Lund
The Cathedral And University Town Of Skane: A Romanesque Cathedral With An Astronomical Clock And A Giant In The Crypt, Kulturen Open Air Museum And One Of Scandinavia'S Oldest Universities · Lund, Skane County
Lund is the old cathedral and university town of Skane, a compact city of cobbled lanes, brick houses and student bicycles ten to fifteen minutes by train from Malmo. It was a church capital before Stockholm existed: the archbishop of Lund once led the church of all Scandinavia, and the Romanesque cathedral, whose high altar is usually dated to a consecration in 1145, is still the finest building of its kind in the Nordic countries. Inside are a medieval astronomical clock that plays a tune with moving figures, and a pillared crypt where a stone giant, Finn, is said to clutch a column. Around it are Lund University, founded in 1666 and one of the oldest in northern Europe, the green park of Lundagard, the Kulturen open-air museum in the middle of town and a free botanical garden. People come for a calm day of history, gardens and student life, often as an easy hop from Malmo or Copenhagen. The honest caveat: the sights are small and close together, the town is quiet in July when students leave, and one day is usually enough.
Lund Cathedral, Kyrkogatan, and the university quarter of central Lund, about 15 minutes by train from Malmo, Lund, Skane County, Sweden
Lund is a living town, open all year. The cathedral is usually open daily from morning to early evening, with free entry, but it closes to sightseers during services, weddings and concerts - check the current schedule before you go. The astronomical clock performs at set times, usually around midday and mid-afternoon, with different times on Sundays; confirm locally and arrive early. Kulturen is typically open daily in summer and closed on Mondays with shorter hours in winter - check the current schedule. The Botanical Garden grounds are free and open daily from morning until evening; its greenhouses keep shorter hours and may close in winter. Skissernas museum is usually closed on Mondays. Getting there: Skanetrafiken regional trains and the Oresundstag trains run very often from Malmo in about 10-15 minutes and from Copenhagen airport in about 35 minutes; SJ long-distance trains to Stockholm and Gothenburg also stop at Lund C. Nothing in town needs advance booking except guided tours in summer and hotels in the carnival and graduation weeks of May and June.