Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Top Destinations to Visit in Sweden in 2019
Photo: Lisa Wikstrand
Sea baths, saunas, and superb shopping in Helsingborg, Sweden's buzzing big town Charming, perfectly sized, and full of ways to just kick back and relax, Helsingborg is a large town at the foot of Sweden that truly offers the best of both worlds: urban shopping and dining experiences combined with sandy beaches, nature reserves and three popular sea baths. This is where culture vultures, nature lovers and weekend escapees meet to just unwind and enjoy life. By Linnea Dunne
“If you ask Swedes where they’d live if not in their current hometown, a huge amount of them say Helsingborg. And it’s funny, because some of them mightn’t even have been here – but there’s something about the location: the closeness to Denmark and the continent, and the fact that we’ve got a beach in the heart of the town,” says Helen Back, marketing coordinator at Visit Helsingborg. Complementing the town beach, and very much central to the town's identity, are three sea baths: Rååbaden to the south, the brand-new Kallis right by the beach in the town centre, and Pålsjöbaden slightly further north. 50 | Issue 120 | January 2019
“The sea bathing tradition here in Helsingborg goes back to the 1800s,” Back explains. “Still, early in the mornings, way into the late autumn and sometimes early winter, you’ll see people strolling down to the sea baths in their bath robes for a cold morning dip followed by a sauna. It has plenty of health benefits too; a cold bath has the same effects on the body as a five-kilometre run!” She pauses. “There’s something about the meetings that take place in our saunas… You’re offline and completely naked, it doesn’t matter what class you’re of or what clothes you have – in the sauna, everyone’s equal.”
In fact, nature lovers are spoilt for choice in and around Helsingborg, including plenty of options for raising the pulse and reaping all the benefits of both fresh air and an active lifestyle. “Because of our location down south, spring comes here before it comes to the rest of Sweden,” says Back. “And spring is a really beautiful time here.” If you are into walking, you will be able to really take it all in, thanks to the Kullaleden walking trail, which brings you all the way from Helsingborg up to Ängelholm. If you prefer wheels, try Kattegattleden,
Photo: Lisa Wikstrand