Ystad

Discover Ystad

Ystad is a small but charming city in Scania, or Skåne, part of southern Sweden. It is on the south coast of Scania and has good beaches west and east of the town. Its harbour is a meeting place of ship, train and bus connections. It has a new marina and makes a great base for exploring the area, as well as Skåne. The area was first settled in the 12th century, and the town has an attractive medieval centre, and its coastal position, facing Germany across the Baltic, means that it was closely associated with the Hanseatic League, which it joined in the 14th century. It has a medieval church and many half-timbered houses and pleasant pedestrian streets. Ystad hosts a number of festivals and has a decent art museum, plus a number of other museums and attractions. It is known internationally as the setting for many of the novels of Henning Mankell, featuring fictional Ystad police inspector Kurt Wallander (see Nordic Noir). There are regular Wallander tours in several languages, and even free showings of films in the main square (Stortorget).