Looking for the ultimate weekend away in Österlen, Skåne or Ystad, Sweden? Here’s the best beaches, farmshops, restaurants and experiences you cannot miss!
Road tripping to Österlen, Skåne and stopping along the way in Ystad, Sweden’s most picturesque seaside village, has been one of my favourite trips in Sweden. It had wanted to visit for a while so when we finally got the chance I was so excited. Scrolling through the “Ystad Sweden” and “Österlen” search sections on Pinterest, I was determined to find all of these beautiful places to visit in Skåne and add them to our itinerary.
Surrounded by images of cosy cafes with tables inside greenhouses, farm shops selling local produce and beaches that looked almost tropical, I had high hopes. Österlen is home to some of Skåne’s most intriguing sites. Ale Stenar and Stenhuvud National Park being only two of them!
Discover the best Restaurants in Ystad, gårdsbutik and farmshops in Österlen and the best experiences summer in Sweden has to offer!
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We spent a total of 3 days in Österlen and were not disappointed! I hope this guide helps you to plan your dream trip! If you’re visiting Österlen and Ystad, Sweden will not disappoint you!
This guide includes:
- Where to stay in Ystad
- Cafes you have to visit
- The best restaurants
- The best farmshops
- Things to do in Österlen and Ystad
Top Tips For Visiting Österlen and Ystad, Sweden
Where To Stay in Ystad
You can find so many beautiful bed and breakfasts around this area, wherever you look! We wanted to mix it up a bit with this trip and decided to do one night camping and one at a hotel. This way we managed to travel a little more budget and stay in natural Österlen, Skåne’s most diverse landscape.
We decided to stay one night camping near Kivik and one night in a bed and breakfast near Ystad.
Österlen has some of Skåne’s cosiest B&Bs
We stayed at Logi Gamlegård (also called Aura Österlen) and it was beautiful! We had wanted more of a boutique farm stay type vibe for our trip this was perfect! The cost of accomodation in Österlen, and Sweden in general, is usually quite high so for a more budgets stay it was great value for money!
As well as being a bed and breakfast, Logi Gamlegård also have a yoga studio connected to the reception. Here they run weekly yoga sessions and often retreats that include meditation and yoga classes!
The garden was a dream, with tables and chairs at the end to sit and enjoy the last of the evening light! With recommendation from the owner, we ordered thai takeaway from a local restaurant and ate it in the garden!
Österlen’s best camping spots
Camping in Sweden is usually very easy, with their public access laws allowing you to camp basically anywhere. You just need to make sure that you are a distance enough away from private property. Unfortunately, when camping, Österlen is one of the worst places to find free camping in Sweden, being such a popular summer destination. Nearer the cities the only space to camp is in paid camping grounds. The woodland areas have no camping signs until you get further away from the city towards the national parks.
It is possible to camp nearer to Kivik where the Skåneleden hiking trail passes through Stenshuvud National Park. We ended up finding a beautiful field overlooking the water where we stayed for the evening. It was only 20 minutes east of Ystad, Sweden by car. When it comes to choosing a spot, my best advice is to start scouting early! If you take a look at the area on Google Maps, that way you can see the best possibilities first!
Cafes and Restaurants in Österlen, Skåne
Skåne is known for its farmshops and eateries, especially when it comes to picturesque country style Cafes. Österlen is home to some of the best in Sweden for coffee, cakes and takeaway produce!
Åberg’s Trädgård and Cafe
Åberg’s Trädgård and Cafe is exactly the quaint, cosy place you imagine when you are planning your trip to Österlen, Skåne. It is traditionally a big nursery, with rows and rows of plants for sale! Set up in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible. The cafe is an extension of this, all the food made with the produce from the nursery. Because of this, their menu changes daily depending on what food they have on offer.
We had beetroot and goats cheese pie, spinach and cheese pie and a bean soup! They were all SO delicious, I couldn’t recommend it any more as a lunch spot!
Olof Viktors
Olof Viktors is a beautiful cafe and garden. They have the most delicious cakes (fika), and lunch too! You can eat either inside their farm style cottage, or in one of the many cosy spots in the garden. We took a berry slice, a chocolate cake, a dammsugare and a summer pie and they were all perfect! They sell local produce such as jams and sausages in their farm shop – all grown or made in Österlen or Skåne.
