There are places that you more or less just pass by – and then there is Skåne. A landscape where every curve in the road can lead to a beach that feels like Florida, a beech forest that could have been in a storybook, or a view that makes you take a deep breath.
My list of twenty tips includes everything from seaside resorts and vineyards to national parks, islands, small villages and castles. Some places are well-known, others are a little more unknown – but what they have in common is that they offer that mix of nature, history and beauty that makes you want to stay a little longer than you intended. It hasn’t been easy to choose just 20 tips, it could just as easily have been a list of 100 tips. But Skåne is a little extra close to my heart!
Would you like to find more tips on attractions in Skåne? Don't miss out on my Scania page!
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1. Skanör sea bath
One of Skåne's finest beaches is located in the far southwest of Skåne. Skanörs sea beach offers a long, shallow beach with fine-grained white sand and is known for its colorful beach huts and exotic Florida feel. The beach is child-friendly with shallow water and there are toilets and restaurants during the season. A place to hang out during the hottest days of summer!
If you continue further south on the beach you will come to Falsterbo. Here the beach is at least as nice, but with a more natural feel and less service.
Read more: Skanör - Sweden's answer to Florida
2. Kullaberg Nature Reserve
In a rocky and hilly landscape in northwestern Skåne you will find Kullaberg Nature Reserve at the farthest edge of Kullahalvön. Here, nature is a little wilder and the landscape a little more dramatic. Beautiful hiking trails are available for all ages and secret swimming coves and mythical caves await visitors. In the nature room there is a small aquarium with the area's aquatic animals.
Take the opportunity to go on a porpoise or tuna safari when you are in the area and experience the area's charming little whales or see the large tunas jumping like projectiles across the water surface during late summer. Nearby is also Nimis - Lars Vilk's gigantic artwork.
Read more:
Experience Kullaberg – 9 exciting activities at Kullaberg for the whole family
Visit Nimis on Kullaberg – The place that is not on the map
Hike Kullaleden SL5 – Family hike along Kullaberg's steep cliffs
3. Stenshuvud National Park
In southeastern Skåne in Österlen is located Stenshuvud National Park, an area with good opportunities for hiking, views and beautiful swimming. The national park is built around the mountain Stenshuvud, which reaches 97 meters above sea level and has three peaks with views of Hanö Bay. The beach below the visitor center is shallow and the sand is fine-grained and light. To the north, the beach becomes rockier.
Despite being one of Sweden's smallest national parks, the park has over 500.000 visitors each year. Most of them during the summer months. Not surprisingly, parking spaces have proven to be too few, so it's important to be out in good time if you want to visit Stenshuvud on a sunny summer day.
There are three entrances to the national park – the main entrance at the naturum, entrance Hällevik (right by Kivik's mustery) and the southern entrance at Rörum. We also usually park at Knäbäckshusen and walk north along the beach (about 500 meters) to enter the national park.
During the summer months (1 June to 31 August) dogs are not allowed on the beach, but the rest of the year it is perfectly fine to bring your four-legged friend everywhere in the national park. Of course with a leash.
Read more: Stenshuvud National Park – Where the waves meet Österlen - Skåne
4. Krapperup Castle
Krapperup Castle dates back to the 16th century, but is today primarily known for its beautiful gardens, castle café and art exhibitions. The castle itself cannot be visited (privately), but you can admire the castle's unique star pattern from the park.
The castle park is free to visit all year round and offers everything from ramsons to rhododendron hedges. The old Stallängan houses Krapperups Art Gallery with changing exhibitions and in the courtyard is the cozy castle café with lots of delicious coffee and light meals. There is plenty of seating both inside and out. But watch your head when you go in and order – the door frame leaves far too light an impression on your forehead.
5. Aahus
In northeastern Skåne lies beautiful Åhus. The town is popular both for its historic city center and its long sandy beaches that stretch along Hanö Bay. The beaches in Åhus consist of fine, light sand and are lined with coniferous forest, which gives a completely different feeling than many other beaches in Skåne. The area at Täppet's sea beach is one of the most visited beaches and the beautiful large pine tree on the beach is the beach's signature.
