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<\/p>\n Read in app<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n This story is available exclusively to Business Insider I visited Copenhagen over the summer, but I added one night in Malm\u00f6, Sweden, to the trip. For me, the most stressful part of planning a trip<\/a> is narrowing down what I want to see, especially when I’m traveling to new countries.<\/p>\n I never want to miss out on anything, and when you only get a few days in a place, there’s no way to see everything. If I’m going somewhere I’m not sure I’ll get to visit again, I feel even more pressure to make the perfect itinerary<\/a>.<\/p>\n I faced that exact conundrum when trying to decide which part of Sweden to visit as part of a trip to nearby Copenhagen, Denmark.<\/p>\n When I visited Copenhagen over the summer, I knew I also wanted to see some of Sweden.<\/p>\n I took a trip to Scandinavia in August 2025.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n In August, my husband and I set off for a trip to Scandinavia to go to a wedding in the small city of Helsingborg, Sweden. We planned to spend the majority of our trip in Copenhagen<\/a>, as we were flying in and out of the Danish city since Helsingborg and Copenhagen are only about an hour and 20 minutes away from each other via train.<\/p>\n Still, we wanted to see a bit of Sweden during our journey, and we knew we wouldn’t have a ton of time to sightsee in Helsingborg because of the wedding. We also didn’t want to have to take a separate flight or spend a full day traveling, which ruled out Stockholm on the other side of the country.<\/p>\n After doing some research, we decided to spend one day and one night in Malm\u00f6, Sweden<\/a>. Malm\u00f6 is the third-largest city in Sweden and one of the country’s fastest-growing cities. I liked the idea of going somewhere that could offer a true glimpse at Swedish culture, and it was extremely convenient to get there.<\/p>\n Adding a day in Malm\u00f6 to our itinerary seemed like a no-brainer.<\/p>\n Going to and from Malm\u00f6 via train was a breeze.<\/p>\n I took a train to Malm\u00f6.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n My husband and I took the train<\/a> from Helsingborg to Malm\u00f6 on a Monday morning, which took about 40 minutes. We also took the train from Malm\u00f6 to Copenhagen the following morning, which was only a 20-minute ride.<\/p>\n The train couldn’t have been easier. It ran in frequent increments, so we just bought tickets upon arrival at the station. It was lovely not to have to plan that part of our journey in advance.<\/p>\n The train was fairly crowded with commuters, but we still managed to find space for ourselves and our luggage.<\/p>\n I stayed at MJ’s, which was just a 10-minute walk from the train station.<\/p>\n I stayed at MJ’s.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n I considered a few different hotels in Malm\u00f6 when planning our trip, but I settled on MJ’s<\/a> fairly quickly. I appreciated that the boutique hotel was just 10 minutes from the train station and within walking distance to restaurants and bars.<\/p>\n The interior also has a floral, pink aesthetic, which appealed to me, and it was in my budget. A one-night stay in a small room cost 1,630 Swedish krona, which was about $170 when I booked our stay.<\/p>\n Walking to MJ’s from the train was easy, even with the luggage my husband and I were toting, and I loved the look of the hotel from the outside.<\/p>\n I couldn’t wait to see the hotel’s courtyard, which I had been ogling online.<\/p>\n The hotel had a pink courtyard.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n One of the things I was most excited about at MJ’s was its interior courtyard, designed for guests to dine and spend time together. It’s covered by a glass dome that features greenery for a touch of whimsy, and its pink walls give it a chic and romantic feel.<\/p>\n It was just as pretty in person as it was in the photos I saw online. When we arrived at the hotel<\/a>, I saw people dining and chatting under tables with umbrellas.<\/p>\n I loved that the upper floors at MJ’s had open windows that overlooked it, so we could catch glimpses as we walked to and from our room.<\/p>\n I was delighted by how big my room was.<\/p>\n We stayed in a small room at MJ’s.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n I selected a small room at MJ’s for our stay, figuring we could handle limited space<\/a> for just one night.<\/p>\n However, to my surprise, the room was large. It had a seating area by the front door, a large bed, and room for a desk and a wardrobe. Likewise, the bathroom featured a large vanity and tub.<\/p>\n I couldn’t believe how much space we got for the price I paid.<\/p>\n I was immediately smitten with how quaint and whimsical Malm\u00f6 is.<\/p>\n A street in Malm\u00f6.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n For our day in Malm\u00f6, I didn’t create a strict itinerary. I mostly planned to wander the city with my husband, hoping to get a feel for what life in Sweden was like.<\/p>\n I was so glad I kept our schedule loose as we started exploring Malm\u00f6, as every street we turned down was beautiful and made me want to see more.<\/p>\n From the brick roads and cobblestone sidewalks to the colorful homes lining the streets, I couldn’t get over how stunning the city was. Greenery grew on many of the homes we passed, and restaurants and shops were often situated in courtyards, creating a sense of community from the architecture alone.