The Best Restaurant: Kivid and Ystad, Sweden
Upp Eller Ner, Ystad
Located in Ystad, this restaurant is a very nice mix of casual with a elegant flare. We risked it a little and did not book ahead (would always recommend this), but were lucky to arrive as another table were leaving! “Upp Eller Ner” comes from the fact that the restaurant is actually connected to an underground ice-creamery and bar! We took a table outside, in the town square, and enjoyed some pasta, mussels and a delicious burger!
Gårdens Cafe & Vedugn, Kivik
This place was recommended to us by the friends we were travelling with who had been there before and could not stop raving about the delicious salad they had eaten! I don’t know about you, but it’s not often that I come out of a pizza place recommending the salad to everyone ! But I can confirm that they were very right! It is probably the best restaurant in Kivik and one of the nicest to sit in too! Although they specialise in Pizza, they had a few other things on their menu including salads, and a charcuterie board.
Some Other Recommendations
Unfortunately being in the area for only a few days we didn’t get to try all the places we had on the list. I guess that just gives us a great excuse to go back though! Here’s a few other places I have had recommended to me!
Mellby Klockagård, Österlen
I am honestly gutted we didn’t make it here! I remember reading about it on a blog post from Ourfoodstories and their trip to Skåne and immediately wanting to visit. Unfortunately it is only open on weekends for dinner and you do need to book in advance! They have a seasonal menu that changed every night, using a lot of ingredients from the garden!
Örum 119, Ystad, Sweden
Örum 119 is a bed and breakfast with a restaurant that is open for dinner! They serve wood fired pizza and we have heard from a few different people that it is AMAZING! Unfortunately you also have to book this in advance so we missed out this time!
Pastafabriken, Ystad Sweden
I have also heard many good things about this place, I think more for the aesthetic and feel of the place rather than it being the best pasta in the world! It looks super cosy and we hope to check it out next time
Places to visit in Skåne
Stenhuvud National Park
Stenshuvud National Park covers quite a big area in the east of Österlen. Only an hour East of Ystad, Sweden’s nature is at it’s best! It is a big national park with luscious forests and almost tropical beaches that make you feel like you are in Thailand of Bali instead of the south of Sweden!
There is a popular hiking trail (Skåneleden) that runs though Southern Sweden and is a great way to discover the nature of Österlen. it is a very popular route for walkers and campers in the summer time! Much of this walk goes through Stenshuvud National Park, so it can be a great place for a beach side camping holiday with over 100km of hiking too!
One of the best beaches in the area is Knäbäckshusen! It was super busy when we were there in the middle of summer but would be a lot quieter if you went in the spring or autumn months. There are quieter beaches that can only be accessed by foot, on hiking trails through the national park! If you are looking for a more private spot then this is definitely the way to go!
Haväng
Haväng is another park area, similar to Stenshuvud, but with a much bigger stretch of sandy white beach! We took quite a short walk here but enjoyed the landscape a lot! We saw a lot of hikers passing through as this is also a part of the Skåneleden hike! Getting here is easy, you just park in the public car park and walk through the gate into the park area, across the grass and down on to the beach!
Ale Stenar/ The Ale Stones
Ale Stenar (translated to Ale Stones in English) is 20 minutes from Ystad, Sweden does have it’s very own Stonge Henge, only a little bit smaller! On the edge of a cliff in a luscious green meadow, Ale Stenar dates back to the mid 1500s. Like Stone Henge, it is a circle made up of 59 rocks placed in a position that can measure the sunrise at all different times of the year. It is a small walk to get here but it makes a nice loop if you start the walk in the car park and go up to the rocks via the meadow, and back via the harbour! At the harbour there are a few nice restaurants and cafes to eat at on the way back! From here it is only a 5 minute walk back to the car.
Hallamölla Waterfall
Located 20 minutes west of Kivik, Hallamölla waterfall Skåne’s biggest waterfall at 23m in height. It is part of a bigger nature park with a few longer forest walks. It is named after a watermill of the same name located just a few hundred metres up stream, now called Hallamölla Gård, which has been transformed in to a super cosy bed and breakfast.
The Best Farm Shops or Gårdsbutik, Österlen
Österlen is known to have some of Skåne’s best farm shops. In Swedish the direct translation is “Gårdsbutik” – meaning garden shop. Most of these shops are connected directly either to farms that have other things to do or to businesses that specialise in natural products. Here’s a list of the best gårdsbutik Österlen has to offer!