Åhus is also an old trading and port town with medieval origins. Stroll through the well-preserved city center with cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses and visit Åhus Church from the 12th century. Also take the opportunity to eat Otto ice cream at one of the many ice cream kiosks or on the ice cream boat.
Read more:
Attractions in Åhus – My 9 favorites
Hike around Äspet on the Skåneleden SL6 – Åhus
Eating and drinking in Åhus – Four tips for all seasons
6. Ven
Outside Landskrona The small Skåne island of Ven lies like a pearl in the middle of the strait. Ven is the perfect day trip for a nice bike ride in the sunshine and a picnic with a view of the sea.
The island is historically famous for the astronomer Tycho Brahe, who built his Uraniborg observatory here in the 16th century. His research environment was one of the most advanced in Europe during his time and there are plenty of places on the island to learn more about his discoveries. But it is just as good to just enjoy the scenery and perhaps stay overnight at one of the charming hotels for a visit with dinner and tasting at the Spirit of Hven distillery.
There are plenty of bikes to rent on the island, but book in advance during high season! The easiest way to get here is by ferry from Landskrona.
Read more: Cycle on Ven – A Scanian classic on yellow steel horses
7. Vineyards at Kullaberg
Kullahalvön in northwestern Skåne is one of Sweden's most interesting places for winegrowing. The narrow peninsula juts out into the sea like a wedge, surrounded by the Kattegat, the Öresund and the Skälderviken.
The sea acts as a natural temperature regulator, smoothing out the seasons, reducing the risk of frost and giving the vines a longer ripening period in autumn. The constant sea breeze also keeps the vineyards dry and contributes to healthy grapes free from mould. Here, summer lingers well into autumn, and winter is often short and mild. The combination of climate and location has made Kullahalvön to one of Sweden's most concentrated areas for wine production.
Three wineries that you should add to your list to visit are:
Kullabergs vingård – Wine tastings, wine bar with food and farm shop. Their wine Immelen was served at the Nobel dinner in 2025.
Arilds Vineyard – Sweden's largest winery with wine tastings, hotel, glamping, farm shop and restaurant.
Lottenlund Estate – Vineyard with distillery with wine tastings and farm shop.
Read more at: Wineries in Skåne – 3 gems Kullahalvön
8. Hovs Hallar
The Bjäre Coast Nature Reserve offers a dramatic and rocky stretch of coast between Torekov and Båstad, where the Skåneleden Trail winds its way through a mixture of pastures, cliffs and ancient remains. Here you are met by a barren landscape, where the scent of seaweed and hints of juniper and wild herbs accompany you along the hiking trail.
At Hovs hallar is the landscape at its most magnificent. The red, cracked boulders drop steeply down to the sea, where the waves have polished the stones round and smooth over millennia. The path down is steep and rocky in places, but the reward is the proximity to the sea and the view over Laholmsbukten.
During the summer, the area is filled with visitors who swim from the rocks, walk along the shoreline or sit down for a coffee with a view of the sea.
Read more: Hovs hallar - Cliffs and sea on the Bjäre Peninsula - Skåne
9. Måkläppen Nature Reserve
Between November 1 and January 31, you have the opportunity to visit Måkläppen, in the far southwest corner of Skåne. This sandy peninsula is a protected seal sanctuary where the chances of seeing seals are good – although it often requires a longer hike out to the tip.
In early November, when the area reopens after its long closed rest period, the place also attracts many people who want to search for amber along the beach. With the right winds and weather, you can also see the remains of old sunken ships that the sea has washed up over the years.
To protect wildlife, dogs are not allowed in the area at any time of the year.
10. Ale's stones
Ale's stones tower at the top of a steep, grassy plateau above the sea in Kåseberga on Österlen. The impressive ship set consists of 59 large stone blocks placed in a 67-meter-long formation. Ale's stones are one of Sweden's most enigmatic ancient remains and have been dated to the Iron Age about 1400 years ago. The place is most beautiful to visit in the summer at sunset, when poppies are in bloom and sheep and cows are wandering in the pastures, but there is something special to have the place to yourself during the rest of the year.
