Helsingborg Attractions

Southwest of Helsingborg's Stortorget, flanking the ferry port, is Hamntorget (Harbor Square), with the Seafarers Monument (by Carl Milles), a column topped by a figure of Mercury. Nearby can be seen a plaque commemorating the arrival of the French marshal Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte in 1810. (Bernadotte had been chosen by the Swedish Parliament as heir to the throne and had been adopted by the childless King Charles XIII; he became king as Carl XIV Johan in 1818).

From Stortorget in Helsingborg, Drottninggatan runs northwest to St Jörgensplats, with a sculpture by A. Wallenberg, "Youth at Play". On the west side of the square is the Concert Hall (Konserthuset; by Sven Markelius, 1932), and beyond this the Municipal Theater (1976).

Helsingborg International Antiques Fair is held in July.

Helsingborg International Stamp and Coin Fair is in April.

At the upper end of Stortorget in Helsingborg, Norra Storgatan goes off on the left. At No. 21 is Jakob Hansens Hus (1641; restored 1931), a handsome old half-timbered building. In front of it is a fountain topped by a celestial globe (1927) commemorating the astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Along Södra Storgatan in Helsingborg (No. 31) is the Municipal Museum, with extensive collections, including an art gallery and a natural history section. Behind it is an open-air museum.

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.

In Södra Storgatan, which runs southeast from the foot of Stortorget in Helsingborg, is the Gothic church of St Mary (13th C.; renovated in 15th C.). Notable features of the interior are the reredos (c. 1450), the pulpit (1615, with intarsia decoration), a historical chart (from A.D. 900 to modern times) and the modern stained glass in the choir.

In the northeast of Helsingborg is Stenbocksgatan, beyond which is the Fredriksdal open-air museum, with a manor house of 1787, a number of old buildings, a Music Museum, a Botanic Garden and an open-air theater. In Stenbocksgatan itself is the Sports Stadium (Idrottens Hus), with seating for 5,000 spectators.

To the north of Helsingborg lies Öresund Park, in which is a former spa establishment, Hälsan ("Health"), with the Sophia Spring. On the other side of Hälsovägen, in Vikingberg Park, is the Museum of Art (Konstmuseet), with a collection of both older and modern art (including Frans Hals's portrait of Descartes).

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 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.

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.

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).

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.

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.