← Malmö Marathon·3 nights

Österlen: Apple Country on Skåne's South-East Coast

Three nights in Sweden's largest apple-orchard district, with Kivik's cider tradition, a medieval fortified manor and quiet coastal roads.

Duration3 nights
TransitRegional train via Ystad, about 80 min from Malmö Central to Simrishamn
DepartsMalmö Central Station

After the Malmö Marathon: Österlen

The Route: Malmö Central → Ystad → Österlen → Ystad → Malmö Central → Copenhagen Airport Logistics: Regional train to Ystad, then on towards Simrishamn with a change at Ystad, about 80 minutes in total. Local buses or a hire car are needed to reach orchards and manors away from the stations. Marathon Month: October Duration: 3 nights

Malmö Central ──(about 55 mins)──> Ystad ──(onward, about 80 mins in total)──> Simrishamn / Österlen
Österlen ──(via Ystad)──> Malmö Central ──(about 30 mins)──> Copenhagen Airport (CPH)

Österlen is the south-east corner of Skåne, a coastal region of white-sand beaches, orchards and small harbours. Trains reach it more slowly than Lund or Copenhagen. The regional line to Ystad takes about 55 minutes, and Simrishamn is about 80 minutes from Malmö with a change at Ystad. A hire car from Malmö makes the villages and farms much easier to reach, and driving is a reasonable choice a day or two after the race. Check bus timetables at skanetrafiken.se if you plan to go without one.

October in Österlen: Visit Sweden recommends spring or autumn here, because summer brings Swedish holidaymakers in numbers. Autumn is also the harvest in Sweden's largest apple-orchard district. A regional harvest programme, Skördetid på Österlen, opened in Simrishamn in mid-September in the most recent year it was documented, so check with the local tourist office whether anything still runs in October. Expect daytime highs near 12°C and sea wind.

Night One: Ystad

Break the journey in Ystad and use the first night to recover. Ystad Saltsjöbad, a seaside hotel with a spa, suits that purpose. The town's half-timbered houses and the Wallander walking tour are described in the separate Ystad itinerary. Leave the second leg for the morning, once the legs have eased.

Nights Two and Three: Österlen

Kiviks Musteri, founded in 1888, grows about 70 apple varieties and offers guided tours, cider tastings and a restaurant on site. Confirm the opening days and tour times in October before arranging transport, since small producers keep seasonal schedules.

Glimmingehus is described as the best-preserved medieval manor in Scandinavia. Medieval manors usually involve stairs, so check the access arrangements and go on the third day.

For a bed, Vyn is a restaurant and boutique hotel in Österlen run by the chef Daniel Berlin and holds two Michelin stars. Other restaurants in the region include Kalcium, in a former dairy further south, and Thora Vingård, a vineyard and restaurant elsewhere in Skåne. Check each venue's autumn opening days before planning meals around them.

Pack a rain layer.

Getting to Copenhagen Airport

Return from Simrishamn to Ystad and Malmö Central by regional train, then take the Öresund line to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), about 30 minutes from Malmö according to Visit Sweden. The whole journey is long, so leave a full morning if your flight is before midday. Malmö Airport (MMX) is a separate, smaller airport, so check which one your flight uses.