Halmstad: Coast, Art and History

Halmstad combines the coast, urban history, art and active experiences within a compact area. The character of the place can be discovered particularly clearly through its paths and landscapes, historic buildings, museums and various sports activities. This makes Halmstad suitable for different travel plans, without limiting the choice to days at the beach.

Coastal path, beach and waterfront trails

Prins Bertils stig begins at Halmstad Castle. The 18-kilometre coastal path leads from the centre of Halmstad to Tylösand and on to Möllegård. Tylösand has a four-kilometre sandy beach framed by distinctive dunes. This path therefore combines coastal scenery and a stretch of beach with a longer route along the coast.

Those looking for a different type of route will find hiking trails of varying lengths and difficulty levels on Galgberget. In addition, the walk along the River Nissan is just over eight kilometres long. This provides a choice of trails with different levels of difficulty as well as a longer walk by the water.

Historic Halmstad and diverse art

The city’s history is reflected, among other places, at Halmstad Castle. Its construction was initiated at the beginning of the 17th century by King Christian IV of Denmark. Norre Port is the only surviving city gate in Halmstad. Hallandsgården open-air museum is also located on Galgberget in central Halmstad. It comprises historic buildings from all parts of Halland, making the region’s architectural history visible in one place.

Art is also present in the cityscape and museums. Picasso’s 15-metre-high sculpture Head of a Woman stands in Picasso Park by the River Nissan. Alongside Norre-Katts Park and the River Nissan, Halland Art Museum offers a wide-ranging exhibition programme as well as a variety of events. Since 2013, art has been created annually on walls throughout Halmstad; guided art walks on various themes are also held regularly.

Halmstad Theatre and Mjellby Art Museum add further distinctive accents. The foyer of Halmstad Theatre features a large mural to which all the artists of the Halmstad Group contributed. Mjellby Art Museum offers an audio guide for adults and children. Halmstad Sports Museum displays sports equipment and trophies from sports clubs.

Swimming, wakeboarding and other sports activities

Halmstad Arena Baths has a 25-metre sports pool with eight lanes. It also has a leisure pool with water slides, water channels and whirlpool areas. The same facility offers one-metre springboard diving as well as dives from the three-metre tower. For a different activity, Halmstad Arena holds public skating sessions during which all skaters can use the training rink.

Halmstad Arena Skate Park has 2,000 square metres of concrete area for street and bowl skating. Simstadion Brottet has heated outdoor pools and a water slide. The site is named after the former stone quarrying carried out there. Every summer, Simstadion Brottet hosts live concerts featuring well-known Swedish and international artists.

At Halmstad Wakepark, visitors can try wakeboarding. Experienced staff offer tips and instruction to beginners and experienced wakeboarders; the necessary equipment can be rented on site. This also makes the wakepark interesting for travellers who would first like to get to know this water sport.

Getting around

For travelling by regional bus, Halmstad Travel Center is the central starting point: all regional buses depart from there, and the Travel Center is located immediately next to the railway station. For further orientation in the area, you can also access the entries for Gullbrandstorp, Kvibille, Steninge, Villshärad, Haverdal, Skedala, Holm as well as the regional overview of Halland and Skåne.

Back to the main travel overview: Halmstad.