18 Best Sights in The South and the Kingdom of Glass, Sweden

Lund's Domkyrkan, consecrated in 1145, is a monumental gray-stone Romanesque cathedral, the oldest in Scandinavia. Since the Reformation it has been Lutheran. Its crypt has 23 finely carved pillars, but its main attraction is an astrological clock, Horologum Mirabile Lundense, dating from 1380 and restored in 1923. The "Miraculous Clock of Lund" depicts an amazing pageant of knights jousting on horseback, trumpets blowing a medieval fanfare, and the Magi walking in procession past the Virgin and Child as the organ plays In Dulci Jubilo. The clock plays at noon and at 3 Monday–Saturday and at 1 and 3 on Sunday. The oldest parts of the cathedral are considered the finest Romanesque constructions in Sweden. English and Swedish tours are available.

The attractive coastal town of Kalmar, opposite the Baltic island of Öland, is dominated by the imposing Kalmar Slott. Built in the 12th century, it was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Vasa kings. It remains the best preserved Renaissance castle in Northern Europe today. The living quarters, chapel, and dungeon can be visited—it's definitely worth a stop on your way in or out of Öland.

One of Sweden's most outstanding art museums is in a turn-of-the-20th-century brick building that was once a power plant. It has exhibitions of contemporary art and a quality selection of Nordic art.

Boda Glasbruk, part of the Kosta Boda Company, is the second-oldest glassworks here, founded in 1864. The work here has an ethereal theme, with the designers drawing on cosmic bodies such as the sun and the moon. Much of the work has veils of violet and blue suspended in the crystal.

One block east of the cathedral is the Botaniska Trädgården, which contains more than 7,000 specimens of plants from all over the world, including such exotics as the paper mulberry tree, from the islands of the South Pacific.

You can learn about Scandinavian art and design at the Form/Design Center. The center is run by SvenskForm, a nonprofit association that promotes top-quality design in Sweden. Swedish and other Scandinavian artworks are on display throughout the center.

This is highly impressive building was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder in 1660 in the Italian baroque style. Inside, the massive open spaces create stunning light effects. There are noon concerts on weekdays.

In addition to good archaeological and ethnographic collections, this museum contains the remains of the royal ship Kronan, which sank in 1676. Cannons, wood sculptures, and old coins were all raised from the seabed in 1980. Another exhibit focuses on Jenny Nyström, famous for her paintings of gnomes.

The Franciscan monastery Gråbrödraklostret, which adjoins St. Peter's Church, is one of the best-preserved cloisters in Sweden. The oldest parts date from 1267. Together, the church and monastery are considered the most important historical site in Ystad. Exhibits inside the cloisters trace the history of the Greyfriars order and the abbey, as well as other notable events in Ystad’s past.

The Kingdom of Glass's oldest works, dating from 1742, was named for the two former generals who founded it, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Stael von Holstein. Faced with a dearth of local talent, they initially imported glassblowers from Bohemia. The Kosta works pioneered the production of crystal (to qualify for that label, glass must contain at least 24% lead oxide). You can see glassblowing off-season (mid-August–early June) between 9 and 3. To get to the village of Kosta from Kalmar, drive 49 km (30 mi) west on Route 25, then 14 km (9 mi) north on Route 28.

Right next to the Lund Art Gallery is Krognoshuset, Lund's best-preserved medieval residence, and a small but well-presented art gallery. The building itself is worth a look, but most days you will get the bonus of a contemporary art exhibition showcasing anything from industrial design to video installations.

This cobblestone square has some of the city's oldest buildings, which date from the 17th and 18th centuries. It is clustered with cafés, restaurants, and bars; it's a great place to wander or watch the world go by. Walk into the side streets and see the traditional buildings, which were originally used mainly to store grain and produce. Check out the Saluhallen (food hall), which contains Kryddboden, one of Sweden's best coffee sellers.

The city's castle, Malmöhus, completed in 1542, was for many years used as a prison (James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Boswell and husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, was one of its notable inmates). Exhibits trace the dramatic history of the castle and the city of Malmö over the past 500 years. Malmöhus also houses the Malmö Art Museum and an aquarium, which together with the adjacent Technology and Maritime Museum are part of a complex called Malmö Museer. A single admission ticket gets you into all the museums.

Now one of the best-known glass companies in Sweden, Orrefors arrived on the scene late—in 1898—but set particularly high artistic standards. The skilled workers in Orrefors dance a slow, delicate minuet as they carry the pieces of red-hot glass back and forth, passing them on rods from hand to hand, blowing and shaping them. The basic procedures and tools are ancient, and the finished product is the result of unusual teamwork, from designer to craftsman to finisher. From early June to mid-August you can watch glass being blown.

The Rådhuset, dating from 1546, dominates Stortorget, a huge, cobbled market square in Gamla Staden, and makes an impressive spectacle when illuminated at night.

The royal family, the ministry of foreign affairs, and parliament have all commissioned work from Skruf, which started in 1896. Local farmers encouraged the development of the glassworks because they wanted a market for their wood. The factory specializes in lead-free crystal, which has a unique iridescence and form.

The church itself here was built shortly after 1220 as a basilica in the Romanesque style, though there have been later additions. The watchman's copper horn sounds from the church tower beginning at 9:15 pm and repeating every 15 minutes until 1 am. It's to proclaim that "all is well." The church lies behind Stortorget on Lilla Norregatan.

In Gamla Staden, the Old Town, look for the St. Petri Church, on Kalendegatan; dating from the 14th century, it is an impressive example of the Baltic Gothic style, with distinctive stepped gables. Inside there is a fine Renaissance altar.