What to do in Halmstad - 16 sights and experiences

What to see and do in Halmstad? Halmstad is a lovely city on the west coast, with beautiful sandy beaches, lovely nature and a lot of art and culture. Here are our top tips on what to see and do in Halmstad!

Halmstad

Halmstad is a west coast gem and for me (Helena) the city has a special meaning. Almost all my family, both on my mum's and dad's side, come from here and as a child I spent all my summers in Tylösand. Now we have travelled back by motorhome and both found old friends and made new acquaintances. Enjoy!

Halmstad is located in the bay of Laholm in southern Halland, about 14 kilometres south of Gothenburg.

What can you do in Halmstad?

So what can you see and do in Halmstad? We can confirm that there is a lot to discover. We have collected our best tips here in a list.

1. Experience the crowds at Stora Torg and Storgatan.

The first thing you might want to do in Halmstad is to head to the centre, around Stora Torg and Storgatan. Here you'll find Carl Mille's fountain "Europe and the Bull", the beautiful Three Hearts Inn and the Town Hall, whose carillon plays four times a day. The square is also a place for market trading and commerce.

Right next to Stora Torg is Storgatan, a pleasant street filled with shops and restaurants. Here you will find, for example, Hotel Mårtensson, which has been welcoming guests since 1858.

2. Check out historical sights: St Nicolai Church, Norre Port and Halmstad Castle.

There are several interesting historical sights in the centre of Halmstad. Right next to Stora Torg is St Nicholas Church. This church is one of the few buildings in the city that survived the great fire of 1619. The church was probably built in the 15th century and is dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers.

Throughout history, many feuds have taken place between Denmark, to which Halmstad once belonged, and neighbouring Sweden. In the 17th century, the Danish King Christian IV fortified Halmstad with a wall and four city gates. Only one of the gates remains today, which is the so-called Norre Port.

Here you can also take the opportunity to check out 91:an Karlsson, a statue right next to the gate. This cartoon character was created by Halmstabon Rudolf Petersson, who was inspired by his recruit at Halland's regiment I16 in 1916-1918. The name 91 is given by turning 16 upside down ...

Halmstad Castle was built in the 17th century by the Danish King Christian IV, who felt he needed a larger and more grandiose residence when visiting Halmstad. Today, the county governor resides here, and the county administrative board also uses the castle as an office.

The castle is not usually open to the public, but occasionally the gates are opened for guided tours. At other times, you have to settle for peering into the courtyard. It also hosts occasional events, such as outdoor theatre, music or a Christmas market.

3. Walk along the Nissan River

Nissan is the large river that runs straight through Halmstad. It is nice to walk along the river, and for those who wish, there is a a signposted footpath which has a total length of eight kilometres. A map of the walk can be printed out, along with various interesting stops along the way.

4. Relaxing in Norre Katts park

If you walk from the centre and out through Norre Port, you will soon reach Norre Katts Park. This is a lovely green oasis with colourful flower beds including azaleas, magnolias and rhododendrons.

In the centre of the park is a small yellow house called the Rotunda. This is a classic café, although it was not open when we were here, where various events are also sometimes organised.

5: Experience Art: Art Museums and Outdoor Art

If you like art, you'll find plenty to see and do in Halmstad. There are several art museums and also a lot of public art in the streets and squares.

Mjellby Art Museum is located just outside the centre of Halmstad and has in particular a large collection of the art of the famous Halmstad Group.

Halland Art Museumlocated at Norre Katts Park and Nissan, showcases a wide collection of art, farmhouse paintings, textiles and products from Halland.

Halmstad Art Centre is located on the ground floor of the city library, which is interesting to see for its special design. This is a small art gallery that hosts various exhibitions.

Public art can be found in many parts of the city. Perhaps the most famous is Picasso's 15-metre-high 'Woman's Head' in Figaro Park/Picasso Park.

Street Art are also plentiful in Halmstad. The picture below shows Carolina Falkholt's work Pi, opposite the City Library. At Destination Halmstad, you can read more about the city's street art and murals.

