The guide to outings outside Malmö

Around an hour by car from Malmö you'll find the multi-kilometre long sandy beach Sandhammaren, which is regularly voted Sweden's most beautiful. The fine-grained white sand and the blue-green water naturally evoke thoughts of the tropics. Take a stroll along the shoreline or through the pine forest, take a dip or relax on the beach. This is a really popular destination, so on some days it can be tricky to find a parking space. If you head further away from the beach, it's good to know there's an unsigned nude beach at the western end of Sandhammaren beach.

In the 12th century, Bosjökloster was a nunnery; these days it's a popular excursion destination with numerous strings to its bow, especially in summer. Join guided tours with guides in historical clothing, enjoy concerts and exhibitions, have coffee and lunch, stroll in the beautiful gardens, ride the zipline, have a picnic, borrow a rowing boat and visit the animals on the farm. Bosjökloster is run by a dedicated family who tenderly care for the estate and ensure it flourishes in all its glory. In the garden is also the so‑called thousand‑year oak, which isn't quite 1,000 years old, more like 600–800 years, but can proudly claim to be Skåne's largest tree. The park is open to visitors all year round; café and exhibitions from May to September.

Just east of Helsingborg, in Söderåsen National Park, you can hike through ancient beech forests and majestic valleys, enjoy panoramic views from the high ground and swim and fish in Odensjön. Highlights include the 200-metre-high viewpoint Kopparhatten and the deep rift valley Skäralid, which cuts eight kilometres into Söderåsen and is sometimes called Sweden's Grand Canyon.

The Nordström family has running Ängavallen since 1971, with a farmshop selling masses of organic goodies. The farm, which is around a 20 minute drive from Malmö, also has its own mill, dairy, creamery, bakery, restaurant, café, picnic spot, herb garden and a farm hotel. Everything at Ängavallen is a 100% organic and most of what they sell in their shop comes from their own farm.

This medieval town on the south coast of Skåne charms tourists with its cobbled streets and picturesque little houses. Wander around and take in the history, particularly in the old part of the town, where the street layout is largely unchanged since the Middle Ages and there are several beautifully preserved buildings from that period. For example, the Apotekarhuset from the 15th century is one of the oldest inhabited houses in Scandinavia. If you're a fan of the Wallander detective TV series, Ystad will look very familiar to you, as the series is set and filmed here. In addition to history and culture, you can enjoy the beautiful beaches nearby and perhaps a visit to Ystad Saltsjöbad?

Hjularöd Castle, around 40 minutes from Malmö, was the setting for a very popular children's tv programme in the Nineties, making it a familiar backdrop for many Swedes. The outdoor scenes were shot in the castle courtyard, as the castle itself and the area inside the moat are closed to the public. If you're passing by, it's worth stopping and looking around, especially if you grew up in the 90s.

The great thing about having Malmö as a starting point is that you can experience both a Swedish and a Danish city in the same hour, if you want. On the Danish side of the Öresund bridge you can shop on Strøget, ride the fairground rides at Tivoli, visit the Glyptotek art gallery, watch the changing of the guards at Amalienborg, get your photo taken with the Little Mermaid, wander round Nyhavn, eat open sandwiches or visit the Hans Christian Andersen Experience. There's something for the whole family in Copenhagen!

In Torup there's a large beech forest full of nature experiences, the joy of exercise, culture and activities for children. The forest consists of several hundred hectares of beech woodland, arable land, pasture and even a castle with a palace park and gardens. Here you'll find outdoor gyms and fitness trails of 2–10 kilometres for those who want to work out or take a walk or run in beautiful nature, Torup's outdoor recreation centre with sauna and café in a granite storehouse from the 18th century, playgrounds and a themed trail for children, the Statarmuseet where you can visit reconstructed crofter and farm labourer dwellings, and the crowning glory – Torup Castle. The 14th-century castle is one of the Nordic region's best-preserved Renaissance fortresses with a well-kept palace park and garden with a history that dates back five centuries. Join guided tours and feel the echoes of the past in the café. In other words, the beech forest offers experiences for the whole family.

One of the Iron Age's largest and most significant settlements can be found at Uppåkra, outside Lund. So far more than 28,000 metal objects in coppar, silver, bronze and gold have been found, making Uppåkra one of the most abundant ancient remins in Scandinavia. The Uppåkra settlement period was from around 100 BC to 1000 AD. During the summer months the centre is open to the public and there are guided tours if you want to find more.

Lund is probably best known in Sweden as a student town, and it is. But there's much more than the prestigious university to discover; Lund boasts a cathedral, thought to have been built from the early 12th century and the Kulturen i Lund open-air museum, which stretches over two blocks and includes several culturally important buildings and gardens from the middle ages to the Thirties. Don't miss the a visit to the Botanical Gardens, home to more than 7,000 plant species.

The town of Helsingborg in northwest Skåne is on the narrowest part of the Öresund strait. Shop Sweden's oldest pedestrian street, visit Sofiero castle, drink water direct from Ramlösa spring, get cultural at Dunkers cultural centre or take the ferry over to Danish Helsingör. The ferry takes around 20 minutes and once you're on the Danish side you can visit Kronborg, the castle where Shakespeare's Hamlet was set. When you're in Helsingborg, don't miss a visit to Zoégas café and shop, where the coffee wheel in the shop window has been spinning since 1931. On sunny days, head to Rydebäcksbadet, where there's a 190 metre-long bathing jetty and a long sandy beach.

White beaches, brightly coloured bathing huts and plenty of good restaurants. That's what you can expect of a visit to Skanör-Falsterbo, two medieval villages which have gradually grown together but are still two different postal districts. Stroll among picturesque houses, look for amber or kitesurf on Ljunghusen beach, play golf or eat a herring sandwich in Skanör harbour. Don't miss eating at Badhytten restaurant, right on the beach. And if you're a fan of horses, the annual Falsterbo Horse Show is a must visit.

Hällåkra Winery is around 40 minutes by car from Malmö. Since 2003 they've been letting their grapevines develop in harmony with the natural conditions, giving their wines their characteristic Scandinavian flavour. Around 24,000 vines produce red, white, sparkling and dessert wines. Wander in the vineyards, sample the wines and enjoy food from the restaurant with its charming alfresco dining area.

Dalby Söderskog is one of the country's two southernmost national parks; only Stenshuvud lies even further south. However, Dalby Söderskog is Europe's smallest national park, which is quite an achievement in itself. By bus from Malmö the trip takes just over an hour, while driving takes a little over 20 minutes. Once there, you'll find lovely (and short) walking trails through the deciduous forest, one of which is 600 metres long and accessibility-adapted. This is an excellent destination when you want to get out of the city and breathe forest air for a while.

This tip might seem obvious – Lomma is only an 18-minute drive and 9 (!) minutes by train from Malmö – but a reminder of this laid-back coastal town is still in order. The coastline stretches for a full 21 kilometres, so much here revolves around the sea. The town is especially lovely in summer, of course, when Kajgatan in the harbour becomes a car-free summer pedestrian street with outdoor seating from where you can enjoy the sound of the waves and the boats chugging by. Lomma is also a particularly popular destination for daring wind- and kitesurfers and for people who want to relax on the beach, but on land you can spend lazy days eating ice cream, visiting the Bjersund brickworks museum, having a fika at Borgeby Castle, and strolling in Alnarp Park. There's also a 500-metre-long jetty that leads out to the cold bathhouse, which has attracted bathers since the early 1900s.