Malmköping, Södermanland – Exploring Sweden

Malmköping is a charming small town in the Swedish Södermanland and it is one of the more popular tourist destinations in the region. Here you will find everything from old trams to odd museums. Have you ever heard about a museum specializing in ironing?

I (Jesper) have visited Malmköping several times in the past. It used to be something of a family tradition to visit the annual market days known as Malmamarken. During these days my family used to camp with the caravan at the camping in Malmköping.

In July this year, as a part of our road trip, I decided to show the town to Susann. Now, we made sure to visit on a normal weekend instead of the market weekend. Actually this year the festivities will start this Friday (July 29). If you would arrive in Malmköping on Friday or anytime this weekend, you would understand why we wanted to avoid the crowds and the traffic jams. The market is very nice indeed, but the number of people during that weekend limits the possibility of actually enjoying Malmköping.

There are around 2000 people living in Malmköping and it is a part of Flen municipality. Nearby cities include Eskilstuna, Katrineholm, and Strängnäs. The most famous inhabitant of the city is actually a fictional character; in Jonas Jonasson’s novel The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared we meet Allan Karlsson. The alert, albeit old, man decides to run away from his retirement home. Consequently, he takes the reader on a journey around the world to meet famous statemen and to witness key events of the twentieth century. We both enjoyed the book very much, and recommend everyone to read it!

Malmköping: A Short History

The first inhabitants came to the area several thousand years ago, but it was not until the year 1774 that it gained fame and importance in the history books.

Södermanlands regemente, the regional regiment, was moved to the area in the year 1774. The unit used Malma hed as its exercise ground. The heath is nowadays located in the center of the town. The regiment was based in Malmköping until 1921 when it was moved to Strängnäs. The military brought opportunities to the town. Malmköping was founded in 1785 as a market town and in 1886 the first military hospital in Sweden was built here.

The locality grew with the demands from the regiment and it had grown sufficiently to be able to survive on its own. when the regiment moved. Economically the town is mainly characterized by small businesses.

5 Things to Do In Malmköping

Considering its size Malmköping is a fairly active place. Multiple events are organized yearly and the town is popular among tourists as a destination for a summer day trip. Here we list a few of the things we like about Malmköping. One should note, however, that it is not only in the summertime that things happen here. There is, for example, a small ski slope open during the winter.

Malmamarken

A market that occurs annually market. It takes place during one weekend in the summer. This year the market is open from the 29th to the 31st of July. It certainly is an event that makes people from the whole region flock to Malmköping. An estimated 80.000 visitors will attend the festivities this weekend. There is also a smaller funfair at the marketplace during the weekend. Apart from the normal market activities, there is usually a scene built for the event and several Swedish artists play there during the market days.

The Tramway Museum (Museispårväg in Swedish)

There used to be a railway in Malmköping. After the railway closed down, the station and a part of the railway became a museum. The museum opened in 1969. Here you find several old trams from around Sweden and it is also possible to go on a short ride.

Swim in Hosjön

Hosjön is a small lake just next to Malmköping Bad & Camping. Summertime in Sweden really is about water. The water may not be so very warm, but people like taking a dip either in the sea (cold) or a lake. No matter where you are, there’s water nearby. The lakes have a big advantage – the water is usually warmer water than in the sea -, which makes it a bit easier for us land crabs to go for a swim. You find Hosjön just a few hundred meters from the center of Malmköping.

Go hiking along Sörmlandsleden

Sörmlandsleden is the walking trail that runs across most of the region of Södermanland. Following the trails will lead you out in nature with several sights along the way. Just make sure not to walk too far if you are just hiking for a day, the trails are usually not circular and you might end up in a completely different town than the one where you started.

Follow in the History of the Regiment in Malmköping

We already mentioned the military unit that was previously based here. There are red signs across Malmköping telling the story of the Swedish regiment “Södermanlands regemente” that used Malma hed as its exercise grounds between the years 1774 and 1921. The signs are unfortunately only in Swedish but there are a lot of interesting photos and you will see a lot of the town if you follow the signs. There is also a museum showing more about the history of the regiment.

Malmköping: How to Get There?

There are not many means of public transportation that will take you to Malmköping. There is a railway, but it will only take you a short distance within the local area. You will, however, find some good connections with buses to other towns in the region. Maybe it is time to take the bus towards Strängnäs, following in the steps of the centenarian to the station in Byringe?

• Car: There are good connections by road to Malmköping. Road 55 leads to Strängnäs to the east and to Flen in the west. Road 53 goes to Eskilstuna in the north and to Sparreholm and Nyköping in the south.
• Bus: There are local buses connecting Malmköping with Eskilstuna, Nyköping and Flen.

The driving distance to Malmköping from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:

• Stockholm – 106 kilometers (1 h 13 min)
• Gothenburg – 399 kilometers (3 h 51 min)
• Malmö – 541 kilometers (5 h 2 min)
• Luleå – 955 kilometers (9 h 38 min)
• Linköping – 128 kilometers (1 h 25 min)

Explore More of Södermanland and Sweden