lived not too long ago, isolated from the
rest. Alot of stories were going on about the people from "Backarna"
(mostly not true ofcouse), how there were most gypsies, robbers and bad
people living threre.
During the Spanish deciese alot of people here died, cause of the poverty.
They just didn't have the strainth.
Ok, so we are back at "Triangeln".
If you move west you will get to "Stadsteatern" (The Town Theater"
which is known to be one of the most visited in Sweden. Let's use this
place as a new startingpoint.
Further up you get to "Limhamn" and another shore where you can
take the boat to Dragör, Denmark.
Limhamn is the "respectable" area in Malmö, and it's very
beautiful there, almost like an own town in the city.
If you get back to "Stadsteatern" and
turn right, you will get to the old and new Library, which has just been
finished.
The location is very lovely by "Slottsparken" (the Chateau park).
If you walk through tha park you will reach a bridge over the second channel
and you will find yourself in "kungsparken" (The Kings park).
You will just be stunned how beautiful it is. In most parts of it you will
think you are out in the country. No cars to be heard, ponds with cute
birds etc.
In the summer these parks and another one called "pildammsparken"
is invaded by people who prefer soft green grass before the beach not far
from there.
At the end of "Kungsparken" you can visit the museums of Malmö,
which has been strategic placed beside eachother...
Now you are almost back to where you started from,
and this was just the little tour. There is a lot to descover about Malmö,
but I leave that to you.
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