Children & Family

32 | LANDSKRONA&VEN Playground at Landskrona citadel

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A DAY OF ADVENTURE

by petra olander photo david elg, moob

Landskrona is more than ice cream and swimming. After a day in the city we played big fishermen, discovered one of the Nordic region's best-preserved fortresses and tried out the fun sport of frisbee golf.

“look mom, it bites!”

To our surprise, the little guy is right – the float gets pulled and everyone wants to help wind in the fish. But of course, he does it himself and soon he’s standing there with a live trout fished out of the Citadel's moat.

His eyes glow with pride and we note that it weighs just over half a kilo before we drop it into the moat again. The fish are planted and you can rent spinning and fly rods to fish – great fun for people like us, complete novices as fishermen.

Filled with excitement and searching for a reward for the big fisherman we walk to an ice cream bar. Dockside Ice Cream in the middle of Stadskajen has a great selection of soft ice cream, scooped ice cream, milkshakes, slush and more. It’s a sugary heaven for children.

We look over the quay from the outdoor seating and see Landskronabåtarna which offers trips to the country's best sea fishing waters. The M/S Linda chugs out with its bow full of enthusiastic fishermen. We decide that the next time we fish we’ll do it for real, out in the sea on the M/S Linda. Now it's time for the next adventure for our little ones with restless legs: disc golf.

Everything in Landskrona is centrally located and close to the Citadel, one of the Nordic region's best-preserved fortresses from the 16th century with its own moat. Close by is the city's 18-hole disc golf course. An easy walk from the harbour, through a lush green forest park past Landskrona Art Gallery, where we almost drop into before the children drag us away.

Soon we’re at Landskrona citadel disc park with its lush landscape and the sun shining through the leaves.

We download the UDISC app. We can enter the results and find the baskets using GPS in the app. It’s perfect if you’re visiting the city for the first time.

Disc golf is also called frisbee golf and the idea is super-easy: Throw a disc or frisbee into a basket with as few throws as possible – like golf but with much lighter equipment.

The starting order from tee is easy, the smallest goes first, then we throw in order of age. Our six-year-old is first off. The disc slides in a beautiful arc and

PHOTO: LISA WIKSTRAND

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lands perfectly. Is our child a disc golf genius? The game continues mixed with pancakes. We get around, feel excited, happy and full of fresh air. The way back is along Kärleksstigen (the Love Trail) in the beautiful allotment area by the Citadel, scenic and romantic in one.

Our bellies start to growl. Luckily, it’s never far to anything in this town. We walk through the city's magnificent centre, with monumental buildings from the last century. We point out and tell the children about lost and won battles in this once Danish city. Think that all this was once Danish!

after a pizza each at cosy Mamma Teresa, we walk back to the Citadel where the eightyear-old suddenly exclaims: – Mom look!

He’s amazed. There’s a cool playground inside the Citadel area with a medieval theme. There are jumping stumps, a play prison, balance beam, boat and climbing frame. We sit down while the children climb around.

We spot an augmented reality experience inside the Citadel's courtyard. Curious, we all go there. A sign explains that we can download an app and get stories from people who have been part of the castle's history. The little guy points his phone at the tower and sees the very last person sentenced to death in Sweden – the angel maker Hilda Nilsson.

And I can see Tycho Brahe at the main building. We learn that the Citadel was a military fortress, a prison, a women’s prison and a refugee reception centre after the Second World War. That the most modern fortress in the Nordic countries was given up after a two-week siege during the Skåne War – but that no one really knows why.

before we go home, we promise the children a visit to Citadellbadet with its jumping tower, slide, water carousel, bubbles, fountain room and hot pools with salt water from Öresund. We just can’t miss it. And the 50-metre pool means we adults enjoy stretching out in the water. 25 degrees in the water is almost like swimming in the Mediterranean. And just like on an Italian holiday, we promise even more ice cream after the swimming baths.

PHOTO: PELLE ESTBORN

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HIKE WITH ALPACAS A DIFFERENT TOUR AROUND VEN

by sara ströberg photo oskar fäldt

Christel Ericsson’s alpacas are a well-liked feature on Ven. Everyone who meets these funny animals leaves with a wide smile on their face. Alpaca hiking is suitable for young and old alike who get a chance to get to know the alpacas’ special personality and Ven’s beautiful nature.

