What do you do with a 4 day spring weekend and 2 daughters? In May 2023 I was on my own with them so we booked a couple nights accommodation, jumped on a train, and headed for our first ever girls’ weekend. And we had a lot of fun, even despite the whining about the long bike ride and occasional bickering. We discovered bronze age rock carvings and topographical wonders like the Priest’s Bathtub, ate crepes, and slept all together in the biggest king size bed we’d ever seen, while watching movies on an enormous television. Hoping to do it again this year to somewhere new!
Simrishamn
Simrishamn was our home base because it was easy to get to by train and centrally located enough that we wouldn’t need a rental car. The town itself had a few options for renting a bike, so our first order of business was to drop off our bags and choose some wheels.
Also we stumbled upon this swan, who on our first day was caring for her egg but by he last day had two newly hatched cygnets!
Culturally and historically, Simrishamn area has a surprising number of interesting finds – the 5,500-year-old tomb Havängsdösen, a large, well-preserved megalithic tomb from the Neolithic Age, the Kiviksgraven, Sweden’s largest Bronze Age tomb, and Yxornas Häll and Stenkilsristningen, a large collection of bronze age stone carvings. That’s what we went to see first.
Yxornas Häll and Stenkilsristningen
Yxornas Häll and Stenkilsristningen are two separate spots within walking distance of each other, both with rock carvings from the Bronze Age. Stenkilsristningen has 65 images showing ships, people, and horses, primarily. Yxornas Häll is even larger, with over 200 carvings, including many axes and ships.
Kiviksgraven
The King’s Grave, Kungagraven, is located just outside Kivik and is considered one of the largest Bronze Age burial mounds in Sweden. It was excavated in 1931 and restored in 1933, and this one you need to pay admission to see, but it isn’t a lot and its worthwhile. The bike ride was far, 18 km, and although we took it very slow and stopped for lunch and snacks, there was a lot of whining. So probably would recommend taking the bus with small kids.
3,500 year old Kiviksgraven is large and you can access the burial chamber, which contains the only Bronze Age stone box decorated with rock carvings in all of Scandinavia and it was so interesting to see.
Prästens Badkar
My favorite geological fomation of the trip, the Priest’s Bathtub was formed about 500 million years ago as a sand volcano and then was petrified. Its called a sand volcano because it looks similar to a volcanic cone. Over time, the sand was covered by other layers and then solidified over millions of years, becoming sandstone. There are about 100 of these off this coast, and likely thousands worldwide. However, Prästens Badkar is the only known sand volcano in the world that is NOT underwater.
My girls also found this miniature volcano very cool, as well as the beach around it, which we spent a fair amount of time exploring.
Beaches
The relentless desire to climb around on the interesting rock formations along the beaches of Southeast Sweden cannot and should not be ignored; we made sure to climb everything we possibly could.
Biking & Restaurants
Its important when in Sweden to have your fika – a little break and enjoyment with others, often including coffee and cake. And in particular when you’re on a mini holiday.
We also found a charming creperie en-route to Kiviksgraven, Franskans Crêperie, with great crepes, cider (non-alcoholic for the girlies) and a garden to sit in.
Franskans Crêperie 
For a great map showcasing the different places to see in the Österlen region of Sweden, try this site.
thecloudsarelowerhere 