University City Lund - the most beautiful city on our trip to Sweden

On our drive to Lund, we first stopped at the estate 'Hovdal slott' from the 16th century.

During the uprisings in the 17th century against Danish rule, it was a contested fortress.

Today, there is a café and a shop in the old buildings, but both were closed when we visited.

So we walked around the courtyard and through the beautifully landscaped garden, admiring the building from the outside.

After about half an hour of driving, we arrived at our next stop: Bosjökloster Castle.

It was founded in 1080 as a Benedictine convent, which is remembered by an exhibition about monastic life and Hildegard of Bingen in the cellars.

Some other rooms inside the castle are also accessible, but most of it is privately inhabited.

We could stroll through the beautifully designed park.

Here, there is a petting zoo with dwarf goats and free-roaming alpacas, llamas, and ponies that curiously watched us.

We had our lunch picnic next to a 1000-year-old oak, whose trunk is so hollow that several people can fit inside.

The castle is about 30 kilometers from Lund, which we explored on our own during a city walk.

We noticed that Lund has a large university by the bustling street scene with many students - and the numerous magnificent buildings in the city center.

The university library was particularly beautiful.

The university square with the main building was also very impressive.

The university was founded in 1668 and today, with about 30,000 students, it is one of the largest in Northern Europe.

For our coffee break, we made a stop at 'Espresso House.' The chain opened its first branch in Lund in 1996 and has since expanded its network across Scandinavia and Germany.

The nearby cathedral was inaugurated in 1145 and built in the Romanesque style.

Inside, there is an astronomical clock from the 14th century, but we narrowly missed its display.

The crypt forms the oldest part of the church, as it remained intact during a fire that destroyed large parts of the building.

On the pillars of the crypt, there are stone figures that embrace them: According to founding legends, they are said to represent the petrified family members of the giant Finn. Saint Lawrence, who commissioned the construction of the cathedral, is said to have utilized the giant's help but ultimately refused to pay - his eyesight. Although the giant threatened to tear down the pillars, the saint was stronger and petrified the giant along with his kin.

In the evening, we continued on to Malmö, where we made our last stop before heading home. We intended to explore the city at the Öresund Bridge the next day.