Park easily in the large car park and then follow the path up to the ship landing on foot. Also take the opportunity to stop at the harbour before departure - here you can sit and enjoy a lunch of freshly smoked fish straight from the fish restaurants' smokehouses.
11. Bosjö Monastery
Just outside Höör, between eastern and western Ringsjön, lies the whitewashed Bosjökloster. Originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in the 12th century, the building has been privately owned since the Middle Ages and has been shaped into the manor house it is today.
The monastery is beautifully situated with a view of Ringsjön, surrounded by a park where roses, lavender and ferns coexist in an incredibly beautiful landscape. Here also stands the famous Millennium Oak – an ancient oak with a circumference of almost ten meters, often described as Skåne’s oldest tree. During early summer and well into autumn, the park is filled with over 200 different flowering rose varieties that offer a divine cavalcade of fragrance.
Read more: Bosjökloster – A photo story among roses, towers and old oaks
12. Söderåsen National Park
A national park that should be on everyone's must-see list is Söderåsen National Park in northwestern Skåne. The park is located about 5 kilometers east of Helsingborg and is one of Sweden's three national parks in Skåne.
The national park is known for its dramatic rift valley at Skäralid, sometimes called “Skåne’s Grand Canyon”. The landscape was shaped by movements in the earth’s crust millions of years ago and today consists of steep ravines and deep valleys. It is also home to one of Northern Europe’s largest continuous broadleaf forests of beech and oak.
The starting point for many hikes is Naturum at Skäralid, where several marked trails start. When the trees change color in autumn, the park is at its most popular and it can be difficult to find a parking space.
Read more: Söderåsen National Park – Hiking in a golden gorge
13. Arild
Arild is a small fishing village on Kullahalvöns northern coast, where Skälderviken Bay meets steep cliffs, cobblestone beaches and open sea. Often described as one of Europe's hidden gems, the village has a long history stretching back to the 12th century and has long attracted both artists and visitors seeking close-to-nature experiences.
The heart of the village is the small harbor, where fishing boats once dominated and where you can now find bathing areas, kayak rentals and a small restaurant. Above the harbor is Arild's Chapel from the 15th century, one of Skåne's best preserved medieval fishing chapels, surrounded by graves and overlooking the sea.
Arild is also known for its dramatic sunsets at Porras backe, its rocky paths through ravines along the Skåneleden towards Skäret and the proximity to places like Sankt Arild's spring.
Read more:
Arild – The steep little fishing village at Kullaberg
Skäret to Arild – Raukar at sunset along the Kullaleden trail
14. Ivön
Ivön is Skåne's largest island, located in Ivösjön in northeastern Skåne, just northeast of Kristianstad. The island is reached by a short car ferry and is a perfect place for a quiet weekend with nature experiences and good food and wine.
Geologically, the nature of Ivön special. Here you will find Ivö klack, a 134-meter-high rock that rises above the beech forest and is one of Sweden's most fossil-rich places. About 60 million years ago, the area was part of a sea, and today you can still find fossils from both marine reptiles and other extinct dinosaurs in the limestone.
Just a short trip away is Ivögården, a small vineyard, restaurant and farm hotel that grew out of an old rectory. Here, wine is grown in the mild climate created by Ivösjöns surrounding water and the farm has become known as Sweden's smallest commercial winery.
Around Ivösjön Apples are grown in abundance, so don't miss stopping at one of the farms and buying fresh apples and pears.
Read more:
Ivögården – The small winery with the big experience
Ivö klack nature reserve – 134 meters of primeval rock on Skåne's largest island
15. Brösarp's slopes
Brösarp's slopes in eastern Skåne are one of Österlens most well-known landscape where rolling hills, open heaths and beech forests meet. The area is located in the Verkeån Nature Reserve between Kristianstad and Ystad and was shaped by the ice sheet over 10,000 years ago.
Here, the hiking trails run through a mixture of forest, meadows and pastures where horses and cows still keep the landscape open. The northern slopes in particular are known for their rounded hills and the wide views that open up over the surroundings.
