Why you should experience the Øresund Bridge in Malmö.
The Øresund Bridge in Malmö isn’t just an engineering marvel — it’s a symbol of connection, ambition, and unity that physically links Sweden and Denmark across one of Europe’s most storied straits.
Stretching nearly eight kilometers across the Øresund Strait, this iconic structure fuses bridge, tunnel, and artificial island into one seamless design — a breathtaking fusion of architecture and purpose. From the Swedish coast, its steel towers rise like sentinels over the sea, their cables forming elegant harp-like lines that shimmer against the Nordic sky. Driving across it feels almost surreal: one moment, you’re suspended above glittering waters with Malmö fading behind you; minutes later, you’re diving beneath the sea through the Drogden Tunnel, emerging into the heart of Copenhagen. The experience is more than a commute — it’s a passage between cultures, between worlds. For locals, it’s a daily lifeline connecting families, businesses, and dreams. For travelers, it’s an unforgettable journey through innovation and imagination, where the horizon itself feels like it’s moving.
What you didn’t know about the Øresund Bridge.
The story of the Øresund Bridge is one of daring vision — a half-century dream realized through persistence, precision, and partnership.
Opened in July 2000 after nearly a decade of construction, the bridge was designed to unite two nations once separated by distance and weather, making the Øresund Region a single thriving hub of culture and commerce. Its dual structure — rail and road stacked in perfect alignment — was engineered by a consortium of Swedish and Danish architects led by George K.S. Rotne. The design accounts for harsh marine winds, freezing temperatures, and seismic activity, ensuring both resilience and elegance. The transition from bridge to tunnel via the artificial island of Peberholm remains one of the most ingenious feats of civil engineering ever attempted. Created entirely from seabed materials dredged during construction, Peberholm was left largely untouched by humans — today, it’s a protected natural reserve where over 500 plant species and countless migratory birds thrive. Few visitors realize that the bridge also transformed the region economically, spurring a 20% increase in cross-border commuting and creating one of Scandinavia’s most dynamic metropolitan corridors. It’s even become a cultural icon — immortalized in the hit Nordic noir series The Bridge (Bron/Broen), which used its stark silhouette as a symbol of both unity and division. The Øresund Bridge isn’t just infrastructure; it’s storytelling in steel and stone — a monument to what collaboration can build.
How to fold the Øresund Bridge into your trip.
Experiencing the Øresund Bridge in Malmö isn’t just about crossing it — it’s about appreciating the scale, serenity, and symbolism it represents.
The best way to encounter it is by train or car from Malmö Central Station, a journey that takes less than 30 minutes to reach Copenhagen but feels like a cinematic adventure. As your train glides from the Swedish coast onto the bridge, look left — on clear days, the Baltic Sea stretches endlessly, its blues fading into silver as the bridge seems to vanish into the horizon. If you’re driving, pause at the Lernacken viewpoint before the toll station on the Swedish side — from here, you’ll capture panoramic views of the bridge’s soaring arches meeting the sea. Another perfect vantage point lies at Ribersborgsstranden, where the bridge silhouettes dramatically against Malmö’s sunset. For a fuller experience, combine your visit with a stop at the nearby Malmöhus Castle or the Turning Torso — both landmarks offering context to the city’s architectural evolution from medieval fortress to modern marvel. Whether you cross it for practical travel or pure wonder, make sure to return at night: when the bridge’s lights ripple across the water, connecting two nations beneath the stars, it feels less like a feat of engineering and more like a poem written in light. The Øresund Bridge doesn’t just link Sweden and Denmark — it bridges imagination and reality, reminding you that the world grows smaller, and somehow more beautiful, when people dare to meet halfway.
Hear it from the Foresyte community.
“Stand on the shore at sunset and it looks like the bridge is walking into the fire. Sea on both sides, sky ahead, cross it and suddenly you’re in Sweden.”
Where meaningful travel begins.
Start your journey with Foresyte, where the planning is part of the magic.
Discover the experiences that matter most.
