Surroundings, Helsingborg

4km/2.5mi southeast of Helsingborg is the well-known spa of Ramlösa-Brunn (established 1707). In Sweden Ramlösa is not merely a brand name but has practically become a synonym for mineral water. A few kilometers south are Raus church (12th C.) and the picturesque fishing village of Råå, with a fisheries and seafaring museum. In Gantofta is the JIE ceramic manufactory (ornamental ceramics).

From Helsingborg, Strandvägen runs northwest along the coast, passing a number of beaches and the Pålsjö Skog (Wood) nature reserve, in which are a small 17th century castle and the Thalassa guesthouse.

5km/3mi on from Pålsjö Skog stands Sofiero Castle, built in 1865 by Prince Oscar, the future King Oscar II, for Princess Sofie. In 1905 it was given to Gustaf VI Adolf as a wedding present and became his summer residence, where he established a large collection of rhododendrons. After his death in 1973 the castle became the property of the town of Helsingborg. Art exhibitions and open-air concerts are held here in summer.

From Helsingborg's residential suburb of Laröd, on Road 22, a short trip can be made to the seaside resort of Hittarp. Beyond this, some 8km/5mi from Helsingborg, to the left of the road, is Kulla Gunnarstorp Castle (1865-78), in Dutch Renaissance style. Nearby can be seen an old fortified castle, with ramparts and moats. In the park is the largest beech-tree in Skåne, 6m/20ft in circumference. From Hittarp it is 6km/4mi to Viken, a fishing village which has developed into a seaside resort.

The Helsingborg road continues along the Öresund, coming in another 6km/4mi after Hittarp to the town of Höganäs (pop. 22,000), famed for its ceramic industry. The town's largest manufacturer, Höganäs Keramik, produces the well-known "Höganäs jar" (Höganäs kruset). The company began in 1909. There are many independent potters in the town, whose workshops can be visited.The road continues past the resorts of Strandbaden and Nyhamnsläge. 10km/6mi from Höganäs is Krapperup Castle (1790), with extensive plantings of rhododendrons.

Driving from Krapperup Castle in the Helsingborg area, there is a first glimpse of the Kullen promontory, at the far end of which, 3km/2mi away, lies the popular seaside resort of Mölle. Kullen is a 15km/9-mi-long gneiss ridge extending into the Kattegat between the Öresund and Skäldervik, formed by the sinking of the surrounding land. The rounded hills, worn smooth by glacial action during the Ice Age, support a varied pattern of vegetation. The flanks of the promontory fall steeply down to the sea, much indented by the waves. Its highest point is Håkull or Högkull (188m/617ft). Many footpaths; golf course; deer park. The northwestern part of the promontory is a nature reserve.From Mölle a road (4km/2.5mi) climbs, passing Kullagård farm, to the farthest tip of the promontory, with the highest lighthouse in northern Europe (74m/243ft above sea level). There has been a lighthouse here since 1561; the present light (1900) has a range of 43km/27mi. From here there is a magnificent view over the Kattegat. Along the coasts of the promontory are numerous caves: on the south side the Silver Cave (Silvergrottan) and the "Stone Huts" (Stenstugorna), on the north side the Josefinelust and Djupadal caves.

7km/4.5mi from Mölle, on the south side of the Skäldervik, is the idyllic fishing village and seaside resort of Arild. A little way west of this, in an old Skåne farm, is a cafe and cake-shop, "Flickorna på Skäret" ("The Girls on the Cliff"), which King Gustaf VI Adolf used to frequent.The milder climate and opportunity to see the midnight sun from May to June attract tourists to Arild, located only a few miles from the Danish border.

From Mölle it is a short distance along the north side of Kullen to Öngelholm. The first 3km/2mi are on Road 22 to Möllehässle and then on a country road to the left. In another 3km/2mi this runs past Brunnby church, which dates in part from the 12th century.

Swedes refers to the years 1939-45 as Beredskapen (the Alert), because Sweden, though neutral, kept its forces in constant readiness to repel a possible invasion threat.