Welcome to Smygehuk

Sweden´s southernmost point

The fishing village of Smygehuk is located at Sweden’s southernmost point. It is on the outskirts of Smygehamn in Sweden’s province of Skåne or, as it is called in English, Scania. The southernmost point of Sweden is marked by the coordinates 55.336944° N 13.359444° E.

A visit to Smygehuk, Sweden’s southernmost point, is an experience no matter what time of year it is. Smygehuk is a flat, sandy point surrounded by stony beaches. It is situated east of Trelleborg, close to Smygehamn. During the summer months there are lots of activities on offer – music, art, culture and shopping. The winter offers clean, crisp air, spectacular sunsets and the magic of transforming Smygehuk into a work of art made from snow and ice.

You won’t be able to go further south than 55 degrees, 20 minutes and 13 seconds without getting your feet wet. Smygehuk used to be Sweden’s southernmost point but in 2007, Sweden was lengthened when the viewing platform “Utkiken” was built just east of the pier. It attracts over 300,000 visitors every summer. There is an ice cream kiosk, cafe, fishmongers, shops and much more.

The fishing village of Smygehuk is located at Sweden’s southernmost point. It is on the outskirts of Smygehamn in Sweden’s province of Skåne or, as it is called in English, Scania. The southernmost point of Sweden is marked by the coordinates 55.336944° N 13.359444° E. You won’t be able to go further south than 55 degrees, 20 minutes and 13 seconds without getting your feet wet. Smygehuk used to be Sweden’s southernmost point but in 2007, Sweden was lengthened when the viewing platform “Utkiken” was built just east of the pier. It attracts over 300,000 visitors every summer. There is an ice cream kiosk, cafe, fishmongers, shops and much more.

Köpmansmagasinet

The striking old warehouse Köpmansmagasinet was built in the beginning of the 19th century and was one of four trading warehouses in the Smygehamn district. Today, the impressive building is evidence of Smygehamn’s glory days.

The Harbour

The harbour was built in the 1920s from what was originally a limestone quarry. Now it is one of the three marinas in the area that can be used by visiting boats. The western side of the harbour is lined by small fishing huts and boat sheds where fishermen store their equipment.

Utkiken

By the East Pier you will find a viewing platform that marks the southernmost place in Sweden featuring a compass rose with the distance to different places in the world. Utkiken with its informative signs is a popular place for photos.

The Limestone Industry

There is still a lot of evidence in the area of the once-booming Limestone Industry. The calcination of the limestone took place in so-called cupola kilns that were used periodically. Nine of the ten kilns periodically used here have been preserved and the oldest dates back to the mid 1800s. The oldest and largest of the old cupola kilns is located between Köpmansmagasinet and the harbour. The others are located northeast of the village of Östra Torp.

Nature on the point

Flora and fauna out on the point are heavily influenced by the rich limestone soil of the area. The pebbles on the beach have been washed up from the bedrock and are full of sea urchin fossils dating back 100 million years. Among the living are salamanders, frogs and toads, including the highly endangered natterjack toad. On the coast between Böste and Smygehamn, a unique population of common European adders can be found; it is possibly the last along Skåne’s South Coast. The adders are fully protected.

"The Embrace" sculpture

Rumour has it that actor Uma Thurman’s grandmother modelled for Axel Ebbe’s artwork “Famntaget” – known as “The Embrace” in English. The sculpture is in the harbour at Smygehuk where the beautiful figure can be seen stretching out towards the water, hair blowing in the wind, breathing in sea air and soaking up the sun’s warming rays.

Practical information

Here are some practical information that facilitates your visit to Smygehuk.

Parking

Parking facilities at Smygehuk are limited. If you want to leave the car at your hotel, it is possible to take Skånetrafiken´s bus line no 190 or take the bike on the cyckle path along the coast.

Bus

Skånetrafiken´s bus n 190, wich runs between Trelleborg C and Ystad, stops in Smygehuk, the stop is called Hamnen. Hamnen is translated “the port” in English. Here you can see the time tables!

The red London bus goes from the centre of Trelleborg to Smygehuk and is free of charge summertime.Timetables will be found here. ( 2023 not available yet)

Restrooms

A free public toilet building with four WC and an HCP- WC is centrally located in the area. The toilets are not open 24 hours a day. There is also the possibility of emptying the latrine from caravans.

During 1st of October to 31st of March only two toilets are available and no possibility to empty your latrine.

Tourist Information

In the small red cottage, next to the parking you will find the tourist information. Now closed for the season.

May
Friday – Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm

June- August 26

Monday- Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm

August 27 – September 25
Friday- Sunday, 11 am – 4 pm

Smygehuk´s history

Why did people choose to settle in this wind-blown place on the Baltic coast? The combination of the fertile Skåne Plains and rich fishing waters with the limestone in the area meant that Smygehuk and Smygehamn developed into thriving fishing communities in the 1600s.

Fishing & Limestone Industry

Limestone, fishing and commerce were Smygehamn’s primary sources of income. At the end of the 1800s, limestone mining and processing had reached industrial scale and there were 16 fishermen based in the harbour. By the mid 1900s, the limestone industry was no longer profitable but the number of fishermen had increased to 35, with seven large fishing boats. The railway kept trade alive by transporting limestone, fish and other goods.

Trading & shipping

Previously, there were four large trading warehouses in the area, with the only remaining one, Köpmansmagasinet, being the most impressive in size. With its close proximity to the sea, goods were transported via jetties and barges out to waiting ships. Köpmansmagasinet was likely to have played a part in the many shady deals and smuggling rackets that took place during the Napoleonic Wars. Who knows what was brought onto land under the cover of darkness and what stories the walls of this magnificent building could tell us.

Beach town, hotels & bars

The introduction of the railway led to Smygehamn becoming a popular beach town, with the pub at the Östra Torp Strandhotell becoming a favourite among the local fishermen. Such a favourite in fact, that all their wives got together and had alcohol banned from the premises. A new hotel, Hotell Smygehus, was built in 1919-1920 right on the border between the Östra Torp and Hemmesdynge parishes. However, the priests in both parishes banned the serving of alcohol during church services. The men quickly came up with a solution by sitting in the Hemmesdynge part of the bar when Östra Torp was holding their service, and the Östra Torp part of the bar when Hemmesdynge was holding theirs.