{AD} Falling in love with Skåne

This post is in collaboration with Visit Skåne who covered our flights, accommodation and expenses for this trip. All thoughts, opinions and images are, as ever, my own.

If I close my eyes, I’m back in the limpid water, so clear that I can see crabs scuttling along the seabed, so deliciously cool that submerging my shoulders causes a sharp intake of breath. The horizon, navy and sparkling, stretches away, my floating self a tiny ripple in an endless ocean. Above me, the sky is blue and cloudless, the afternoon sun hot and low. I can hear the splash and giggle of my delighted children and the soft ebb of calm sea. It’s a perfect moment. I feel utterly alive and there is nowhere I’d rather be than in this quiet corner of the ocean, at the southernmost tip of Sweden, in the magical place called Skåne.

It was the last week of the summer when I fell in love with Skåne. The final days of August were blissfully warm, and we travelled as a family of five to the edge of Sweden: where the sea meets the sky, the beach flowers grow and the sun sparkles on the surface of the water. We flew into Copenhagen and travelled across the Oresund bridge to Malmö, from which we made the short drive to Villa Sigrid, the sweetest of seaside cabins with its dark wood exterior and elegant white interior, filled with local design and handicrafts.

The beach was a short stroll from Villa Sigrid. On that first afternoon, we filled a picnic basket with local farm shop produce and made our way to the sand, to watch the sun go down, and wash away the dust of the day in the dancing waves. We returned to the shore every chance that we got- walking down to our local beach in Vejbystrand, and also seeking out beautiful beaches (of which there were many) wherever we travelled in the region.

Every day, we swam in the sea- the shallow waves of Vejbystrand, the clear calm waters by the bathing steps in Mölle, the sweeping expanse of beach at Skanör and the sparkling Baltic at Sandhammaren. These dips were the highlight of the trip for me, and my boys have spoken wistfully of them many times since we returned home.

I adored everything about our time in Skåne, but most of all, I can’t stop dreaming about the light. I think of the soft glow through the windows each morning, the glitter of sunshine reflected on waves, the clear crisp coastal light and the glorious golden sunsets as the sun’s glow disappeared into the sea. It’s no wonder that artists are drawn to this part of the world with its hazy days and expansive skies.

Skåne is full of charming towns and picturesque villages. We particularly loved the university town of Lund with its cobbled streets and timber-framed houses. Bookworms all, we swooned over the university’s stunning library, and wiled away an afternoon at the elegant botanical gardens and fascinating Skissernas art museum.

A trip to Sweden wouldn’t be complete without indulging in Fika -that wonderful ritual of taking time to chat with coffee and cake. My boys became cinnamon bun connoisseurs during our trip and we visited countless lovely cafes, our favourites being the relaxed and characterful Mölle Krukmakeri pottery and restaurant, and irresistible Österlen bakery, Olof Viktors

With its national parks, peaceful countryside and majestic coastline, Skåne was a nature-lover’s paradise. We explored nature reserves and coastal paths – beautiful, clean, quiet and dotted with wildflowers. Other delights included the lighthouses, long rows of beach huts, quaint harbours and of course swimming spots – which were always clearly marked and helpfully signposted from the road. The boys soon recognised the swimming icon, exclaiming excitedly whenever they saw it, in hope of yet another dip.

This summer, we discovered a place where we could breathe in deep, paddle in the waves and watch the sun sink slow. A place where we could stop and take stock, wriggle our toes in the sand and feel the wind on our faces. A place with fresh magic around every corner. A place that we fell in love with and now dream endlessly of returning to. We discovered Skåne.

You can see a day-by-day account of our trip on my Instagram Stories. To find out about the delights of Skåne head over to Visit Skåne. You’ll also find them on Instagram as @visitskane.