MALMÖ, SWEDEN BY MEGAN MCKEAN:
Along the southern tip of Sweden, Malmö sits flat; pretty, safe, trendy, affordable and cycle-friendly. A city that rewards exploration, pastel-coloured buildings intercept every viewpoint and bars and great food really dictate the “hangout vibe”.
After a job opportunity came up in Malmö, Australian designer and illustrator Megan McKean moved to the Swedish city andinto a temporary apartment overlooking a courtyard.
“During lockdown, I’ve been working from the kitchen table. I love watching the different windows of other people’s homesover the course of the day – the lights flickering, the candles going on as the night sets in,” McKean says. “I love imagining the different worlds that are taking place on the five floors around me.”
For the uninitiated, Fika is a daily tradition. McKean will begin her day with a walk through one of the city’s many parks(“honestly, they’re like Narnia with their lamp posts and leafy trails,” she says) before visiting a coffee house for Fika, a ritual ofsimply sitting down for a coffee and cake break.
“The pastries and cakes in Sweden are hard to beat, from the classic kanelbulle to the super cute, bright green Prinsesstårta,” McKean says. “Everything is so delicious and adorable – how can you top that? Most coffee houses will have multiple options for the filter coffees, as well,so I exist in a permanent state of caffeination.”
Slottsträdgården is the only organic garden in Malmö and it’s popular both among tourists and locals. With eight themed lush gardens – make sure to visit the rose garden and the Japanese garden – Fika is best enjoyed in this very spot.
We mention Slottsträdgården because while in Stockholm, most of the things that make that city vibrant are trends, in Malmö, people are generally a little more down to earth. And this little garden setting is a spot to breathe and relax and just be. When you’re done, it’s a shortwalk home.
“I adore so much about the city; beautiful canals and medieval buildings, a castle and a windmill all within walking distance,” McKean says. “It’s the Goldilock’s version of new cities for me; not too big, not too small – it’s just right!”
Follow Megan McKean @meganmckean
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