Lund

Lund was founded around 990 during the final years of the Viking Age. For seven hundred years it was a major Danish city and the religious capital of both Denmark and all of Scandinavia serving as the seat of the Archbishop. It was often called the Rome of the North because of its high concentration of medieval churches.

The city only became part of Sweden in 1658 following the Treaty of Roskilde. This transition left a permanent mark on the local population and their mentality. The Scanian dialect still carries the soft consonants and guttural pronunciations of its Danish origins and many residents feel a dual identity that looks toward Copenhagen as much as Stockholm.

This hybrid identity is most visible in the regional flag of Skåne. Unlike the blue and yellow national flag of Sweden the Scanian flag features a yellow cross on a red field. This design intentionally combines the colors of the Swedish cross with the red background of the Danish Dannebrog. It serves as a symbol of regional pride and a constant reminder of the historical era when the province was the heart of the Danish kingdom.

This historical legacy is retained in the medieval street plan incorporating narrow, winding alleys that converge on the massive Romanesque cathedral. The Old Town is a living artifact of this era where cobblestone streets and half timbered houses are the norm.

After walking the streets of the old town we ventured to the Lund University Library. Completed in 1907, the neo Gothic structure is famous for its facade which, until recently, was almost completely obscured by thick ivy. The library was established in 1666 specifically to help integrate the region into the Swedish kingdom after the Danish rule ended. Today it serves as a legal depository that preserves a copy of every piece of literature printed in Sweden while standing as a monument to the city's intellectual evolution.

We finished with lunch at Buljong. Both of us had the salmon, wild garlic, and dill soup that was probably one of the best dishes of the entire trip. We had a great chat with the owner about Lund and the history of the region.

A final note, the city of Lund has a tourist app with information and tours, even a scavenger hunt. So we used that to tour around downtown and find some interesting little spots.Read more