Ystad: Among the Half-Timbered Houses of Wallander Country, Sweden's Unexpected Middle Ages

Skåne's Secret World of Crime Fiction and Timber Frames

For readers of Henning Mankell's novels, Ystad is the home of Inspector Wallander — those streets where the tormented detective pursues killers beneath grey skies, through autumn rain and a distinctly Scandinavian melancholy. But the real Ystad is far brighter than its literary counterpart: a town of thirty thousand people on Sweden's southern coast, in the region called Scania (Skåne) that once belonged to Denmark and retains a character all its own — more continental than Nordic, more Danish than Swedish.

Ystad's historic centre is one of the best preserved in Sweden: more than three hundred half-timbered houses (korsvirke) from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries line cobbled streets, their white facades crossed by dark oak beams. Here the Middle Ages have not ended up in a museum — the town itself is alive and inhabited, with shops occupying centuries-old workshops and cafés opening onto the courtyards of old merchant houses.

What to See

The Medieval Centre

Get lost without a map in the grid of streets in the centre. Stora Östergatan and Stortorget are the commercial heart, but the best surprises hide in the side lanes: doorways opening onto hidden courtyards, facades with inscribed dates (look for the oldest: 1539), cats sleeping on windowsills. The Latinskolan (Latin School) dates to the thirteenth century. The Stortorget (main square) is dominated by the church of St Mary (Sankt Mariakyrka), a thirteenth-century Romanesque-Gothic building with frescoed interiors.

The Night Watchman

Every night from 21:15 to 01:00, the night watchman (tornväktare) blows his horn from the tower of St Mary's to signal that all is well. This is an unbroken tradition from the Middle Ages — Ystad is the only city in Sweden where it is still practised. The sound of the horn in the Swedish night is an experience that will stay with you.

The Franciscan Monastery (Gråbrödraklostret)

The thirteenth-century Franciscan monastery is the best preserved in Scandinavia. The cloister, the rose garden and the friars' cells are open to visitors. In summer it hosts chamber music concerts of exceptional quality.

The Beaches

A few kilometres from the centre, Ystad offers some of the finest beaches in Sweden: Sandhammaren, with dunes of very fine white sand stretching for kilometres, has been repeatedly voted the most beautiful beach in the country. In summer the water reaches swimming temperatures (18–21°C) and the sun at these latitudes lasts until late evening.

What to Eat

• Spettekaka — Scania's signature dessert: a hollow cone of egg and sugar batter cooked on a spit, crispy and very sweet. Found in bakeries in the centre.
• Smoked Herring — Scania is fishing country and Baltic herrings, smoked or marinated, are everywhere.
• Äggakaka — the Scanian Swedish omelette, thick and fluffy, served with crispy bacon and lingonberries.
• Kroppkakor — potato dumplings filled with pork and onion, served with melted butter and lingonberry jam.

Café Lotsen on the harbour and Bryggeriet (craft brewery with restaurant) are both excellent. For a more refined gastronomic experience, Store Thor serves contemporary Swedish cuisine in a historic setting.

Getting There

Ystad is connected to Malmö (and therefore to Copenhagen via the Øresund Bridge) by regional trains every 30 minutes — the journey takes about 50 minutes. From Copenhagen Central: change at Malmö, total about 1 hour 30 minutes. The ferry to the island of Bornholm (Denmark) departs from Ystad. Malmö-Sturup airport is 25 minutes by car. By car from Copenhagen: about 1 hour 15 minutes crossing the Øresund Bridge.

When to Go

June to August for the beaches and the seemingly endless days. May and September for the historic centre without crowds and a pleasant climate. December for Christmas markets among the illuminated half-timbered houses. Avoid November: dark, damp and windy. Ystad is proof that Sweden is not only Stockholm and Lapland: the south of the country has an unexpected Mediterranean quality, with a light that recalls Denmark rather than the Arctic.