6. Coffee at Söderpiren

If you make your way down to Småbåtshamnen in Halmstad, you can find the small café Söderpiren, which is idyllically located on a beautiful beach. In addition to coffee, you can also book a hot tub and sauna here. Right next door there is also a popular dog bath, and Prince Bertil's trail that leads all the way to Tylösand.

7. Enjoy nature on Galgberget

Galgberget is a green oasis near the city, where many Halmstad residents take refuge when they want to get out into nature. Here you can hike on various trails through beech or mixed forest, have a picnic or take the children to the popular playground Sagoängen. The slightly scary name? Well, it refers to the time when the mountain was used as an execution site.

At Galgberget's highest point, Klyftehög, there is a 13 metre high observation tower. The tower is open to the public and from the top you have a magnificent view of Halmstad and the Kattegat. The lookout tower was built in 1896-1897, and initially served as a residence for the forest ranger (in the small picture to the left, Peter has taken a top-down photo of me, Helena).

8. Visit Hallandsgården

Galgberget is also home to the Hallandsgården open-air museum. This is a slightly smaller open-air museum where you can see a number of older buildings from Halland, such as an old schoolhouse, a ridge cabin and a windmill. The area is open all year round, and in summer you can also visit the inside of the buildings. There is also a summer café and various events are organised, such as midsummer celebrations.

9. Play golf

Golf is a very popular sport in and around Halmstad, and the city even calls itself the "Golf Capital". There are a total of eight golf courses, including three pay-and-play courses where you can play on the course without having completed a beginner's course and received a green card.

10. Admire Snöstorp's church

If you like beautiful churches, head to Snöstorp on the eastern outskirts of Halmstad. Here is the beautiful Snöstorp Church, designed by Swedish architect Emil Viktor Langlet and completed in 1883. The church is inspired by Roman round churches and Byzantine architecture, and in 2006 was voted Sweden's most beautiful church by the readers of the magazine Året Runt. Unfortunately, the church was not open inside when we were here.

11. Fascinated by the waterfall at Danish Falls

Danska Fall is a large nature reserve with beech forests, lakes and several hiking trails. The Hallandsleden trail runs through the reserve. The main attraction is the waterfall, which has a total fall height of 36 metres.

The name 'Danish Fall'? According to the story, the name comes from the Battle of Fyllebro in 1676, when part of the Danish army fled up the Fylle River while the Swedes chased them. When the Danes ran across a suspension bridge, the Swedes cut the ropes so that the bridge and the Danes fell into the rushing water and died.

12. see the Sling Stone

It´s only a stone.

Dutch tourists

Slyngestenen is a 3.5 metre high boulder, a reminder of the Ice Age, where it stands alone and majestic in the otherwise flat landscape south of Halmstad. When we arrived, two young Dutch guys had arrived before us. "It's only a stone", they confirmed to us and to themselves.

Then they told us about films and reviews they had seen and read online, where people talk about magical properties that can be transferred when touching the stone... Of course we took the opportunity to feel the stone, but we are still waiting for the magic to happen...!

13. Walking along the coast on the Prince Bertil Trail

Prince Bertil's Trail is considered Halmstad's most beautiful walk. The trail is 18 kilometres long and winds along the coast from central Halmstad to Tylösand and then on to Möllegård. The trail is named after Prince Bertil, who was Duke of Halland. He spent several summers here with Princess Lilian at their summer house in Tylösand.

14. Sunbathing and swimming in Tylösand

One thing you won't want to miss in Halmstad is of course a trip to Tylösand. Tylösand is located less than a mile southwest of the centre of Halmstad and is best known for its long sandy beach, but also for its wild parties in the summer.

Tylösand beach is just over four kilometres long and can be crowded on hot summer days. If you want a little more peace and quiet, you can go to the part of the beach that faces Frösakull and Ringenäs. Outside the beach is Tylön, with Tylön lighthouse.

