Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [146]
Five kilometres east of Mölle, the fishing village of Arild lays on the charm with its petite pastel houses, teeny-tiny harbour and supporting cast of roses, hollyhocks, butterflies and coastal nature reserves.
Accommodation in the area generally isn’t cheap and fills up fast.
The friendly First Camp Möllehässle (34 73 84; www.firstcamp.se/molle; sites from Skr190, discounted to Skr120, 2-person cabin from Skr420) is a good bet. It’s 2km southeast of Mölle, and you can rent bikes here for exploring the area (Skr60 per day).
Exuding faded grandeur, the Grand Hotel Mölle (36 22 30; www.grand-molle.se; Bökebollsvägen 11; s/d from Skr1100/1200; ) sits regally above Mölle. Although service can be a bit stroppy, rooms are an agreeable blend of modern Scandi style and nautical undertones (the rooms with balconies and sea views are more expensive). There’s also an in-house gourmet restaurant.
Strand Hotell (34 61 00; www.strand-arild.se; Stora Vägen 42; d from Skr1100; ), a civilised option in picture-perfect Arild, oozes old-world appeal. Four of the elegant rooms in the old building boast balconies with sea views, while the modern annexe features long thin rooms with terraces and sea views for all. There’s a fine in-house restaurant here, too.
Ellens Café i Ransvik (34 76 66; sandwiches Skr55-85; Apr-Sep) is a long-standing favourite, overlooking a popular bathing spot about 1km beyond the Kullaberg toll booth. Munch happily on sandwiches, salads and the scrumptious carrot cake, before taking a dip from the rocks.
Just up from the harbour in Mölle, Mölle Krukmakeri & Café (34 79 91; Mölle Hamnallé 9; sandwiches/soup Skr75/85, pasta & salad Skr95; daily mid-Jun–late Aug, Sat & Sun late Aug–mid-Jun) is a cosy cafe and ceramics gallery run by potter Lisa Wohlfart. Stock up on her sleek, contemporary wares or simply tuck into fantastic homemade grub like tomato and spinach soup and hazelnut cinnamon scrolls.
Signposted off the main road between Arild and Jonstorp, Flickorna Lundgren (34 60 44; coffee & cookies Skr84; May–mid-Sep) is a huge, justifiably famous cafe in a gorgeous garden setting. Grab a large plate of pastries and your copper kettle, and lose yourself in a cloud of flowers.
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BLEKINGE
With its long coastline and safe harbours, Blekinge’s past and present are faithfully fastened to the sea. Sweden and Denmark once squabbled over the area, a trump card in power games over the Baltic. The region’s own prized possession is the Unesco-lauded naval town of Karlskrona, famed for its baroque design. The region’s second largest town, Karlshamn, was the exit point for thousands of 19th-century emigrants bound for America. Beyond the urban is a low-key landscape of fish-filled rivers and lakes, brooding forests and a stunning archipelago fit for lazy island-hopping.
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KARLSKRONA
0455 / pop 62,340
If you like your Swedes in uniform, you’ll appreciate Karlskrona. Marine cadets pepper the streets of what has always been an A-league naval base. In 1998 the entire town was added to the Unesco World Heritage List for its impressive collection of 17th- and 18th-century naval architecture.
It was the failed Danish invasion of Skåne in 1679 that sparked Karlskrona’s conception, when King Karl XI decided that a southern naval base was needed for better control over the Baltic Sea. Almost immediately, it became Sweden’s third-biggest city. Much of the town is still a military base, so to see certain sights you’ll need to book a tour at the tourist office and have ID at the ready.
Information
You’ll find ATMs in the Wachtmeister shopping centre on Borgmästeregatan.
Library (30 34 65; Stortorget 15-17; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat mid-Jun–mid-Aug, longer hours mid-Aug–May) Free internet access.
Tourist office (30 34 90; www.karlskrona.se/tourism; Stortorget 2; 9am-8pm Jun-Aug, 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat Sep-May) Internet access and super-helpful staff.
Sights & Activities
FORTIFICATIONS
Karlskrona’s star is the extraordinary