Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [129]
Library (Sankt Petri Kyrkogatan 6; 10am-8pm Mon-Thu, 10am-7pm Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 1-5pm Sun) Free internet access.
Press Stop (Klostergatan 8; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) Good choice of foreign magazines and newspapers.
Sidewalk Express (www.sidewalkexpress.se; per hr Skr19) Sidewalk Express internet terminals are found inside the 7-Eleven shop on Lilla Fiskaregatan.
Tourist office (35 50 40; www.lund.se; Kyrkogatan 11; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat, 11am-3pm Sun mid-Jun–Aug; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat May–mid-Jun & Sep, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri Oct-Apr) Opposite the cathedral.
Sights
DOMKYRKAN
Lund’s twin-towered Romanesque cathedral, Domkyrkan (35 87 00; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm Sat, 9.30am-6pm Sun), is magnificent. Try to pop in at noon or 3pm (1pm and 3pm on Sunday and holidays) when the marvellous astronomical clock strikes up In Dulci Jubilo and the wooden figures at the top whirr into action. Within the crypt, you’ll find Finn, the mythological giant who helped construct the cathedral, and a 16th-century well carved with comical scenes.
MUSEUMS
Kulturen (35 04 00; www.kulturen.com; Tegnerplatsen; adult/child Skr70/free; 11am-5pm mid-Apr–Sep, noon-4pm Tue-Sun Oct–mid-Apr), opened in 1892, is a huge open-air museum filling two whole blocks. Its 30-odd buildings include everything from the meanest birch-bark hovel to grand 17th-century houses. Permanent displays encompass Lund in the Middle Ages, vintage toys, ceramics, silver and glass (among many others); ask about guided tours in English. The popular outdoor cafe flanks several rune stones.
Behind the cathedral, Historiska Museet (222 79 44; Kraftstorg; adult/under 18yr Skr30/free; 11am-4pm Tue-Fri, noon-4pm Sun) has a large collection of pre–Viking Age finds, including a 7000-year-old skeleton. It’s joined with Domkyrkomuseet, which explores the history of the church in the area; the rooms filled with countless statues of the crucified Christ are supremely creepy.
The wonderful Skissernas Museum (Sketch Museum; 222 72 83; Finngatan 2; adult/under 18yr Skr50/free; noon-5pm Tue-Sun, to 9pm Wed) has the world’s largest collection of sketches and designs for public artworks, from both Swedish and foreign artists, including Henri Matisse, Fernand Léger and Diego Rivera.
Subterranean Drottens Arkeologiska Museum (14 13 28; Kattesund 6A; admission free; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) contains the foundations of an 11th-century church, as well as a grisly collection of skeletons that build a picture of the Middle Ages through their diseases and amputations. Entrance is through the Gattostretto restaurant.
Numerous galleries and small, special-interest museums and archives are dotted around town, many attached to university departments – enquire at the tourist office.
OTHER SIGHTS
The main university building, topped by four sphinxes representing the original faculties, is worth a peek.
The 8-hectare Botanical Gardens (222 73 20; Östra Vallgatan 20; admission free; 6am-9.30pm mid-May–mid-Sep, 6am-8pm mid-Sep–mid-May), east of the town centre, feature around 7000 species. Also on site are tropical greenhouses (admission free; noon-3pm).
Check out the recently restored pharmacy, Apoteket Svanen (Kyrkogatan 5), close to the tourist office. Across the park, Hökeriet (35 04 04; cnr St Annegatan & Tomegapsgatan; noon-5pm Tue-Sun) is a vintage general store.
Sleeping
The tourist office can arrange a private room from Skr300 per person plus a Skr50 booking fee.
STF Vandrarhem Lund Tåget (14 28 20; www.trainhostel.com; Vävaregatan 22; dm Skr150) This quirky hostel is based in old railway carriages in parkland behind the station. The triple bunks and tiny rooms are okay if you’re cosying up with loved ones, but a little claustrophobic with strangers. Less novel are the hot-water vending machines in the showers (have a few Skr1 coins handy).
Hotel Ahlström (211 01 74; www.hotellahlstrom.se, in Swedish; Skomakaregatan 3; s/d with shared bathroom Skr730/900, discounted to