Christel Ericsson has lived on Ven since 2002 but she got the slightly different idea of offering hiking with alpacas from another part of Skåne.

“A few years ago I was going to Österlen with friends and was responsible for planning the activities. After a lot of searching, I found Österlen Alpaca in Simrishamn. I was really excited and we went to check it out. The animals made a big impression on me, it was love at first sight.”

Christel says that alpacas originate from South America where they are bred for their wool. The animals are sheared once a year and their wool is very soft and exclusive.

After visiting Simrishamn Christel couldn’t forget the lovely animals that took her by surprise. She took a few courses at Österlen Alpaca and then made a field trip to an elk and alpaca farm to learn more about caring for these animals.

“Alpacas are like cats, they can’t be tamed and they do as they please. I think that’s cool. They are very charming too”, says Christel.

She has her own alpacas and has offered alpaca hikes on Ven for a few years now. Christel’s alpacas are tame and used to humans. The hikes are suitable for both adults and children over 6 years. During the tours,

38 | LANDSKRONA&VEN Christel talks about alpacas and about Ven's history. The hikes are slow and the idea is to feel calm.

“It’s not possible to stress alpacas, we follow their pace. That’s what makes the hike meditative”, says Christel.

And usually guests have to adapt to the alpacas’ mood and behaviour.

“I remember a hike when there was an unexpected rain shower. The animals crawled under the bushes and refused to move until it stopped raining. We just had to get on with it and wait until the rain stopped”, says Christel.

Christel has noticed that most people experience true happiness when they get to spend time with her alpacas.

“They become calm and happy. Several people have come back and recommended their friends to come here.”

hvenalpacka.weebly.com

MEDIEVAL FUN AND GAMES AT THE CITADEL PLAYGROUND

LANDSKRONA The large playground at the Citadel area has a medieval theme. It’s right next to Konditori Citadellet where you can enjoy coffee or lunch. There are large lawns with tables and benches that are great for picnics. Kids can enjoy one of the three play areas: the port, the marketplace and the Citadel. There are jumping logs, a prison playhouse, balance beam, boat and climbing frame for children of all ages. iLandskrona.se

PARKOUR TRICKS AND TOWER CLIMBING ON “STORAN”

LANDSKRONA Enjoy tricky climbing walls, ride winding slides or try cool tricks on the parkour track. Then visit “Storan”, Landskrona’s playground on Emaljgatan in the Karlslund district. Fun things for children of all ages. iLandskrona.se

POKEMON HUNT

LANDSKRONA Finding Pokemons is a fun activity for the whole family – and it’s free. Download the Pokemon Go app and get around Landskrona’s city centre, filled with Pokemon stops and gyms where you can collect balls and develop your Pokemons. You’ll find an approximately 3 kilometre long Pokemon hunt at iLandskrona.se

Skate around Landskrona

LANDSKRONA Try skateboarding at the skate park by the Lagunen city beach in central Landskrona. Experienced skaters and beginners can test their skills. Volcano, grind bank, wallride, hippers and curbs in several variants are just some of the things people practice here. There’s a newly built concrete park with a solid ramp, speed bumps, ditch and mini ramp with a spine in Häljarp south of Landskrona. iLandskrona.se

Total pool action

LANDSKRONA Citadellbadet, Landskrona’s large open-air bath, is open from end May to August. There are three pools; a 50-metre pool, diving pool with springboards and diving boards from 3, 5, 7 and 10 metres and a children’s pool. The pools are filled with purified seawater from Öresund and are heated to about 25 degrees. Karlslundsbadet is an exciting indoor family pool that has two water slides, a climbing wall, underwater bubbles, caves and a sauna. landskrona.se/citadellbadet landskrona.se/karlslundsbadet

Explore the children’s garden

LANDSKRONA Are your children tired of sunbathing and swimming? Then visit Trädgårdslandet, a play exhibition for younger children at Landskrona museum. Discover the world of gardens through climbing in the compost, crawling in the rabbits' labyrinth, picking carrots or singing with a snail. Put on some garden clothes and play together. Free admission. landskrona.se/museum

Read more about the great variety for children and family that Landskrona and Ven has to offer at iLandskrona.se

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