A calm port town in southern Sweden with a medieval fortress along its coast. Locals swim at the beach in summer, and the market sells smoked herring and handmade crafts.
Trelleborg is Sweden's southernmost town, where you can take a ferry to Germany or Poland across the Baltic Sea. Watch blacksmiths forge iron at the reconstructed Viking fortress Trelleborgen, swim at any of the sandy beaches along the 35-kilometer coastline, or examine life-sized Viking Age figures at the town museum. Look for the harbor statue at Smygehuk - a bronze figure modeled after Uma Thurman's grandmother - or walk along the palm tree-lined entrance road, an unexpected sight in this Swedish coastal town.
Viking Fortress Museum
At Trelleborgen Viking fortress in central Trelleborg, you can explore a reconstructed medieval farm, longhouse, and pit houses with an active blacksmith forge. From June to August, try Viking games, watch metalworking demonstrations, and practice archery daily between 10:00 and 17:00. During the July Viking festival, merchants sell traditional crafts while warriors demonstrate battle techniques. Adult admission costs 60 SEK, and children enter free.
Museums and Art
The Trelleborg Museum's "Öga mot öga" (Eye to Eye) exhibition includes life-sized reconstructions of Viking Age people, including a traveling merchant and the Queen from Vemmerlöv. You'll find sculptor Axel Ebbe's works throughout the town's squares and parks. At Trelleborgen, the "Borgen vid havet" exhibition displays archaeological items from the Vendel and Viking ages, with multimedia presentations explaining daily life during these periods.
Coastal Activities and Parks
Walk, swim, or sunbathe along the municipality's 35 kilometers of sandy coastline. The town has multiple sports fields and a golf club. Near the water at Smygehuk harbour, you'll spot the 1930 bronze statue of Birgit Holmquist against the Baltic Sea background. The western entrance road has a row of palm trees creating a Mediterranean feel - though local gardeners move them inside from October to April to prevent frost damage.
Ferry Connections to Europe
Take a ferry from the Continental Bridge terminal to Germany or Poland on any of six different ferry lines. This port, Sweden's second-largest after Gothenburg, handles more than 10 million metric tonnes of cargo each year. Passenger ferries have connected Trelleborg to mainland Europe since 1897, starting with the first steamer service to Sassnitz. During both World Wars, the port served as a transfer point for prisoners of war and wounded soldiers.
