14 Stunning Tourist Places to Visit and Things to Do in Helsingborg, Sweden

May 27, 2024 Mustafa Natalwala 1107 Views

Helsingborg is a town in the Skane County of Sweden. It is one of the oldest cities in Sweden. Some of the best places to visit in Helsingborg include historical buildings, castles, and churches. Just outside the city, you will find beautiful nature reserves with a prehistoric site shrouded in mystery.

There are also fun things to do in Helsingborg for entertainment, sports, shopping, and dining. The city also has several interesting cultural venues and museums that you can enjoy alongside Helsingborg sightseeing. And at the west end of the city is a nice beach. The Helsingborg beach to enjoy the evenings by the sea. You can sit by the sea watching the waves, enjoy beach sports, or have a great meal with an ocean view.

The majority of the top things to see in Helsingborg are in the old town area. This place has a charming vibe and transports you to the 19th century. You will find small alleyways and pedestrian-only streets lined with old houses when you visit Helsingborg’s old town.

These buildings have shops, cafes, and restaurants on the street side. When you travel to Helsingborg, you can come here for shopping, dining, street food, & more. Just walking these streets and observing people has a soothing effect, such is the charm of the old town.

In this old town, you will also find Helsingborg tourist attractions like the Karnan Castle and the Red Town Hall. These are known for their historical significance and architectural marvels. There are also many historical places to visit near Helsingborg, Sweden. The Sofiero Castle and Kronborg Castles are only a few minutes away from the city. Both of these castles hold a special place in the region’s royal and battle history. They are also popular places to see in Helsingborg for their association with legends, literature, and folklore.

Alongside these historical sites, you should also check out the various museums in the city. There are museums dedicated to the city’s history, printing, modern art, and so on. But, Helsingborg attractions also include museums dedicated to disgusting food and failed innovations. These are quite interesting and fun to explore.

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Table of Contents

Top 14 Tourist Places to Visit in Helsingborg, Sweden

1. Kullagatan Street

This is the oldest pedestrian street in Sweden and still holds a quaint charm that you can’t find anywhere else during Helsingborg sightseeing. The street is lined on both sides with shops, cafes, and restaurants in old buildings.

The architecture, paved pathways, and open glass stores create an endearing environment. The street is popular for shopping and dining. It is home to some of the oldest establishments. You will also find a few historical places to see in Helsingborg on this street. It is also a great place to just roam around in the evening and you can spend hours enjoying it.

2. Karnan Castle

This castle dates back to the 14th century. It is one of the best places to visit in Helsingborg, Sweden to learn about the city’s ancient history. The castle is one of the oldest Nordic castles. The name literally translates as The Core. It was the centerpiece and guardian of a prosperous city for centuries.

However, today only a 35-meter-high tower remains of the castle. Despite its age, the tower looks dominating. It is one of the most majestic things to see in Helsingborg’s old town.

You can see what the castle used to be in the tower’s exhibition. The tower top also gives you amazing views of the old town. You will need about an hour to explore and tour the tower and its exhibition.

3. Red Town Hall (Helsingborg City Hall)

This town hall is one of the most iconic historical Helsingborg attractions. The 65-meter-tall bell tower dominates the landscape. Built-in 1870, the building is also known for its Neo-Gothic architecture.

You can take a guided tour of the town hall. The tour gives you insight into the building including its history, architecture, and artworks that adorn the interiors. The building is also surrounded by memorials and statues that commemorate different heroes. You will need an hour to tour the red town hall when you visit Helsingborg, Sweden.

4. Fredriksdal Museum & Gardens

This is the largest open-air museum in Sweden. It is built like an old town and has about 50 buildings. These represent old mill, manor houses, craft shops, agricultural huts, and so on. It is one of the most interesting things to see in Helsingborg, Sweden.

It gives you a glimpse of how the ancient culture used to be in the region. The museum shows you how people lived, the things they did, equipments used, and so on. The complex is also home to beautiful gardens. The most popular among these is a rose garden with more than 500 species of flowers. You will need about 2 hours from Helsingborg travel to tour this museum.

