While some people dread the moody, cold and rainy autumn weather, I personally love the days when the end of summer approaches and fresh air fills the streets. Living in a country where it’s hot all year long and seasons basically don’t exist, I miss European autumns. Like a lot. So when I got the chance to visit southern Sweden beginning of October, I wasn’t only excited about exploring beautiful Malmö but I was hoping for some autumn-like days too.

Malmö wasn’t a stranger to me. I grew up at the German Baltic Sea and as kids, we were joking that we could see its city lights on a clear day. My hometown Rostock is situated on one side and Malmö on the other side of the Baltic Sea. During my childhood, we would travel to Sweden almost every summer and even though I had visited Malmö many times, I honestly couldn’t remember much about it anymore.

Malmö is Sweden’s third largest city and once upon a time, it might have been a city that didn’t get much attention from tourists. But this has changed and it has become a popular destination for weekend getaways and family vacations. With more than 150 nationalities calling Malmö their home, it is wonderfully urban, wordly and cultured. The mix of Swedish aesthetics and international influences combined with its Nordic coolness makes Malmö a great place for a short city trip. Busy Middle Eastern markets and cozy Italian-style coffee joints happen right next to sweet-smelling Swedish bakeries and hip eateries. The Scandinavian coastline and historic old town counter coexist with modern skyscrapers and an impressive collection of galleries, boutiques, and shops.

It’s a city of contrasts but that’s what it makes so fun to visit. I spent 2 night and 3 days in Malmö at the gorgeous Hotel Master Johan. Most of the time I explored Malmö by foot but I equally loved using the self-serve bikes of Malmö by Bike to get around the town more quickly. A lot of the places I ate and drank at offer vegan options but all of them always offer vegetarian options. For more travel and food inspiration also have a look at @Malmotown’s Instagram account and website.

Visit

Jakob Nilsgatan

Malmö is full of picturesque alleys and streets but the Jacob Nilsgatan is particularly beautiful. It’s located in the city center and just a short walk away from the train station and old town.

Slottsträdgarden Park

Right next to the Jacob Nilsgatan begins the gorgeous and lush city park Slottsträdgarden (Castle Garden). Do yourself a favor and pack a freshly baked cinnamon roll with some coffee and have a little picnic next to the channel or the public green space provided by Human Gardening.

Davidshall

Davidshall is probably my favorite neighborhood in Malmö. The combination of delicious coffee shops, trendy boutiques and gorgeous architecture stole my heart on the first day. Some stores are a little hidden, others you can find on its main street but overall it’s a great place to do some strolling and shopping.

: Jakob Nilsgatan

: Jakob Nilsgatan

Castle Garden

A Quick Travel Guide to Malmö Sweden by Kati of black.white.vivid. // vegan Malmo, vegan Malmö, vegan food guide Malmö, food guide, Sweden guide, Sweden travel guide, Malmö city guide, Lightroom presets, Jakob Nilsgatan

Jakob Nilsgatan

: Slottsträdgarden

: Slottsträdgarden

Davidshall

: Davidshall

: Davidshall

St. Knuts

What Davidshall is for shopping, St. Knuts is for eating and drinking. Though you also find some gorgeous stores here too, I especially liked this neighborhood for all its cozy coffee shops, bakeries, and eateries. I could have easily spent all three days in St. Knuts, eating my way around because the options are endless and all so delicious.

Canals and Western Harbour

If you are looking for a little change in (architectural) scenery, head over to Malmö’s canals and western harbor. This part of Malmö is in total contrast to its medieval old town but equally impressive. The weather and my broken umbrella didn’t really allow me to explore much of the beach-side but I heard it’s beautiful, especially in summer.

: St. Knuts

: St. Knuts

Canals near Central Station

Lighthouse near Western Harbour

Canals and Western Harbour

Eat & Drink

There are two things I don’t lose much time on when I land in Sweden. First, I always have an oatmilk (Oatly) cappuccino the second after I have checked in to my hotel or Airbnb. Followed by a freshly baked cinnamon, cardamom or saffron bun. Though I feel like there hasn’t ever been an oatmilk cappuccino I didn’t like at all, there only have been a few I really loved and will tell my children about one day. One of those I drank at Solde Kaffeebar, an Italian-style coffee shop that was recommended to me by a few people. Solde only sources coffee that is traceable to the farmer and they roast their beans in-house, too.

Instagram: @soldekaffe
Regementsgatan 2, 211 42 Malmö, Sweden

: Solde

: Solde

Jord – frukost, fik & butik

One of those places where you instantly feel at home, Jord is a cute and light-filled cafe and boutique that serves amazing breakfast and pastries. I tried the millet porridge which did not taste like your average oatmeal but had a beautiful texture and was topped with delicious berries, seeds and figs. Jord also hosts a little shop section which is filled with gorgeous items, most of them from local designers and artists.

Instagram: @Jordmalmo

Falsterbogatan 1, 211 58 Malmö, Sweden

: Jord

: Jord

Remember that there are two things I can’t wait to do the second I land in Sweden. One of them is getting fresh cardamon or cinnamon buns. And I had my first (of many) Swedish buns at St. Jakobs Stenugnsbageri. It’s probably the most popular place for Swedish pastries in Malmö and I also have to say that everything I tried at St. Jakobs was very good.

