MAN SHOPS GLOBE: TRAVEL GUIDES
Find out the best places to EAT, SLEEP, SHOP, and SEE in all the destinations featured in MAN SHOPS GLOBE!
PLAN OUT YOUR TRAVELS:
-
EAT
Trio Restaurant
Tegelgardsgatan 5
Malmo
www.triorestaurant.se
At Trio, in the southern city of Malmo, the bread comes nestled in handcrafted wooden boxes, and the butter arrives egg-shaped, resting on a finished stone block like a small trophy. You can only imagine, then, how much thought is put into the appetizers and entrees. But it’s not all presentation here, as chef Ola Rudin, a WD-50 alum, presents regional cuisine drawn exclusively from local suppliers. Yes, Stockholm is the heart of Sweden’s booming culinary scene, but if there’s one restaurant worth prying yourself away from the capital for, Trio is it.
-
SLEEP
Hotel Wisby
Strandgatan 6
Visby
www.wisbyhotell.se
In a country with its fair share of unusual hotels—one made entirely of ice, another completely underwater, and a third perched in a tree—it’s no small feat that Hotel Wisby stands out. Rather than trying to compete with the aggressively modern décor that reigns in much of Sweden, this hotel goes in the other direction, occupying a corner plot within the oldest neighborhood of this medieval town, located on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The rooms aren’t always spacious, but hey, cut them some slack: the building dates to the Middle Ages! And anyway the cross-vaulted ceilings and massive columns, including the spooky, cavernous pool, more than make up for any shortcomings.
-
SHOP
blås&knåda
Hornsgatan 26A
Stockholm
www.blasknada.com
Located in an oh-so-artsy district, this store stands out for its impressive volume, featuring the work of a cooperative of 45 Swedish ceramic artists and glassmakers. They both sell directly to customers and run a gallery with exhibitions of contemporary work, so in this one stop you’ll be able to see a wide range of local ceramics and glass, from practical kitchenware to daring art. If you don’t have all day to shop—or even, frankly, if you do—blås&knåda is your place.
Tomtar and Troll
Södra Benickebrinken 4
Stockholm
www.tomtar.se
We wouldn’t normally recommend any place that uses the word “souvenir,” but Tomtar and Troll is just too genuine to dismiss. Located, appropriately enough, in Stockholm’s Old Town, this shop sells hand-sewn dolls based on famous Scandinavian fairy tales. In a world where so much is mass manufactured—especially children’s toys—this is the sort of business worth supporting during your travels.
-
SEE
Ceramic Trail
www.keramikbygden.com
Wallåkra Stenkärlsfabrik
Drejarstigen
260 30 Vallåkra
www.wallakra.com
Some countries have a wine trail. Sweden, meanwhile, has a ceramic trail, and if you choose to tour it, start with this salt-glazed stoneware factory in the Råån valley of Skåne, Sweden’s southernmost province. Wallåkra has been molding clay since 1864, and today owner-artist Åsa Orrmell still uses the abundant clay around the property, which, located in the Borgen nature reserve, is as serene as Sweden gets. There’s also a tavern on site, which serves delicious, homegrown food.
Kerstin Tillberg
Yarn Alley 6
Mölle
www.kerstintillberg.com
Whereas Wallåkra’s focus is on sturdy, earth-toned pots and bowls, Kerstin Tillberg’s approach is more whimsical, incorporating myriad colors into objects that don’t always serve a single purpose, such as a teacup-cum-flowerpot. For her, the beauty of ceramics is in the fine details, like handmade roses or a vase embedded with real seashells. Hers are the types of pieces you never want to hide in a cupboard.
Torgil Anderberg
Skillinge Road 273
Ljungby Munka
www.skelderhus.se
Torgil Anderberg is equally fond of color, but in a much more controlled manner; rarely does he use more than two shades on one object. He says he strives to go beyond pottery to create surprise and tension with his creations, challenging the viewer’s senses with unexpected shapes, colors and surfaces. His exemplary work is at once modern and timeless—in particular his teapots and pitchers, which will beg you to take them home.