5. St. Mary’s Church (Sankta Maria kyrka)

Dating back to the 12th century, this is the oldest church in the town. The church was destroyed and rebuilt in the 15th century. The current structure is known for its wonderful gothic style architecture. The interior is quite simple, but the altarpiece is ornate. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to explore the church.

6. Landborg Promenade (Landborgspromenaden)

This promenade stretches for 14 kilometers and passes by landmarks, beaches, and forest. It is one of the most popular hiking trails around the town. It is a great way to enjoy nice leisurely walks, especially in the morning or evening. It is a coastal path so you can also enjoy fun things to do in Helsingborg by the beach. You can easily spend hours walking along the promenade and enjoying the views.

7. Sofiero Palace

This is one of the most amazing places to visit near Helsingborg. The castle sits just around 5 km away from the town. However, it is better known for the garden and park than the castle itself. The grounds have beautifully curated gardens with a lot of colourful flowers.

Sofiero was once home to Swedish royals since the 19th century. You can take guided tours of the castle to get a glimpse of the regal lifestyle. The castle also has storytelling sessions, gardening workshops, and other fun activities for children. It is one of the best Helsingborg tourist attractions for families. You can easily spend a couple of hours exploring the castle grounds.

8. Dunkers Culture House (Dunkers kulturhus)

The culture house was designed by Danish architect Kim Utzon. It is one of the finest works of modern architecture in the town. The complex has an art museum, theatre, and concert hall. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsingborg for leisure and entertainment.

It is dedicated to cultural activities including paintings, dance, music, drama, and so on. The exhibitions keep changing, however, there are permanent exhibitions for art museum dedicated to local artists. You will need at least an hour to tour the cultural centre.

9. Tropical Beach

It is unlikely, but it’s there. You have a Helsingborg beach right at the edge of the town. It looks like a tropical beach with golden sands, waving palm trees, and a shimmering blue sea. There are lounge chairs to relax sitting by the ocean. You can also enjoy beach activities and picnics at this beach in Helsingborg. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.

10. Tropikariet Zoo

This indoor zoo is one of the most popular places to visit in Helsingborg. It houses a variety of animals including monkeys, meerkats, bats, birds, sharks, crocodiles, lemurs, and more. However, the best part is that you can interact with some of the animals.

The zoo has fun things to do in Helsingborg for families. You can touch, pet, and feed many of the animals. Children also get to be zookeepers for a day and get close to the animals. You can easily spend 1 or 2 hours exploring and enjoying this zoo.

11. Helsingborg Printing Museum (Grafiska Museet)

This is the largest operational printing museum in all of Scandinavia. The Skane area was a major hub of the printing industry. The museum preserves several printing presses that are hundreds of years old. It is one of the most interesting places to visit in Helsingborg for those who enjoy historical artifacts.

You can see how the equipments used to work and the unique results the archaic machines can create. People can also buy souvenirs made with these printing machines. You will need about 30 to 45 minutes to tour this museum.

12. Museum of Failure Innovation

This is a museum that everyone should visit, especially if you are an entrepreneur. This museum exhibits and analyses some of the biggest products that flopped on the market.

You will see products like Google Glass, Coke II, Sony Betamax, Apple’s Newton, Kodak DC40 digital camera, Donald Trump’s Monopoly, and many more. It is one of the most interesting things to see in Helsingborg, Sweden. You will need about 2 hours to tour this museum.

13. Kronborg Castle

This grand castle is one of the most amazing places to visit near Helsingborg. This castle is immortalized in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The castle is also associated with Holger the Dane, one of the twelve knights of Charmalagne. Folklore says that Holger sleeps under this castle and would awaken if the country is ever in peril.

You can tour the castle for its history and regal grandeur. You can also explore the castle for the stories and legends. It is one of the most interesting Helsingborg tourist attractions. You will need about 2 to 3 hours to tour the castle.

14. Sliprännor i Gantofta

The path along this ravine is one of the best hiking trails near Helsingborg. You step into the lush valley and walk towards the basin. Along the road, you will see interesting rock formations on porous sandstone walls. These are lesser-known historical Helsingborg attractions.

These bowl shaped groves were carved by prehistoric humans. It is believed that these sandstone walls were used to sharpen tools like knives, axes, and swords. Some estimates also say that these might be used for religious practices. It is a mystery you can ponder upon as you explore the forest. You will need at least 2 to 3 hours for this trail.