St. Jakobs bakery has various locations but I loved the one at Malmö Saluhall (Gibraltargatan 6, 211 18 Malmö), a food hall with all kinds of delicious food.

Instagram: @stjakobsstenugnsbageri
Gibraltargatan 3, 211 18 Malmö, Sweden
Skvadronsgatan 16, 217 49 Malmö, Sweden

St. Jakobs

Situated in the heart of the hip neighborhood St. Knuts, Uggla is tiny but has a welcoming and super friendly atmosphere. It’s become a hotspot in Malmö over the past years and judging by the crowds that come here especially on a sunny day, the demand for its tasty coffee (and golden mylk) is as high as ever.

If you don’t find a table or seat at Uggla, there are two other cafes just a stone throw away. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit them but heard only good things about their quality of coffee and food: Cafe No. 6 (Mäster Henriksgatan 6, 211 58 Malmö) and Söderberg & Sara (Mäster Danielsgatan 3, 211 58 Malmö).

Instagram: @Ugglakaffebar
S:T Knuts Torg 16, 211 57 Malmö, Sweden

Uggla

Sájvva

I initially hadn’t planned to visit Sájvaa but it was one of the few hip vegan places that was open on Monday evening. Oh boy, I’m so happy I went. Only afterward I found out that it had quite a strong fan base all over Sweden. The menu is Asian inspired and the attention to detail as well as the mix of various flavors and textures make the food at Sajvva special and very delicious.

If you are not into Asian cuisine or have an extra day to spend I would recommend visiting Mineral (Sankt Knuts väg 13, 211 57 Malmö). It’s considered the best vegan restaurant by most people in Malmö and I would have love to give it a try too but it was closed on Monday.

Instagram: @Sajvva
Östra Förstadsgatan 29, 212 12 Malmö, Sweden

Sájvva

If you followed my Instagram Stories while I visiting Malmö, you might have seen me raving about the oatmilk cappuccino at Lilla Kafferosteriet. It was probably the best one I’ve ever had and I loved every sip of it. Lilla also serves some amazing pastries and sandwiches. It’s located right in the city center (old town), so there is definitely no excuse to visit any of the chains.

Instagram: @Lillakafferosteriet
Baltzarsgatan 24, 211 36 Malmö, Sweden

Lilla

So here is the brutal truth about being a food enthusiast. I had planned to leave Malmö early Wednesday morning to spend a day in Copenhagen before heading back home. But friends of mine (hey goodeating and lindalo) had enthusiastically praised the pastries at Leve and since it was closed Monday and Tuesday and only opened around midday on Wednesday, I made the ‘not so difficult’ sacrifice to extend my day for what I would later call the softest and most delicious cinnamon bun in the world.

Instagram: @bagerileve
Östra Rönneholmsvägen 6, 211 47 Malmö, Sweden

: Leve

: Leve

Nam Do

There are many advantages to visit Malmö offseason. The streets are less busy with tourists, I simply love the mix of warm sunshine one day and a chill cloudy morning the next day and you might discover hidden gems. It was a rainy Tuesday and I had originally planned to visit Kafé Agnez (Agnesgatan 11, 211 33 Malmö). But it seems that it’s only open on weekends during the colder, so instead of being upset about standing in front of a closed door, I went on Google Maps, typed in vegan and searched for high ranking restaurants close by.

The result: Nam Do, a Vietnamese restaurant. I ordered their vegan spring rolls, thinking this was always a somewhat safe option and didn’t expect much. I wish I had taken photos but the light was horrible and the photos wouldn’t do any justice. So I can only recommend you to check out Nam Do, the food was very tasty.

Instagram: @namdo1965
Engelbrektsgatan 11, 211 33 Malmö, Sweden

Stay

Hotel Master Johan

In all honesty, I didn’t expect much from the hotel scene in Malmö. I thought, maybe they have a few nice hotel chains and some cute B&Bs. I was more than positively surprised when I stepped foot into Hotel Master Johan. This quirky boutique hotel is all kinds of hip and stylish. The design rooms are relatively large and house big comfortable beds. The hotel bar is a local hotspot at night and the hotel reception welcomes guests next to a cozy fireplace, which is especially a plus during the colder months in Malmö. The breakfast offers all kinds of vegan and non-vegan options and is served in a beautiful glass-roofed courtyard. The hotel staff was always super friendly and I welcomed from the first minute.

Instagram: @mjshotel
Mäster Johansgatan 13, 211 21 Malmö, Sweden

Master Johan Hotel

: Hotel Master Johan

: Hotel Master Johan

Master Johan Hotel

The 2.5 days I spent in Malmö quickly went by. Even though I wish I would have had more time to try out a few more food places and explore come of its museums, I think 2-4 days are the perfect amount for most tourists to visit Malmö. If you’d like to know more about things to do, see and eat in Malmö I recommend you have a look at the official visitor site of Malmö, Sweden. As everything in Malmö, it’s not as old-fashioned and boring as you would expect from a tourism city but it hosts some pretty great insights and ideas about Malmö.

Thank you again @Malmotown for inviting me on this wonderful trip to Malmö. I sure will be back again.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of @Malmotown on this trip. Opinions expressed are solely my own!

P.S.: If you like my photos and editing, I just wanted to let you know that I used my Lightroom preset bundle Mellow Cream to edit all the photos in this post. It’s also available for the mobile Lightroom app.