Magnificent scenery, world-class ingredients and a host of wild spirits have made little Österlen in Sweden a holiday paradise. Read more about the holiday paradise east of Leden in Sweden.
Located in the southeast of Sweden, Österlen is a massive region composed of smaller towns with stunning sceneries! There are also tons of things to do in Österlen. “Almost mysterious,” wrote the New York Times about Österlen, giving the area a ninth position on the list of places you should visit.
In Österlan you can experience rolling meadows and picturesque communities. The concept Österlen is not even one hundred years but its content goes way back. No one really knows where the limit of Österlen is but generally speaking one can say it is the southeast Skåne.
The south-eastern tip of Skåne in the far south of Sweden has tempted city dwellers to choose an alternative, simpler life for decades. Österlen is rumored to be home to more artists per capita than anywhere else in Europe, the land where the sea and sky meet combines simple rural pleasures with an air of quiet, cultured sophistication.
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In this small area at the bottom and farthest east in Skåne, the population is multiplied in the summer months, and visitors come to see a landscape unlike anything else in Sweden; flat and open, with several thousand-year-old monuments, medieval castles, national parks and some of the country’s finest beaches.
Österlen is considered to consist of the countryside to the east of the road stretching from Ystad in the south to Brösarp in the north. And features cities like Tornelilia and Simrishamn along with the Stensuvud National Park. Simrishamn is known for its rich culture and stunning scenery. It is the largest city in the southeast of Skåne and a beautiful part of small fishing villages, wheat fields, and beautiful apple orchards.
However, the whole area is a haven for friends of nature searching for outdoor activities or want to admire its flora and fauna. Birdwatchers from far and beyond are attracted by the wide variety of bird species.
Cultural personalities like Karl-Ove Knausgård and Ulf Lundell live here. And now, a new generation of entrepreneurs has moved to Österlen and started design hotels, chocolate factories and Michelin restaurants. Its many small and fine art studios attracts culture and art lovers. Don’t miss the Kviks marknad (the market of Kiviks) in the summer. After one of the district’s activities you can enjoy swimming and sunbathing on any beach, such as Sandhammaren, one of the best beaches in Sweden.
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One common route is the one from the north, cutting through the woods of Småland, past Kristianstad and the Brösarp hills. Many summer guests take this route.
Skåne is almost a small country with a language they hardly understand in the capital Stockholm. The province even has its own flag, and so does Österlen. The best with Österlen is perhaps just to be there; go around, walk around, and enjoy the atmosphere that provides an incredible inner energy and harmony. Its farms, meadows, and gardens are an oasis of inspiration and joy, a delight for all the senses in the body.
It’s said that the sky and sea meet in Österlen. The same might be said of its summer guests and permanent residents, which is not without its problems. Many of the old fishing villages become deserted ghost towns during the long winter months, but late spring, traditional beamed ‘long’ houses and quaint fishing cottages start to show signs of life, Österlen announces the dawn of a new season with a bang.
Österlen has never had any official boundaries, more than it lies “east of Leden”, which means east of Riksvei 19 between Ystad and Brösarp. The term Österlen came into existence sometime in the mid-1800s. At the beginning of the 1900s, a black car with registration number A11 began to drive around the area. Prince Eugen – the Painting Prince – arrived to paint the landscape, and the cultural people followed. There was something about the light and the mood – the distance between the sky and the sea seemed shorter here than elsewhere.
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Attractions
Ales Stenar. Stone ship near Kåseberga
Barnens Bokhandel (Bookstore for Kids) is a store located on the main street of Simrishamn which offers plenty of puzzles, books, and many literature things for children. Founded in the 1970s by a well-known culture developer and journalist, Mariane von Baumgarten-Lindberg.
Christinehof Castle. Skåne’s Uncrowned Queen.
Gislövshammar. Old, well preserved fishing village.
Located in Simrishamn, Glimmingehus Manor is the well-preserved age-old stronghold in southern Sweden. It was built in 1506 and it has a lot of defensive arrangements like false doors, parapets, and murder holes to pour boiling pitch on the attackers, drawbridges, moats, and other types of a death trap to prevent trespassers and peasant uprisings.
Kivik Art Center. International Art Center.
At Kiviks Musteri you can taste cider, explore the orchards, and get to the ‘House of Apples’ and see the process of making cider and juice. In addition, try some homemade apple juice and apple cake in the café before leaving. The Kivik Apple Market Festival is held in late September.
Knäbäckhusen. The southern-most tip of Sweden.
Sandhammaren Beach matches the best beaches of the Caribbean.
Stenshuvuds National Park. This national park has an exotic character of more southerly climes and great biodiversity that is worth preserving and visiting.
Where to stay
As in many other popular areas it’s good to be out in good time. You can choose between luxury beach houses, cozy cottages or staying at a real farm out in the country.
Farmors lycka. Quiet century farm hotel.
Mårten Pers Bo. Design hotel with art exhibition.
Taldungen farm hotel. “Like coming home to friends”.
Kronovall Wine Castle. Stay & eat in a castle.
Ravlunda Bränneri. Stay in a former distillery.
Örum 119. “A small countryside hotel with an eye for detail”.
Where to eat
Alunbruket. The Coffee Cottage
Annorlunda. Österlens coziest coffee house beautifully situated at Stenshuvud National Park
Apotekarns. Mediterranean at Österlen
Daniel Berlin. Two stars Michelin restaurant.
En gaffel kort. Come as you are. Leave as you’ve become.
Friden. Farm inn Kivik
Gunnarshögs Gård. Farm cafe mainly open in summertime.
Karlaby kro. Halfway between Kivik and Simrishamn
Kärnhuset Restaurant. Enjoy fantastic dishes prepared to the chefs’ recipes using local ingredients
Madame Blå. Créperi & Café in Österlen
Skillinge Hamnkrog. Enjoy fresh seafood right on the quayside.
Smedjans Mat & Logi. Enjoy food in an old forge.
Söderberg & Sara. One of Sweden’s best cafes.
Österlen Chocladfabrik. Natural bonbons, made from real, locally sourced ingredients.
How to get there
You can easily reach Österlen via Copenhagen International Airport and Malmö-Sturup airport. It would be best if you first visited Malmö to get to Österlen by train and then go by Pågatågen line 6 trains. It stops at various destinations in Österlen.
For more information, visit Österlen official website.
East of Leden in Sweden, compiled by TorKjolberg