Kalmar

Explore Kalmar – one of our all-time favourites!

A beautifully historic city with bags of coastal charm, you don’t just travel to Kalmar: you travel through time when you get there too. The architecture and the old town blend with modern buildings and contemporary hospitality to give you the best of both worlds – and that’s even before you venture millions of years through history to the time of the dinosaurs!

Set in the province of Småland, billed as ‘Sweden for real’, Kalmar is often passed through on the way to the island of Öland. But it has so much to offer. We like it because it’s a little off the main tourist trail – there are lots of landscapes to explore and all the space you need to do it. 

The jewel in Kalmar’s crown is its castle. It’s right out of a storybook, complete with turrets and ramparts, moat, drawbridge, and dungeon. Cross the wooden drawbridge and through the stone-arched tunnel and you’ll find that inside is fully furnished. Explore the King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Suite, and the Golden Room. Ask your tour guide about the many ghosts that are said to roam the halls!  Here, they’re proud that nothing has changed since 1592 so you really will be taking a trip back in time.

Near the castle you’ll find the old town, which tells the story of Kalmar’s once powerful past. Follow the cobbled streets to the medieval city centre and stop for a coffee to enjoy the atmosphere. Modern shops mix with classic wood and stone houses and, just a few streets away, you can dip your toes into the Kalmarsund which separates Småland from Öland.

If you are traveling to Öland, take the 6km road bridge by car or hop on a foot passenger ferry – both are incredibly windswept and scenic routes. Kalmar’s other historical highlights include the 17^th century Castenska Gården and Kalmar Cathedral or pick up a little local history at the County Museum, where you’ll find parts of the shipwrecked Regalskeppet Kronan, including its canons.

The city’s islands and peninsulas stretch into the Baltic Sea, creating the perfect conditions for water sports. You can hire an SUP or kayak and go at your own pace, take a course or enjoy a guided tour. And you’re always near a beach in Kalmar – even when you’re in the city centre!

Småland is a region known for its food producers and artisans. Farmers and food makers are focused on taste and sustainability, and much of their produce is destined for Kalmar’s many restaurants and cafés. It all goes into Swedish homemade dishes and delicious baked goods – the foundation of a fika - which is a great way to spend an afternoon.       

If you’ve still got time and want to travel back many millions of years, visit Europe’s biggest dinosaur exhibition! You’ll come face to face with more than two hundred of the largest and most feared creatures that ever lived. Fortunately for you, they’re in skeleton form. Unfortunately, there are also around fifty of the living, breathing animatronic kind to contend with. You can get eye-to-eye with a T-Rex if you’re feeling brave…