Right next to the beach is Per Gessle's Hotel Tylösand. Here you can of course stay, but also enjoy the spa and in the summer take part in After Beach and performances. The hotel is also beautifully decorated with art and photography.

For those who like smaller sandy beaches, Tylösand also has beaches called Tjuvahålan and Svärjarehålan. Svärjarehålan is now an accessible beach with a service building, a wheelchair ramp into the water and many car parks for people with disabilities.

This beach is also home to Halland's first snorkelling trail. The trail works like a nature trail, but underwater. Buoys on the surface and a line underwater help you follow the 200 metre long trail, and along the way you will find information signs telling you about life underwater.

15. Hang out at the lovely Steninge beach

Steninge beach is a small sandy beach surrounded by rocks and skerries. There is a path out to a small rocky peninsula, where we can imagine that it is really nice to hang out on a sunny summer day.

16. Climb up the Lynga sand dune.

Lynga sand dune, in Haverdal Nature Reserve, is one of the highest sand dunes in Scandinavia. The dune measures 36 metres above sea level and a wooden staircase leads to the top, where a viewpoint and coffee table await.

More to see and do in Halmstad for those who like shopping, culture and history

There is of course even more to see and do in Halmstad than our suggestions. Here are some more tips for those interested in shopping, culture and history.

• Feldt's funfair kiosk is a charming shop with lots of colour and lots of joy. (Nygatan 1)
• Halmstad-Grenå ferry line with StenaLine offers opportunities for food, shopping and activities for children before arriving in Denmark.
• Garrison and Air Defence Museum tells the story of Halland's military history. The museum is currently (August 2021) closed.
• The halls offers shopping in a fresh environment. There are around 80 shops, restaurants and cafés under one roof (Prästvägen 1).
• Halmstad City Library is a beautiful building, where you can of course also borrow books. (Axel Olssons gata 1)
• Slättåkra Local produce is a farm shop located a bit outside Halmstad. (Lya Gård, Slättåkra)

More to see and do in Halmstad for nature lovers

Do you like nature best? Then here are some more suggestions for things to do in Halmstad:

• Haverdal nature reserve offers opportunities for swimming, walking, exercise, picnics and mushroom picking.
• Rhododendron Park can be found at Tjuvahålan in Tylösand. If you come here in late spring, you can see all the large rhododendrons in bloom.
• Simlångsdalen is a natural area that offers opportunities for hiking, adventure or peace and quiet.
• Skulls is a viewpoint in the northern part of Haverdal, with a view of the sea, Haverdal harbour and north towards Glommen.
• top hat is a popular nature reserve with hiking trails, a digital scavenger hunt for children and ancient remains.

More to see and do in Halmstad with children

Here are some more tips for things to do in Halmstad with children or teenagers.

• Halmstad Arena offers opportunities for swimming and skating, but also various sports events (Växjövägen 11).
• Halmstad Adventure Land is an amusement park with carousels, water park, pirate land, dinosaur park and more. (Gamla Tylösandsvägen 1)
• Minigolf and adventure golf is available in several places. There is also disc golf in Sannarp and football golf in Vilshärad.
• Sagas is an imaginative and popular playground on Galgberget.
• East beaches is located about 5 kilometres from the centre of Halmstad and is a shallow, child-friendly sandy beach. 

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

There are of course many different hotels and other accommodation options in Halmstad. For example, the classic Hotel Mårtensson is located in the centre of town.

If you are travelling by motorhome, you can stop at the car park in the marina. Here you pay 210 SEK/day (2021) and have access to all the services you need, including electricity. There is a café and a dog bath within walking distance of the site, and the centre is about two kilometres away. Some other options where you can stay overnight with your motorhome:

• Citycamp Halmstad, Styrmansgatan
• First Camp Karlstorp - Halmstad, Gamla Tylösandsvägen 200
• First Camp Hagön - Halmstad, Hagöstigen, Sommarvägen 1
• First Camp Tylösand - Halmstad, Kungsvägen 3
• Grötvik Harbour, Grötvik Sailing Society, Grötviksvägen 35

Things to do in Halmstad - more to see nearby

When you are in Halland, you can, of course, take the opportunity to visit other nice Halland towns such as Falkenberg and Varberg. If you head south instead, you can visit Mellbystrand or go to Båstad, where you can visit, for example Norrviken Gardens and Birgit Nilsson Museum.

