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Boats (24 04 50; mid-May–early Sep) run from Fårösund and Nynäshamn three to four times weekly when operating (Skr795/995 return from Fårösund/Nynäshamn, Skr100 for bikes).

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SOUTHERN GOTLAND

Hemse is a commercial centre, with good services (such as supermarkets, banks and a bakery). The smaller village of Burgsvik, further south, is similar.

Öja church dates from 1232 and has Gotland’s highest church tower (67m). It has a magnificent cross, and the wall and ceiling paintings are remarkably detailed. Look for the inscribed stone slabs under the covered shelter just outside the churchyard. Seven kilometres south of Burgsvik, in the old Vamlingbo prästgård (vicarage) on Rd 142, Museum Lars Jonsson (20 26 91; www.larsjonsson.se; adult/under 18yr Skr40/free; 11am-5pm May–mid-Sep, 11am-5pm Sat & Sun rest of Sep, Easter-Apr & Dec), showcases delicate paintings and watercolours by local artist Lars Jonsson, famed for his depictions of Gotland’s birdlife and coastal landscapes. There’s also a cinnamon-scented cafe, Naturum and soothing garden.

Hablingbo church boasts three lavishly carved doorways, a votive ship, carved floor slabs and rune stones.

Lojsta has the deepest lakes in Gotland, remains of an early medieval fortress and a fine church. On the eastern coast near Ronehamn, Uggarderojr is a huge, late–Bronze Age cairn with nearby traces of settlement. The cairn, probably a navigation marker, is now a long way inland due to postglacial uplift.

Sleeping & Eating

The Hablingbo STF hostel (48 71 61; vandrarhem@gutevin.se; dm Skr280; May-Sep; ) is next to Gute Vin – a good restaurant and commercial vineyard.

In Björklunda, 2km north of Burgsvik, Gunnels B&B Björklunda (49 71 90; www.gunnelsbjorklunda.se; hostel dm/s Skr200/250, B&B s/d Skr550/700; ) vaguely recalls a Greek villa with its whitewashed buildings. Both the hostel and B&B rooms are clean and comfy (albeit dated), with some boasting private kitchenettes.

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Southern Sweden

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SKÅNE

MALMÖ

LUND

FALSTERBO PENINSULA

TRELLEBORG

SMYGEHUK

YSTAD

AROUND YSTAD

ÖSTERLEN

KRISTIANSTAD

ÅHUS

HELSINGBORG

KULLA PENINSULA

BLEKINGE

KARLSKRONA

KARLSHAMN

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Artists adore southern Sweden. Down here the light is softer, the foliage brighter and the shoreline more dazzling and white.

Sweden’s southernmost county, Skåne (Scania) was Danish property until 1658 and still flaunts its differences. You can detect them in the strong dialect (skånska), the half-timbered houses and Skåne’s hybrid flag: a Swedish yellow cross on a red Danish background. After all, Copenhagen is a mere bridge away from vibrant Malmö, Skåne’s biggest city and Sweden’s most continental.

A quick trip south of Malmö is a bona fide Viking settlement and some of the country’s finest birdwatching opportunities. Just to the north, picture-perfect, erudite Lund is Sweden’s answer to Cambridge.

Pottery studios, cultured manors and dramatic cliffs dot Skåne’s northwest coast, while its southern shore is home to medieval showpiece Ystad, mysterious Bronze Age remains and the seductive apple-orchard landscapes of Österlen.

Northeast of Skåne lies the upstaged county of Blekinge, splashed with deep forests and fish-filled lakes and once seat of Sweden’s 17th-century sea power. Topping its crown is the naval city of Karlskrona, a Unesco World Heritage–listed pairing of brutal fortresses and grandiloquent design.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Hit the pavement in multicultural Malmö for a spicier slice of Swedish life

Hang out with verified Vikings at the Foteviken Viking Reserve

Walk in the footsteps of fictional crime-fighter Inspector Wallander in medieval Ystad

Explore the exotic Kulla Peninsula on an Icelandic horse

Cycle past sweet-smelling orchards or hike through the coastal nature reserve in mellow Österlen

AREA: 13,968 SQ KM

POPULATION: 1,351,257

HIGHEST ELEVATION: SÖDERÅSEN 212M

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Information

There are tourist offices in all major