Lund, Sweden

Kathleen and I woke up in our attic room in Malmö, lounged around for a bit, then went downstairs to Mathilda’s for breakfast with her and Amy. The four of us took a bus to Lund, 30 minutes to the northeast. Established by Vikings around the year 990, Lund was part of Denmark until 1658, when the region was ceded to Sweden. We strolled through the modern part of town, then stopped for morning fika, Swedish for “coffee break.” On our way to the Lund Cathedral, which towers over the town, we discovered an interesting meditative labyrinth set into the courtyard. Map link: Lund, Sweden

Bonus Question: What is the difference between a labyrinth and a maze?

Outside the cathedral, we stumbled upon a very powerful exhibit, called We Have a Dream. In its 10th year in Scandinavia, this traveling display—excerpts from a book with the same name—highlights the courageous stories of people who overcame barriers such as racism, sexism, religious persecution, prejudice, wars and human rights abuses to make a difference. It was incredibly moving, and I think that we all read every word of the 58 stories on display, featuring people such as the Dalai Lama, Malala Yousafzai, Quincy Jones, Patti Smith and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Built in the 12th century, the Romanesque Lund Cathedral is a beautiful church inside and out, and we particularly enjoyed the fascinating 14th century astronomical clock and the underground crypt. 

We Have a Dream exhibit 

Astronomical clock and perpetual calendar

Lund Cathedral underground crypt

We next strolled through Lundegard Park, briefly checking out Kulturen, the local history museum (we didn’t go in), then ate lunch at Coffee Break restaurant. After our meal, we toured the prestigious Lund University, founded in 1666, and one of the largest universities in Scandinavia, with an enrollment of 45,000. We stopped by the beautiful University Library, then visited the school’s design and sketch museum, where we learned that the Southern Sweden Circus Festival was in town, and there would be a a free public show that evening in a nearby plaza.

Runestone outside the Kulturen history museum

Lund University Library

On our way to see the circus show we walked through the 20-acre Lund Botanical Gardens, which is owned and operated by the university and has been at this location since 1862—the original garden dates back to 1690. Then we stopped at Ramklints pastry shop for an afternoon fika before attending the free circus performance. The show featured an acrobatic troupe that combined strength and athleticism as they balanced on ladders and each other. We caught the train back to Malmö, where we got take-out poke bowls and ate them while watching the Moomins, a Scandinavian animated series. 

Bonus Question Answer: Labyrinths have a single, continuous path to the center, while mazes have multiple branches and dead ends designed to get you lost.