Österlen Kryddor Gårdsbutik
Directly translated to Österlen Spices, this farm shop sells everything from your traditional herbs, to fun exotic inspired salts, candles and local jams! It is owned by the most lovely couple who make most of the products themselves, and are happy to chat about them if you have any questions!
My favourite thing about Österlen Kryddor was their Lavender Morning which we were lucky enough to coincide our trip with. Arriving at 5am, we were taken through the spice shop into a breakfast room where we were given a delicious toast with cheese and ham, as well as yoghurt with berries, juice and coffee! As it got later and the sun began to rise, we all went out into the lavender field where we were given a talk about growing and baking with lavender, meanwhile sipping on prosecco and sparkling lavender. After the talk we were free to walk around the fields, take photos, and pick as much lavender as we wanted to take home with us! They hold this event 3 times a year, usually at the beginning of July when the lavender is in its full bloom.
Kiviks Musteri – Cider Brewery
Kiviks is quite a big brand of cider here in Sweden, both alcoholic and non alcoholic! If you have been living here at all you have probably bought a bottle or two from your local ICA. Kiviks, named after the local village, is brewed right here and most of the land where the apples are grown can be seen in the local landscape. Not only is this a great place to go for discount non-alcoholic ciders, but they also have a cafe, restaurant and a small museum and orchard where you can learn about the brewing process, the history of the company and see all the different apples they grow for different taste profiles.
Karl Fredrik på Eklaholm
I am not all sure of the hype for this place, other than it being a really pretty garden nursery with exotic plants and an antiques room, but apparently Karl Fredrik is a big deal here in Ystad and Sweden. There is a popular TV programme on the lifestyle channels here where they follow the farm and nursery, so it is a pretty cool place for a lot of people to visit! To you, I will recommend it because it is a really nice farm shop and a bit different to your usual nursery! We ended up buying a plant and hand blown glass vase here!
The Best To Visit in Österlen, Skåne
Visit Ystad, Sweden
Ystad is not actually a part of Österlen but it is just on the outskirts. Picture big flowering plants climbing the walls of colourful old wooden houses that line narrow, cobblestone streets leading up to the big town square where flags hang across the road like it is carnival time. There you have Ystad.
This coastal town is one of the biggest in the area, with many of the hotels and restaurants being located here in the city centre. This is a great place to base yourself if you don’t have a car, or you want close access from your accomodation to shops and restaurants. It is a big summer city and can get quite busy with Swedish tourists on their summer breaks during peak season! Ystad is known for its beach, spa and the wondrous nature that surrounds it.
To do in Ystad, Sweden:
- Stroll around the town, visiting the markets in the town square to buy fresh fruit and vegetables
- Visit Ystad Saltsjöbad for a spa day by the beach
- Take a swim or a stroll along the waters edge at Ystad beach
Visit Simrishamn – A cosy harbour town
Simrishamn is another of the slightly bigger towns in Österlen, with quite a few shops and restaurants in the town centre. Here you will find the Österlen Museum, a beautiful harbour side walk, and Tobisviken Strand, a long white sandy beach. Although not as picturesque as some of the other smaller villages, Simrishamn has some really great restaurants (including Gårdens Cafe & Vedugn).
Visit Brantevik – The small fishing village
Simrishamn is a smaller coastal town with not much more than a few cafes and a harbour. This seems a beautiful place to stay if you have a car and are looking for a bit more of quiet seaside getaway. Other than staying here, it is worth visiting on your way past just for a short walk around as it is an incredibly picturesque town!
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This spot looks like a peaceful getaway we all need. A quiet beach, adorable lobby, and nature!
It is really the perfect countryside escape if you want a bit of nature crossed with luxury!
This towns are so beautiful Katie! I am falling in love with Sweden more and more as I read your blogs and see your latest photos. I know I’m going to love it when I eventually get there. 🙂
Thank you so much Taylor that really makes me so happy to hear, especially from you!! Let me know when you make it, hopefully I’ll still be here to show you around!
Wow, I never associated Sweden with camping, but after reading this, it sounds like a good idea. Thanks for your tips!
Camping in Sweden is such an experience! And also a really good way to save some money over here 🙂
So inspiring! I feel I have to make a little road trip to Österlen! So easy to forget the beautiful places despite they arent far away! Thanks for sharing this!
Wow, so beautiful! Can’t wait to get out there– will definitely have to check this place out when we can travel again!