Smygehuk in Skåne - Sweden's southernmost headland

Writer: Helena Bergström

Smygehuk in Skåne is Sweden's southernmost cape. There is a small harbour, some cosy little restaurants and beautiful nature. Above all, there are a number of signs that clearly indicate that you are at the southernmost point in Sweden.

Smygehuk

Smygehuk is located at the town of Smygehamn, east of Trelleborg on the south coast of Skåne, and belongs to the municipality of Trelleborg. Even though the place is small, it is a popular destination for tourists. Who doesn't want to be able to say they've been to Sweden's southernmost headland?

Sweden's southernmost cape

At the waterfront in Smygehuk there is a viewing platform which is the southernmost point in Sweden - 55 degrees 20 minutes 13 seconds. Just behind it is a compass rose indicating the distance to different places in the world.

Even though we were early in the morning, and even though it was not yet the real high season, we had to queue for a little while to take the top picture. First we had to help some German cyclists to immortalise themselves on the spot.

Nearby, there are fixed binoculars where you can look out over the sea and the passing boats.

Protected snakes

It is not only people who like to visit Sweden's southernmost point, but also vipers. There is apparently a unique population of vipers here and the snakes are protected. We didn't see any snakes, but to be honest, we were just as happy about it.

The warehouse and memories of the lime industry

In Smygehuk there are a number of buildings and places that are reminders of history. These include the Köpmansmagasinet, which was built in the early 19th century and was one of four trading estates in the area. Today the building houses craftsmen and artists.

We could also see a lime kiln, built in the middle of the 19th century. At this time, the mining and burning of lime, along with fishing and trade, was one of the major industries in the area. The burnt lime was used as a soil improver and as a building material. Today, the reservoir and kiln are reminders of times gone by.

The harbour in Smygehuk

The harbour in Smygehuk is charming, full of small boats and harbour sheds (hoddor) where fishermen store their gear. There has been a small fishing village here since the 17th century. The harbour was built in the 1920s to facilitate loading and unloading.

West of the harbour there is also a lighthouse (which we never photographed). Smygehuk's lighthouse was built in 1883 and is a 17 metre high iron tower. After being extinguished for 25 years, it was relit in 2001 and now guides pleasure boats and local fishermen around the headland. Next to it is an old lighthouse keeper's house, now used as a hostel.

Cafés, eateries and shops

There are several food services in Smygehuk. We were here a little too early in the morning for them to be open, but we saw a fish smokehouse, Café Smyge and ice cream parlour.

Works of art and (violent) history

As you wander around the area around Smygehuk, you come across some works of art. In the photo, Peter is peering into part of an installation called 'Euphoria of the Senses', which is about the encounter with the sea.

One piece of artwork that can be seen from the road is a statue of a woman, stretched out towards the sea and the wind. The sculpture was made by Axel Ebbe and is called 'Famntaget'. Rumour has it that actress Uma Thurman's grandmother was once the model for the piece.

We also checked out a stone labelled 'Sly Stone'. What could this be? As we were looking around, a man passed by and said that "at that stone many men have lost their lives". And so it was apparently, that this stone was used in a whole series of executions, in the past.

See more around Smygehuk

• Things to do in Trelleborg
• Things to do in Ystad
• Skanör and Falsterbo