If you are looking for more places to see in Helsingborg, check out the sections below. We have compiled an exhaustive list of attractions and activities that you can enjoy in the town and around it.

Things to do in Helsingborg, Sweden

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Helsingborg, Sweden

Fredriksdal Museum & Gardens
Karnan Castle
Sofiero Castle
Dunkers Cultural Center
Helsingborg City Hall
Kronborg Castle
Ramparts of Raa
St. Mary’s Church
Red Town Hall
Helsingborg Print Museum
Museum of Failure Innovation
The Sports Museum
Disgusting Food Museum
Landskrona Slott Castle
Malmo Modern Art Museum
Beredskaps Museet

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Helsingborg, Sweden

Palsjo Skog
Gantofta Sliprannor
Kullaleden Nature Reserve
Soderasens National Park

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Helsingborg, Sweden

Tropikariet Zoo
Spelpalatset i Helsingborg
Breakout Sweden
GoKart City
Idrottsoasen
Helsingborg Arena
Ramlosa Health Resort
Bakken Amusement Park
Folkets Park
Slottstradgarden
Halmstad Adventure Land

Shopping in Helsingborg, Sweden

Kullagaten Street
Soder Shopping Mall
Vala Centrum Mall
Viva Nilla Shopping Mall

Beaches & Islands in Helsingborg, Sweden

Helsingborg Tropical Beach
Ribersborgs Strande

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventures in Helsingborg, Sweden

Hiking

Sightseeing in Helsingborg, Sweden

Ramsola
North Harbour
Kullagatan Street
Landborg Promenade
Stortorget
Drottningatten

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Helsingborg, Sweden

Sillen & Makrillen
Tikal
Anjo Wine & Dine
Il Mio Ristorante
AMA
The South Indian
The Social Bar
Scandic Oceanhamnen
KOL & Cocktails
Mittimelan
Redimat
+39 Trattoria Italiana
Olsons Skafferi
Turistgarden
Tokyo 15
Chateau Foret
Drottninggaten 35
Palsjo Krog

Where to Stay in Helsingborg?

Here we have listed Top Rated Hotels in Helsingborg. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Helsingborg.

How to Reach Helsingborg, Sweden?

By Air

The Angelholm-Helsingborg airport is about 40 km away from the town. You can get direct flights to reach Helsingborg from Stockholm, Salen, Visby, and Ostersund. However, all other destinations except Stockholm are seasonal. So the best option is to get to Stockholm and then travel to Helsingborg. You can get rental cars and cabs to get to the town from the airport.

By Road

You can get direct trains to reach Helsingborg from Copenhagen, Malmo, Lund, and Gothenburg. These trains run regularly and is the fastest way to reach Helsingborg from within Sweden. You can also get direct buses to visit Helsingborg from Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, and several other cities and towns in Sweden.

If you are planning to reach Helsingborg by car, you should head for routes E4 or E6.

By Water

You can get ferry rides for Helsingborg travel from Elsinore in Denmark. The ferry ride is only 20-30 minutes long and you can get a ferry to travel between these two towns every few minutes.

Image Reference

Kullagatan Street – Dguendel / Wikimedia Commons
Karnan Castle – Bruno / PixaBay
Red Town Hall (Helsingborg City Hall) – Plenz / Wikimedia Commons
Fredriksdal Museum & Gardens – Dguendel / Wikimedia Commons
St. Mary’s Church (Sankta Maria kyrka) – Jens Cederskjold / Wikimedia Commons
Landborg Promenade (Landborgspromenaden) – Guillaume Baviere / Flickr
Sofiero Palace – Guillaume Baviere / Flickr
Dunkers Culture House (Dunkers kulturhus) – Håkan Dahlström / Flickr
Tropical Beach – Guillaume Baviere / Flickr
Tropikariet Zoo – Guillaume Baviere / Flickr
Helsingborg Printing Museum (Grafiska Museet) – Nalle&Lisa / Wikimedia Commons
Museum of Failure Innovation –
Kronborg Castle – Dennis Jarvis / Flickr
Sliprännor i Gantofta – Jorchr / Wikimedia Commons