Wallander’s Ystad
The tourist brochures depict Ystad as an idyllic location with sandy beaches, half-timbered houses and cobbled alleys edged with hollyhocks. But there’s also a darker version of this tranquil town on the south coast of Skåne. Henning Mankell portrays a very different Ystad in his Kurt Wallander books. Here, cold-blooded killers live on the peacefully-named Harmonigatan, right in the heart of the town. Detective Chief Inspector Kurt Wallander is passionate about his work, opera and whisky. Having put his job before his family, he approaches his investigations with a zeal which precludes any real private life. But despite his unhealthy eating habits and his pitiful love life, he comes across as an amiable antihero with a rare talent for solving exceptionally brutal murders, and has been translated into 40 different languages.
Detective Chief Inspector Wallander in on his home turf inYstad. St Mary’s Church in the background is a prominent feature of both the fictional skyline and the real town. Photo:skane.com©sydpol.com
Through the books and films, we can follow Wallander’s life over a period of more than twenty years, from his debut as a recently-divorced man going through a midlife crisis in Faceless Killers (1991) through to his more domesticated life as a sixty-year-old. Mankell depicts an Ystad police force facing the constant challenges of a changing society, and this is a key narrative element. Not only is Wallander confronted with criminality, he also has to contend with political forces, female oppression, racism and terrorism.
One big Wallander set
It’s during the autumn and the spring that Wallander’s Ystad is truly at its best, when the mist lies low along the beach at Nybrostrand – perfect for an atmospheric stroll along the coast or through the streets of Ystad. Then drop in at Fridolfs Konditori on St Knuts Torg for a Wallander cake, or go on a guided tour of the town.
Fridolfs Konditori is where Wallander eats herring sandwiches for lunch. Drop in and enjoy a cup of coffee with a good book, or go the whole hog and try a Wallander cake. Photo:skane.com©sydpol.com
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