The town seems much larger than it is when you first start looking around, partly because it is so tourist focused and so there are a lot of bars, restaurants and cafes squeezed into a few blocks by the ferry terminal, and partly because everything in the town is centred around the ferry.

Helsingborg has wide open streets with cafes and bars spilling out onto the pavements. There is a more visible drinking culture that other Swedish towns. Throughout the town, there are numerous old buildings in very good repair, the city having been there since 1085.

Sankta Maria kyrka

Currently under reconstruction, the church is in the center of a public square, surrounded by restaurants. It has a very Amsterdam vibe because of this mixed usage space.

Terrasstrapporna

Not quite the Spanish steps of Barcelona, they are none the less impressive and lead you up to Kärnan and the park. At the top there is an overlook back to he water and city.

Kärnan

A single tall tower is all that remains of the historic structure. Opened as a viewing platform and a museum, you can, for a small fee, climb up the various levels, learning about the local history before you reach the rooftop, where you have fantastic views over the city.

Konsul Trapps plats

A statue and square before the Terrasstrapporna and Kärnan, the green bronze statue is distinctive.

Jacob Hansens Hus

Strangely surrounded by shops and chain stores, this historic building, in a vibrant red, stands out as something special. Used as a conference center and wedding venue, it lends itself to photography.

Låsta Kärlekar

The viewpoint over the Øresund gives a view of the city of Helsingør, four kilometres away, that makes up Helsingborg’s larger sibling. Flags fly here for all of the Nordic countries.

Tropical Beach

Just down from Låsta Kärlekar is a white sand beach, with a few dwarf palm trees and a deliberately rickety Jamaican style bar blasting tunes, due to its location its likely to be either busy or deserted depending on the weather. The all electric ferries have do doubt made the beach-front a much more appealing place to be.

Helsingborgs Stadhus

A large building on the main road, it is most noticeable for the crazy bells inside, the players trying and failing to find a tune they can agree on every hour.

Magnus Stenbocks staty

A well constructed statue of Magnus Stenbocks, sat facing the City Hall.

Essenska villan

Towards the east end of town, this large manor house with gardens is every visible. It won my approval by the small wooden ramp to allow dogs to easily drink water from its decorative pond.

Dunkers Kulturhus

A large art space offering permanent and temporary exhibits. The most striking when I was there being The Thin Line by photographer Björn Persson, a striking photo journal capturing endangered species, particularly in Africa. It is an ongoing reminder of the fragility of our planet.

Stadsparken

The city park near to the Comfort Hotel surrounds the city library and a large fountain. It gives a good green space to the area and offers a children’s activity center as well.

Slottshagen

A good sized park around Kärnan, in the centre of town. It seems to be a very popular place for games of Kubb.

Nya Kyrkogården

With a certain dark Swedish humour, the graveyard sits next to the retirement home, and is on a hill above the old graveyard. In both spaces there is some impressive architecture to be seen, and the eerie quiet you find in a graveyard.

Sofia Slott

A manor house set in expansive gardens, some maintained and some wild, its a good place for an afternoons walk. The house is relatively modern and houses a shop and restaurant, behind it, a sharp hill drops down into more wild gardens along with various art emplacements reminiscent of Viking standing stones.

Cafe Meze

I stopped in here to hide from the rain that suddenly came down. They’re very hot on stopping under-aged drinking, a clear issue with the number of tourists using Helsingborg as a brief base. It is not quite sure what it is as a cafe, fast food, coffee culture, beers or something else giving it a bit of a strange vibe. It was extremely busy, partly due to how many businesses were closed for the Midsummer break.

Kings Corner Steak `n Pub

A basic pub offering food on the main road. Burger was fine, and unlike most other venues it was open.