Smygehuk
The southernmost point of mainland Sweden
A white lighthouse from 1883, a harbour of fishing boats and the stone that marks 55°20′ north; come at sunset.
SmygehamnCoastFree
Trelleborg & Smygehuk, Sweden
Ideal: 1 dayBest: May–SepPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Trelleborg & Smygehuk in 60 seconds
This is where Sweden runs out. Trelleborg, the country's southernmost town, is a ferry port facing Germany and Poland across the Baltic, with a reconstructed Viking ring fortress in its centre and rows of palm trees that are wheeled out every summer and back indoors for winter. Fifteen minutes east, at Smygehuk, a 19th-century lighthouse and a little fishing harbour stand at the southernmost point of the Swedish mainland — find the marker stone, then walk the coast path past the old lime kiln and the smokehouse. Inland lies Söderslätt, Skåne's flattest and richest farmland, and along the shore long, quiet beaches such as Beddingestrand. It is a half-day from Malmö, or an unhurried stop on the way to Ystad and Österlen.
CoastLighthouseVikings
Best for
- Beaches
Known for
- Smygehuk
- Trelleborgen
- The palms of Trelleborg
- Beddingestrand
Skip if
You are looking for a destination in its own right for several days — this is a half-day or a stopover between Malmö and Österlen.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Trelleborg & Smygehuk fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Trelleborgen
Reconstructed Viking ring fortress
Part of a circular rampart of the 10th century, found in 1988 and rebuilt on its ground plan: earth and timber walls, a gate and a visitor centre.
TrelleborgHistoryVikings
Beddingestrand
Long sandy beach east of Smygehuk
Kilometres of fine sand and shallow water backed by summer houses — the family beach of the south coast.
BeddingeBeachFree
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Smygehus Havsbad
ExpensiveSeaside hotel restaurant and spa
A dining room facing the Baltic near the southern tip, with a spa for a long lunch that turns into an afternoon.
SmygehamnSea viewSpa
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Axel Ebbe's sculptures
A local sculptor's work across the town
Ebbe's figures stand in Trelleborg's streets and at Smygehuk's harbour; his own gallery in the town shows the rest.
TrelleborgArtFree
The palm boulevard
Palms on the Baltic
Palm trees line the main road in from the west each summer and spend winter indoors — the town's joke at its own expense.
TrelleborgFreeSummer
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Smygehamn
The harbour village by the lighthouse
Fishing huts, a smokehouse, the old lime kiln and the lighthouse, all on one stretch of coast path.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Smygehamn
ModerateSeaside hotel and holiday homes
Stay by the sea for the sunset at the southern tip; the lighthouse keeper's buildings house a summer hostel.
QuietSea
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Trains from Malmö reach Trelleborg in about 35 minutes; Smygehuk is a short bus ride or a 15-minute drive east.
- Ferries
- Trelleborg has ferries to Rostock and Travemünde in Germany and to Świnoujście in Poland.
- Getting around
- Cycle the coast: the road and paths east to Smygehuk and Beddinge are flat.
- When to go
- May to September for beaches and long evenings; the coast is windswept and quiet in winter.
- Taste locally
- Smoked fish at Smygehamn, Skåne's äggakaka and spettekaka.
- Combine with
- Malmö, Ystad and Österlen along the south coast.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 900s
A Viking ring fortress of the same type as Denmark's is built where Trelleborg now stands.
- 1883
Smygehuk lighthouse is lit at the southern tip of Sweden.
- 1988
Archaeologists find the ring fortress under the town; part of it is rebuilt.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Ystad
Medieval town and Wallander's home
Half-timbered streets, a medieval friary and the settings of Henning Mankell's Wallander novels.
40 min by carCrime fictionMedieval
Malmö
Sweden's third city
Old squares, sea baths and falafel — Malmö has its own guide.
35 min by trainCityFood