15 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Lund, Sweden
Lund isn’t a city of grand monuments or postcard spectacles. What it offers instead are smaller surprises: quirky corners, odd traditions, and stories that locals have passed down through centuries of students, monks, and scientists. You won’t always find these spots in a guidebook, but stumble across them and you’ll see why they’ve become some of the city’s most memorable stops.
See the Nose Collection No One Asked For
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Inside Lund University’s main building sits Nasoteket, an entire cabinet of plaster nose casts. Each one was taken from the face of a real person, mostly academics. New noses occasionally get added. Not everyone knows it’s there, but once you do, it’s impossible to forget 200 noses staring back at you.
Find Newton’s Apple Tree, Still Growing
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A tree connected to Isaac Newton grows in a small courtyard outside the Physics Department. This one was cloned from the exact apple tree that was said to have inspired his theory of gravity. It looks ordinary until you know what it is. Then it becomes a magnet for photos and spontaneous debates.
Step Into the Crypt With a Turned-to-Stone Giant
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Lund Cathedral dates to the 1100s, but the crypt below is even older. Deep inside stands a strange stone figure named Finn. Legend says he built the cathedral in a night, was tricked by a priest, and was turned into stone out of revenge.
Stand at the Meridian That Lets Students Be Late
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Outside the main university building lies a small marker on the ground. It marks the “academic quarter,” a quirky tradition allowing students to show up 15 minutes after class starts. Visitors usually walk past it without noticing, which makes finding it feel like solving a riddle.
Walk Through a Museum Built on Artists’ Drafts
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Skissernas Museum turns the spotlight on unfinished art. It’s filled with sketches and experiments by well-known artists. You won’t see the final pieces here. Instead, the focus is on what came before—the drafts, the first versions, the trial runs. It’s like reading an artist’s diary without the pressure of polished perfection.
Read a Plaque About Absolutely Nothing
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At Mårtenstorget, a plaque commemorated a decision that never happened. It reads “Intighet,” or “Nothingness.” The city couldn’t agree on what to put there, so they honored that indecision. It’s a wry nod to bureaucracy and maybe some existentialism.
Visit the Museum With the Most Relatable Science
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Livets Museum isn’t massive, but it makes human biology surprisingly fun. Exhibits focus on how the body works and sometimes doesn’t. Kids can test their reflexes and try puzzles, while adults gravitate toward the sections on historical medical tools and the story of Sweden’s mental health system.
Trace the Rune Stones That Moved Across the County
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Lund has a group of ancient rune stones that weren’t always here. These carved stones once stood scattered across the countryside but were eventually relocated to University Park for safekeeping. Now they sit arranged together, carrying fragments of Viking-era names and stories.
Visit a Church With a Midday Puppet Show
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The astronomical clock inside Lund Cathedral is pretty and functional. Twice a day, at noon and 3 p.m., wooden figures of the Three Wise Men march across its face. A mechanical Virgin Mary and baby Jesus watch from above. Music plays, and the whole thing moves like an elaborate show.
Explore a Mental Hospital Turned Walking Route
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Sankt Lars once served as a psychiatric hospital. These days, the grounds are open for picnics and weekend visits. The buildings remain, some repurposed, some decaying. Guided tours explain the complicated history, and plaques mark where key events happened.
Order Waffles at a Grocery Store From 1815
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Hökeriet started as a general store over 200 years ago. Today, it still looks like one, complete with vintage shelves and a small café tucked inside. Volunteers in period clothing serve waffles and coffee in the backyard. It’s only open on select days, but it’s worth planning around.
Find a Stone Church Older Than Lund Itself
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A short trip to Dalby leads to the Holy Cross Church, often claimed as the oldest stone church in the Nordics. There’s no ticket booth or tour guide. Just an ancient building with Romanesque columns and a stone baptismal font that’s nearly 1,000 years old.
Stroll a Park With a French-German-English Identity Crisis
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The central section shows off formal French flowerbeds and a symmetrical design. The outer parts feel more like an English landscape, with winding paths and loose clusters of trees. A skatepark, playground, bird museum, and summer concerts all share space without much hierarchy.
See Where Over 20,000 Artifacts Were Dug Up
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Just south of the city lies Uppåkra, an archaeological site once a significant Iron Age settlement. Excavations have revealed ceremonial buildings and more. A small visitor center provides context, and tours walk through where longhouses once stood.
Try To Guess What’s Growing in Nine Climate Zones
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Lund’s Botanical Garden includes a greenhouse divided into nine separate climate environments. Tropical palms sit near desert cacti, Alpine flowers live next to jungle ferns, and over 7,000 species spread across themed plots outside. Most visitors come for the colors, but serious research is happening here.