More suggestions for things to do in Halmstad?

Have you been to Halmstad? How was your experience? Do you have any other good tips on what to see and do in Halmstad?

Facts about Halmstad

• Landscape: Halland
• County: Halland County
• Location: In southern Halland, at the mouth of the Nissan River in Laholm Bay.
• District: Sankt Nikolai, Martin Luther, Söndrum, Vapnö, Övraby and Snöstorp.
• Population: About 104 000 in the municipality (2021)

History of Halmstad

• 11th to 12th century: At this time, the area where the Övraby church ruin is located seems to have been built on. Halmstad was originally located here. There may also have been a trading centre at Örjans vall, where finds of a medieval castle, coins, pottery and more have been found.
• 1231: The name Halmstad is first mentioned from this year, in Valdemar Sejr's land register, to describe a district and a royal court.
• 13th century: A Dominican order established itself on the site.

14th century

• 1307: The oldest known letter of privilege was issued by Duke Christopher, who was the brother of King Erik Menved and later became Christopher II of Denmark.
• 1320s: The city moved to its current location closer to the coast. The move was probably due to the fact that the new location allowed for larger boats and reduced the risk of attack from the sea.
• 1322: The community of Broktorp was elevated to a town. For a time, the lower town was called Broktorp and the original upper town Halmstad.
• 1327: The name Broktorp was changed to Halmstad. At the same time, the upper part of the town was named Övraby.

15th to 16th century

• 15th century: The church of St Nikolai was built.
• 1430s: Engelbrekt's troops sacked the city.
• End of the 15th century: The Franciscan Order established itself in the city.
• 1534: Halmstad was besieged by the Swedes.
• 1563: The town was besieged during the Nordic Seven Years' War, and Övraby church was burned down.
• 1598-1605: Christian IV had new fortifications built around the city. A wall was built, moats were dug and four city gates were constructed. In addition, six bastions and two 'cats', i.e. positions for long-range artillery, were built.

17th century

• 1619: A meeting was held at Halmstad Castle between Christian IV and Gustav II Adolf. Later that year, a fire broke out and destroyed most of the town. Only the castle, the church and a few stone buildings survived. When the town was rebuilt, a town plan by the fortification engineer Abraham de la Haye was used, which characterises today's Halmstad.
• 1645: After the Peace of Brömsebro, Halmstad became Swedish for 30 years, along with the rest of Halland.
• 1658: With the Peace of Roskilde, Halland became definitively Swedish.
• 1676: The Battle of Halmstad (or Battle of Fyllebro) was during the Scanian War, between Swedish and Danish troops. The Swedes were victorious, under Charles XI.
• 1678: Parliament was held in Halmstad.

18th to 19th century

• 1734: The Parliament decided that the fortifications in the city should be demolished. Only a few remains were preserved, such as the Norre Port.
• 1823: The city's first major industry, Wallbergs Fabriks AB, was established.
• 19th century: The Appeltofftska Brewery (now Krönlein's) and Östra Bryggeriet were formed.
• 1837-1840: Halmstad's harbour was rebuilt, which had a major impact on the city's communications.
• 1850: Halländska ångfartygsbolaget was formed.
• 1877: The first railway line, Halmstad-Värnamo, was opened.

20th century to present

• Early 20th century: Several major industries were established, including AB Malcus Holmquist, Nordiskafilt AB, Halmstads Järnverk, Lundgrens gjuteri and Waco. The city also regained permanent military units.
• 2000s: Today, Halmstad's garrison includes the Air Defence Regiment (Lv 6) and the Halmstad Military Academy.