Admittedly, the comparison is not entirely fair. On the one hand: Copenhagen, the glittering metropolis of millions, a royal capital that is rightly flattered as the "Venice of the North". And on the other side of the Öresund: the - well - "city opposite".
Most people don't get much more than thatMalmö one. This is hardly surprising, because even on Sweden's comparatively short west coast, the country's third-largest city has to compete with the second-largest - and it's not easy to escape the long shadow of Gothenburg with its elegant and sophisticated flair.
At least the touring skippers who were out and about in the Kattegat, Belten and Sund areas could hardly be blamed for their ignorance of Malmö - because, unlike in Copenhagen, there were simply no guest moorings near the city centre.
This changed in 2010 with the completion of theDockan Marina, and following the motto "Better late than never", the BOOTE crew finally set course for this blank spot on our editorial team's cruising map last summer. Fortunately - because Malmö impressed us straight away.
So all prejudices are overboard: From now on there are two beautiful sisters at theÖresund. So much the better! We are coming from the south, have taken the shortcut through the Falsterbo Canal, which saves us the diversions around the sandy peninsula with its offshore reef, and on the journey from Stralsund via Bornholm and Hanö Bay (see BOOTE 3/2016) we now have the last two stages ahead of us: Malmö and Copenhagen.
The "Rolling Swiss 2" of the Cruising Club of Switzerland follows the narrow channel that joins the canal to the north until we turn into the secondary fairway to the Öresund Bridge. Far to port, a forest of offshore wind turbines stands before the horizon, the jets to Copenhagen-Kastrup float in above us, and then we finally pass the bridge: 40 metres clearance height, no danger for the antennas ...
Malmö is now already to starboard, dominated by the city's new landmark, the 190 metre high "Turning Torso" 1 , whose gleaming white façade seems to twist into the sky. At the "Flintrännan" beacon, we have reached the approach that now leads to the "Vågbrytarbank" beacon and then around a breakwater in front of the harbour entrance into the Dockan Marina.
The long basinonce belonged - as the name suggests - to the dry dock of a shipyard. The mighty bollards on the promenade still stand and are a reminder of the time when riveting hammers rattled here and later welding torches hissed.
But where warehouses and building sheds once stood, multi-storey residential buildings are now lined up side by side. The concept of exclusive living space on the waterfront is no longer new; London invented it in the Docklands and it has been imitated all over the world. But here, with a largely unobstructed view of the Öresund, it has a special charm.
Guest berths (in boxes, alongside only on the inside of the breakwater and at the inner end) are marked with green signs in the almost 350 metre long pool, and there is a sanitary building. www.dockanmarina.se
Off into the city: from our berth, we practically always walk along the water, across the Klapp and University bridges to the inner harbour and once across the suburban canal. The Stortorget with the equestrian statue of King Karl X Gustav is colourful with people, the town hall is festively flagged.
For a relaxing coffee, continue to theLilla Torgwhose historic half-timbered houses and colourful façades give us the impression of suddenly being in a small Swedish town. Evening is slowly approaching, but it's warm enough and the lawns in the castle park by the massive Malmöhus are full of young people.
Guitar sounds and vocals mingle with the laughter of good-humoured people. The smell of a barbecue fills the air. A free bench is just right for us to round off this beautiful evening before we return on board.
Fourteen nautical miles across the Öresund the next morning, which is as smooth as glass in the calm. Between the island of Saltholmen in the south and the former Flakfortet sea fortress, our Trader 42 heads for Lynette løbet, the pleasure craft approach to Copenhagen's inner harbour, past gleaming tank installations and the next fortress island - but even on Trekroner, only local recreation is practised today.
Directly ahead are two cruise ships and the "Eclipse", a 160-metre mega yacht, alongside on the Langelinie - and on this summer's day in the middle of Copenhagen, pretty much everything else is on the water that floats and has a drive, from pedal boats to excursion steamers. Off we go on a harbour cruise!
Still within sight of the chimneys of "Queen Mary" and the like, the Langelinie Lystbådehavn now lies off to starboard - the best "address" if you want to be in the centre (and find a free berth; www.langeliniehavn.dk).
Behind it, the green, star-shaped ramparts of the fort rise up, and in front of it, against a colourful backdrop of coaches and crowds of tourists, the Little Mermaid sits somewhat lost, her gaze shyly averted from dozens of cameras, on her rock.
AFully occupied excursion boat ploughs past, waving hands waving through the air. By contrast, legs dangle casually from the harbour wall, faces turned towards the sun. Anyone looking for shade is in the right place under the cantilevered roof of the opera house, now on the port side.
On the other side, the restored warehouses of Toldbodgade are followed by Amaliehaven with a view past the fountain to Amalienborg Palace and the patina-covered dome of Frederikskirke, inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The last point of our short tour is the maritime heart of the city, Nyhavn with its traditional ships.
Anyone who manages to get a berth here in the outdoor area in front of the bridge is not only spoilt for choice.Happiness kissed - but probably also got up damn early ...
