Ystad is the town depicted in the ‘Wallander’ films and television series adapted from the crime fiction series of 10 books written by Henning Mankell. Except that in the real Ystad people tend to live a bit longer.
You wonder how a bright, bustling seaside town like Ystad could produce a dour, angst-ridden character like Wallander, given its sunny disposition, its gloriously colourful medieval old town centre and 40 kilometres of unspoiled sandy beaches.
Ystad lies on the southernmost tip of Sweden. The ‘old town’ is a maze of cobblestone streets, alleyways, lanes and small squares filled with shops, arts and crafts boutiques, cafés and restaurants. And don’t miss out on the regional cuisine of Skåne while you’re here. It isn’t all pizzas and hot dogs as Wallander would have you believe.
Of course there is a ‘Wallander tour’ around the town where you can visit Hotel Continental, Kurt’s favourite watering hole, Mariagatan where he lives and many other Wallander-related sites. Other sites of interest on the Wallander tour include the town hall, the town square (Stortorget) and the police station where the great detective works. The surrounding countryside meanwhile is worth a visit, with castle, fortresses, farms shops and wonderful, rolling Skåne vistas.