Everyone knows Tuscany. Rolling hills, golden fields, long lunches in the sun. What fewer people know is that Sweden has its own version – and it's called Österlen. Located at the southeastern tip of Skåne, Sweden's southernmost county, Österlen is a landscape of gentle farms, whitewashed fishing villages, wild apple orchards and beaches that look like they belong somewhere far more expensive.
International tourists rarely find it. Which is, honestly, part of the charm.
What Makes Österlen Special
Österlen occupies a small corner of Sweden that feels entirely apart from the rest of the country. The landscape is softer here – rolling rather than dramatic. Fields of wheat, barley and the electric-yellow rapeseed that turns the countryside neon in late May and June. Apple orchards stretch for miles around Kivik, home to Sweden's most celebrated cider tradition. Old stone churches sit in villages that haven't changed their shape in centuries.
In summer, the quality of light in Österlen becomes something artists have obsessed over for generations. The painter Nils Kreuger came here in the late 1800s and never quite left. The Österlen Arts Trail today connects dozens of galleries and studios across the region – it's one of the densest concentrations of working artists in Scandinavia.
The Coastline
Österlen's coastline is a string of distinct personalities. Brantevik is a tiny fishing harbour with painted wooden boats, a legendary fish smokery, and a harbour café where you eat whatever was caught that morning. Simrishamn, the region's main town, has a well-preserved medieval centre and a harbour busy with ferries and fishing vessels.
Further along the coast, Sandhammaren is one of Sweden's most beautiful beaches – a vast sweep of white sand and dunes at the very southeastern corner of the country, where the Baltic and the western sea meet. On a clear summer day, the water is a shade of blue that feels implausible for Scandinavia.
🏖 Best Beaches in Österlen
Sandhammaren for dramatic dunes and clearest water. Vik for a more sheltered, family-friendly option. Käseberga has the famous Ales Stenar stone ship monument directly above the beach – worth the short climb for the view.
Ales Stenar: Sweden's Stonehenge
On a bluff above the village of Kåseberga stands Ales Stenar – a 67-metre long stone ship monument built from 59 massive boulders sometime around 600 AD. The views over the sea from here are extraordinary, and in the evening the setting sun aligns perfectly with the stones during summer solstice. It's one of Sweden's most significant prehistoric monuments and yet it draws a fraction of the visitors of comparable sites elsewhere in Europe.
The Food Scene
For a rural area, Österlen punches absurdly above its weight in food. The combination of fertile farmland, excellent fishing and a long tradition of small-scale producers has created a food culture that rivals much of what you'd find in major cities.
Kivik's apple cider is the flagship – the Kivik Apple Market in August is worth building a trip around. But there are also excellent cheesemakers, a growing natural wine scene, farm-to-table restaurants that source everything within a few kilometres, and bakeries that take sourdough seriously in a way that would impress San Francisco.
🍽 Where to Eat in Österlen
Brygghuset in Brantevik for fresh fish right at the harbour. Café Rörum for home-baked pastries and garden lunches. Kiviks Musteri for cider tasting and the famous apple market in late August. Look for farm shops (gårdsbutik) on any country road – they're almost always excellent.
Getting There and Around
Österlen is easiest reached by car. Malmö is about 90 minutes away, Copenhagen around 2 hours (including the bridge crossing). Ystad, the main rail hub for the region, is served by direct trains from Malmö and has good connections from Stockholm via Copenhagen. From Ystad, you'll want a car to explore properly – the best parts of Österlen are scattered across country lanes.
The region is extremely well suited to cycling. The roads are flat, the traffic is light and the distances between villages are manageable. Several companies in the region hire out bikes, and the coast route from Ystad to Simrishamn is one of the most pleasant half-day rides in all of Sweden.
The Right Time to Visit Österlen
June through August is peak season, with July the most popular month. Late June is ideal: the rapeseed is still yellow in the fields, the days are long (around 17–18 hours of daylight this far south), the beaches warm up and the summer vegetables arrive at the farm shops. August brings the apple harvests and cider festivals. September is a hidden gem – the crowds thin out, the light turns golden and the countryside takes on the first hints of autumn.