Endless fields, fairytale villages, exceptional food and an overwhelming atmosphere of tranquillity make the Swedish region of Skåne, in the southernmost part of the country, an extraordinary destination to discover all year round.
It is also home to a thriving design and architecture scene - bustling with refreshing ideas and innovative concepts - where design enthusiasts will find plenty to admire and fall in love with, from hotels and cafes to sculpture parks and libraries.
Here are a handful of highlights from my three-day trip to Skåne last month with my partner in crime Stefania.
The lounge at Wanås Hotel and Restautant
WANÅS HOTEL, RESTAURANT AND SCULPTURE PARK
Taking over a cluster of 18th-century buildings that are part of the historic Wanås estate, this countryside complex is a concept like no other. As well as a hotel and restaurant, Wanås has its own sculpture park featuring 70 installations by artists from all over the world. The hotel comprises just eleven rooms, each decorated with Nordic touches including vintage furniture and locally-sourced materials by owner and architect Kristina Wachtmeister, who also converted the old building.
Wanås restaurant takes up a secondary building and offers a selection of fresh dishes made with ingredients from the estate and forest, served in a laid-back and super cosy atmosphere. Special mention for the Soup of Jerusalem Artichoke with Baked Eggs and the Wanås Sirloin with Potatoes.
Wanås Sculpture Park
Wanås Konst, – the sculpture park adjacent the hotel – is run by The Wanås Foundation and is every art lover's dream. It features 70 permanent artworks by artists such as Jenny Holzer, Yoko Ono, Igshaan Adams, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg and William Forsythe – all scattered throughout the woodland estate. It's a unique place where nature, art and history intertwine poetically.
KULLARO SHOWROOM
Jenni and Andreas Kullaro are the talented (and super lovely) duo behind Kullaro Form & Inredning AB, The creative studio that specialises in moulding diabase or dolerite - a deep black-pigmented rock found in north-eastern Skåne – into beautiful objet d'art and jewellery. Their showroom and shop in Lönsboda are packed with their creations. All are carved out from this mineral – from the Magic Vei table and The Code To Rest reclining chair that reminds me of someone's backbone, to The Watchman lamp and Hexaendros necklaces. The quarry where they source their dolerite is just a stone's throw from the store. They kindly took us there for a visit and boy, what a place; it looked straight out of a sci-fi post-apocalyptic movie set.
THE VILLAGE OF MÖLLE
We drove to this pastel-hued seaside village on our second morning in Skåne. I can't even remember how many times we had to stop our car to admire the pretty residences that dot the countryside surrounding Mölle. Not to mention the village itself, which is brimming with the loveliest of houses, built in a pure Nordic style (and what cosy interiors they have! I wouldn't mind spending Christmas here.)
A house in Mölle
Once we arrived, we paid a visit to potter Lisa Wohlfart's warm and welcoming ceramics gallery and cafe, close to the harbour. She took some time from her busy schedule to show us how she makes her beautiful vases and prepared a delicious meal made with local produce.
KIGO RESTAURANT
Walking into Kigo restaurant was love at first sight: it was one of Helsingborg's main highlights, along with The Vault hotel. This freshly opened eatery serves a combination of exceptional Asian-inspired plates (we stuffed ourselves up until the very last bite) and stands out for its minimalist interiors. The whitewashed space is offset by an earthy palette that makes the space warm and cosy, while brass and tiled surfaces add polish.
Kigo Restaurant
Kigo's menu is inspired by music and dishes are named after the songs on the chef's daily playlist. The music nerd in me appreciated this a lot!
THE VAULT HOTEL
As soon as we set foot in the hall of The Vault Hotel, we fell madly in love with it. Housed inside a restored 19th-century bank in the very centre of Helsingborg, it has stylish interiors imbued with pastel tones that complement the luxurious fin de siècle features of the original building (the wrought-iron liftgate is everything). While checking in, we received an upgrade from the staff, who were impeccable and also super friendly, and we ended up staying in a suite overlooking the city centre and the sea.
The Vault Hotel
Imagine our joy at staying in such a pretty room: decorative mouldings, floral wallpaper, a soothing palette of dark green and powder pink, and velvet sofa and armchairs all evoked a speakeasy feel. It offered a retro atmosphere at its finest.
MALMÖ
I expected Malmö to be the quintessential Scandinavian city - small, quiet, and green, and packed with beautiful design and architecture.
I imagined cosy cafes and pretty streets and a place where people are genuinely lovely and friendly. It exceeded far beyond my expectations.
Houses in Malmö
We kicked our tour off by visiting the stunning City Library with its airy interiors and archive of over 600,000 media items, including books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, films and video games. Biking is the best way to explore Malmö, so after cycling around for a while, we headed to AB Småland to take a break and binge on cinnamon buns (kanelbullar) and coffee while browsing through their beautiful selection of homeware goodies.
We visited Johan P next for a stellar seafood lunch (one of the best tuna salads I've ever eaten), served with a side of glamorous-cum-retro interior design. A stone's throw away, Beyond Us is a newly opened creative hub that also functions as a lifestyle store, cafe, co-working and event space. Luckily, I didn't have any more room in my suitcase; otherwise, I would have come back to London with too many 'souvenirs'.
Kanelbulle at Ab Småland
Our stay in Malmö ended at Form/Design Center - the city's central hub for all things architecture and design. There we met with the lovely Terese Alstin, who gave us some exciting insights into Malmö's vibrant design scene and what's in store for the coming months (pretty impressive things, I can assure you. You'd better keep an eye on their website!)
How to get there: we flew to Copenhagen, before taking a train to Malmö. There, we picked up a car for the duration of our stay, as it's the best way to move around – a lot of destinations are quite distant from each other. Once in Malmö, however, it's very bicycle-friendly and offers a great way to see the city.
Disclaimer: although I was a guest of Visit Skåne, all opinions are my own.