Marcel Burger - Third time's the charm

Gateway to the lower city, Helsingborg, March 2011.

Helsingborg explicitly presents itself together with the Danish city of Helsingør. The ferries sailing back and forth between the two border cities reach the other side in 20 minutes. While waiting for the ferry, you can often already see the other side of the Öresund from the parking lot, more than 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) away.

For a long time, the Öresund was an inland sea belonging to Denmark. Helsingborg (116,000 inhabitants) and Helsingør shared much, but also learned to grow up separately. They separated definitively when the Danish army was defeated by the Swedes for the last time after years of conflict during the Battle of Helsingborg in 1710.

Helsingborg in Sweden was able to benefit greatly from the more advanced harbour at the time and grew to become Sweden's eighth-largest city by population.

The photos of this series are from a visit in March 2011, republished on 15 May 2026.

View on Helsingør and Denmark in the distance. Notice the ferry arriving from Denmark in Helsingborg, March 2011.

King Oscar IInd Terrace steps finished in 1980, to get from downtown to the city park 40 metres (130 feet) higher.

View at downtown.

The 34-meter-high Kärnan Tower. The walls of this 600-year-old defensive structure are 4.5 meters thick. It used to be part of the city wall.

King Oscar IInd Terrace steps finished in 1980, to get from downtown to the city park 40 metres (130 feet) higher.

Small streets in Helsingborg's Old Town.

Old windows in Helsingborg's Old Town. The sign reads: "Bicycles are not allowed to be left against the wall"

Tyho Brahe Fountain and a half-timbered house in the centre of Helsingborg.

A boat at the quay of Dunkers Culture House of 2002.

Dunkers Culture House of 2022.

The Tivoli, Helsingborg, March 2011.

Helsingborgs Rådhuset (City Hall) looks out triumphantly. The Neo-Gothic building by architect Alfred Hellerström features a striking 65-metre-high (213-feet-high) clock tower. The bells chime three times a day.

King Oscar IInd Terrace steps finished in 1980, to get from downtown to the city park 40 metres (130 feet) higher.