Hiking on the slopes of Brösarp is basically easy, but there are some steeper sections over sandy hills that provide some variety along the way.
Read more: Brösarp's slopes - Hiking where Skåne's hills meet Österlen
16. Sofiero Castle
Sofiero Castle outside Helsingborg is one of Skåne's most beloved garden parks, known for its thousands of rhododendron bushes that bloom during an intense period from late April to just before midsummer. Then the park is filled with colors of white, pink and purple in one of the Nordic countries' most spectacular flower explosions.
The park was laid out in the early 20th century by the Crown Prince couple Gustaf Adolf and Margareta, who transformed the area into an English-inspired palace park. Margareta in particular left her mark on the garden, and today's Sofiero is the result of over a hundred years of development with rhododendrons and perennials.
In the middle of the park lies the dramatic stone ravine with a unique microclimate where vegetation thrives and is protected. In addition to the blooms, the park is known for its themed areas such as the fairy tale forest for children, the wine house with century-old vines and Sofia's bridge which offers views of the ravine from above.
Read more: Sofiero Castle – The fairy tale garden in the shadow of the ravine
17. Seaside
Haväng is a nature reserve in eastern Österlen, just north of Kivik, where open sand dunes meet the sea in one of Skåne's most distinctive coastal landscapes. Here, sheep roam freely across the rolling meadows, helping to keep the landscape open. Below the heights, a long white sandy beach spreads out, where the Verkeån River flows into the sea, forming calm lagoons and small pockets of water.
One of the most famous sights in the area is Havängsdösen, a 5500-year-old megalithic tomb from the Stone Age, located overlooking the sea. The area also contains remains of the Skåne Line, concrete fortifications built during World War II that still remind us of the site's strategic location.
Read more: Haväng – Among sheep and Stone Age rocks on Österlen
18. Norrvikens gardens
Norrvikens gardens outside Båstad on the Bjäre peninsula are one of Sweden's most beautiful park environments. The park was created as a private garden dream at the beginning of the 20th century by gardener Rudolf Abelin and with a view of Laholm Bay, a park was created here where international garden styles meet the Skåne landscape.
The park is structured as a series of themed gardens, each with its own character. These include the austere Baroque Garden, the tranquil Water Garden, the Japanese Garden in the ravine, and the Romantic Garden with its rhododendron plantings.
In addition to the vegetation, there are cafes and restaurants here and the park has themed exhibitions throughout the year.
Read more: Norrvikens gardens in Båstad – The secret garden
19. The culture in Lund
Kulturen i Lund is one of Sweden's largest cultural history open-air museums and is run by a non-profit association of the same name. The museum is located in the heart of central Lund and can best be described as a kind of Skåne Skansen, where historical buildings and environments have been moved here from different parts of Skåne.
In the open-air museum you walk between farms, crofts and city quarters from different time periods, where the oldest houses have roots all the way back to the Middle Ages. Here you encounter life stories from bygone times, such as Bosmålatorpet where Kristina Niklasson lived alone with her children in the 19th century, and Locus Peccatorum – the site of a notable student murder in the 19th century.
Before you leave Lund - don't miss visiting Lund Cathedral from the 12th century with its astronomical clock.
Read more: 5 attractions in Lund - My favourites
20. Halland's weather island
Despite its name, Hallands Väderö is a Skåne island in the Kattegat just outside Torekov on the Bjäre peninsula in northwestern Skåne. The island is about 3 km² in size and is characterized by open pastures, heather heaths and beautiful beaches. Large parts are nature reserves and are part of Natura 2000, which means strong protection for the rich flora and fauna.
The clear sea, beautiful swimming coves and rich birdlife attract many people for day trips. The island is also home to several colonies of harbor seals, which are often seen resting on the rocks in the sun.
You can easily get to Halland's Väderö by boat from Torekov, and once there, hiking, swimming and nature experiences await.
Is your favorite of all the attractions in Skåne on the list? If not – please let us know in the comments below!
Read more tips on my page about Skåne.
