Another Town, Another Train* – Riding the Rails in Sweden

*Only hardcore Abba fans will recognize “Another Town, Another Train” as the title of an Abba song.

We had set aside ten days to see a bit of Sweden but had not made any plans or bookings except our departure flight from Stockholm. We let our itinerary be dictated by SJ, Sweden’s railway company.

Gothenburg

Gothenborg is the first rail stop across the border from Oslo, so that’s where we began. The second largest city in Sweden, it is a vibrant port and university city. We took a boat cruise along the canals to enjoy the sights from the water. Mostly though we just wandered the streets. The downtown is a maze of pedestrian-only streets lined with small boutiques. Great for window shopping.

Gothenburg is not a big tourist destination, but it is a cruise ship port. It so happened that the same ship we met in Norway on the Heavy Metal-themed cruise was in port. This time its theme was “Jeckliner”. Best we could tell, it was an excuse for middle-aged people to dress up in matching costumes and drink. The streets were filled with groups of people, predominantly women, dressed in identical colourful costumes. Maybe someone with German roots can explain the real custom?

The Haga district is one of the oldest and best-preserved in Gothenburg. It has become a tourism magnet. Its many restaurants and cafés were full with locals and hordes of “Jeckliners”. To escape the crowds we climbed up to the Skansen Kronan, an old fortress gave panoramic views of the city. In between getting our steps in, we indulged in the Swedish custom of fika, a break in the day for coffee and, typically, a kanelbullar (cinnamon bun). In the afternoons we adapted it to glasses of wine and people-watching, an especially interesting pastime when the costumed “Jeckliners” were in port.

Down the West Coast

The small town of Halmstad was not on our radar. The city of Malmö was our logical next destination. For some reason (was Taylor Swift in town?) Malmö’s hotel prices were insane. An old friend recommended Halmstad. It was on the main rail line and the station was close to town, so Halmstad it was.

What a little gem it turned out to be. The centre is very compact with a castle, church and old wooden houses dating back to the 17^th century. Strolling through the old cobbled streets takes you back to another era. The sun was shining so it was ideal to continue the customary fika. There was not much else to do but drink coffee, munch on kanelbullar and soak up the atmosphere.

For exercise we hiked out to the Tylosand Strand. It is popular with tourists during the summer but on this cool fall day there were only a few diehards sunbathing. There were more people in the beachside café enjoying their fika. Naturally we joined them, sipping zero alcohol beer while watching the waves roll in and jets criss-crossing overhead.

Malmö

Hotel rates finally normalized in Malmö so we continued south. We stayed at the Hotel Savoy, Malmö’s oldest hotel. Though it’s been remodeled over the years, much of the interior retained the charms of another era – intricate mouldings, hardwood floors, grand chandeliers and an enormous carved grandfather clock. Best for us, it was right across the street from Central Station in the Gamla Staden, the old town.

We continued our routine of meandering through the streets soaking up the atmosphere and pausing regularly for fika rather than rushing around to see the “must see” attractions. Malmö is conducive to that leisurely pace, with ample sidewalk restaurants and cafes.

The original fortified town of Malmö was surrounded by a network of canals. For a change of pace we rented our own boat to tour the canals. Unfortunately the boat’s electric motor was regulated to ridiculously low speed. Walkers on the ramparts were outpacing us. A pleasant way to see the city but definitely not an adrenalin rush!

Ystad

Continuing along the mainline we headed for Ystad, a small town along the south coast. Ystad was best known for its well-preserved 13th century buildings and as the ferry port to Poland and Denmark. That was until the popular Wallander crime series was filmed there. We don’t follow it but apparently fans come from around the world to view the haunts of the fictional Detective Kurt Wallander.

Our guest house was on the main pedestrian mall. The medieval church and monastery, old Gothic-architecture buildings and half-timbered houses were all within a few minutes walk. After exploring the town we relaxed on our guesthouse’s streetside terrace with glasses of wine soaking up the unseasonably warm afternoon heat. It happened to be our wedding anniversary. We hadn’t expected many options for a celebratory dinner in a small town. We were surprised to find a Michelin-recommended restaurant – JH matbar – across the street from the guesthouse. A special dinner for a special day!

Cycling the Countryside

The next day we rented bikes (okay, e-bikes) to explore the countryside and get some exercise. Our first destination was a fall fair in the nearby hamlet of Löderup. The route took us along quiet country roads through rolling farmland. The peace and quiet vanished as we got closer to the fair. People had come from all over to shop for handicrafts and fresh produce and to chow down on country-style food.

After a quick visit we cycled to the seaside village of Kåseberga. We settled into one of the fresh fish restaurants for a heaping platter of fish and chips washed down with local craft beer. After lunch we hiked up the hillside and across a cow pasture to the nearby Ales Stones, a mysterious 1,400 year old stone formation. We ended the day circling back to Ystad along coastal trails looking out on the Baltic Sea. A perfect autumn day.

Stockholm

Our apartment in Stockholm was on the main street of Gamla Stan, the old town. All the historical highlights of Stockholm – the Royal Palace, City Hall, Stockholm Cathedral, Gamla Stan’s ancient preserved streets – were right outside our door. Sweden has not been at war since 1814 so Stockholm did not suffer the destruction many other European cities faced in the 20th century. Its historic buildings remain largely intact.

Despite being built on a network of islands, the city is very walkable. If somewhere is too far to walk, it can often be reached by the network of ferries that traverse the waterways. Just as well since, as far as we could see, traffic in the city’s core is insane.

Swedish readers will probably roll their eyes, but the Abba Museum was one of the highlights of our trip. It might be corny, but it’s fun corny (and nostalgic for those of us of a certain age). The visit took us all morning. Almost as much fun was right next door at the Spritmuseum. It’s dedicated to Sweden’s draconian liquor laws and the bootleggers who worked to circumvent them. If you have nowhere else to go afterwards, end your tour with a tasting flight of brännvin, Swedish schnapps.