<\/p>\n It was also easy for us to travel<\/a> on foot everywhere we went, as biking and walking are popular forms of transportation there.<\/p>\n A visit to Malm\u00f6 Saluhall was a highlight of the day.<\/p>\n I dined at Malm\u00f6 Saluhall.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n After visiting Malm\u00f6 Castle, a popular tourist destination in the city, we stopped for lunch at Malm\u00f6 Saluhall, a food hall offering a diverse array of dining options.<\/p>\n There was a flower market set up outside it when we arrived, and when we walked in, there were stands with almost any food you could think of. I saw other tourists<\/a> like me milling around, but there were also Malm\u00f6 residents who had come to eat on their lunch break.<\/p>\n We feasted on Italian-inspired crostinis before stopping by another booth for pastries and coffee. Everything was, unsurprisingly, delicious, and I loved that the meal came with a side of people-watching.<\/p>\n I found more whimsy at Folkets Park.<\/p>\n Folkets Park was a fun stop.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n After lunch, we made our way to Folkets Park, a family-friendly green space renowned for its vibrant and eclectic installations. There are also performances held there.<\/p>\n There were colorful playgrounds, oversize chairs, and shops inside. It was quiet since we were there during a school day, but I could imagine the area would be packed on weekends.<\/p>\n The colorful design felt so novel compared to the neutral colors I see at most American parks. I could have stayed there for hours.<\/p>\n I felt like I was getting a real glimpse at Swedish culture as I wandered through the city.<\/p>\n I wandered the streets of Malm\u00f6.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the city, popping into shops and sitting on benches to take in the sights. I was charmed by the bookstores, flower shops, and thrift stores<\/a> we entered, and it was fun to see locals and other tourists exploring the area.<\/p>\n I could tell the city was designed to be friendly to tourists, finding English writing nearly everywhere, but it still felt quintessentially European thanks to its architectural style.<\/p>\n I also spotted people sitting at caf\u00e9s enjoying fika, a traditional Swedish snack break, in the afternoon. I loved catching a glimpse at a customary aspect of Swedish culture.<\/p>\n My favorite part of the day was people-watching during happy hour.<\/p>\n Happy hour was one of the best parts of the trip.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n Before we grabbed dinner, my husband and I decided to sit at one of the many outdoor patios in Malm\u00f6, as we wanted to enjoy the city’s ambiance.<\/p>\n We stopped at Mello Yello, a bar located in Lilla Torg, a square in the heart of the city, just a one-minute walk from MJ’s.<\/p>\n As I sipped on a beer, I watched coworkers gather for happy hours,<\/a> families walk to early dinners, and friends meet up after long work days. The atmosphere was unhurried and communal throughout the square. It felt like we could sit for hours, and the staff would be happy to have us.<\/p>\n I also got to eat the cutest affogato I’ve ever seen.<\/p>\n I loved my dessert.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n After drinks, we spent the evening eating dinner, wandering through more squares, and grabbing dessert at Verde Gelato on our way back to our hotel.<\/p>\n My husband and I both love affogatos, so we would have loved them even if they came in plastic cups. Still, the adorable wooden tray and glass serveware made it even sweeter. The aesthetically pleasing touch was in perfect alignment with every other experience we had in Malm\u00f6<\/a> that day, adding to its charm.<\/p>\n We ate them at bistro tables outside the shop, grinning at each other over bites of espresso-gelato goodness.<\/p>\n The city’s location on the water made it even more beautiful.<\/p>\n The views of the water were stunning.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n We were lucky enough to be in Sweden<\/a> in late August, when the sun doesn’t set until around 9 p.m.<\/p>\n We took advantage of the brightness by taking a walk along the edge of the \u00d6resund Strait, which separates Denmark and Sweden, as the sun went down. We had crossed over it on our train ride into Sweden, but it felt even more romantic and quaint up close.<\/p>\n When we returned to MJ’s after dark, the bar in the lobby had a party-like atmosphere going. I appreciated the fun energy, as well as the fact that our room was quiet a few floors up, allowing us to get a peaceful night of rest even as people mingled downstairs.<\/p>\n To top it off, the breakfast buffet at MJ’s was top-notch.<\/p>\n My breakfast was phenomenal.<\/p>\n Samantha Pettyjohn\/Business Insider <\/p>\n The elaborate breakfast spreads at all the hotels I stayed at in Europe amazed me, but MJ’s was among my favorites, and not just because I got to eat it in the pink patio.<\/p>\n
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\n The city just across the water from Copenhagen was one of the highlights of my entire trip.
\n I thought it offered a peek at true Scandinavian living.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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