Where "The Bridge" was filmed: Malmö and the Øresund crossing

Malmö sits just 20 minutes from Copenhagen by train, connected by the Øresund Bridge, which opened in July 2000. The crossing is a combined road and rail bridge running approximately eight kilometres from the Swedish coast to the artificial island of Peberholm, where it becomes a tunnel for the remaining stretch beneath the strait to Copenhagen. The full fixed link, bridge and tunnel combined, spans around 16 kilometres. If you are driving rather than taking the train, note that the road barriers limit views from the car; the train gives you the better crossing.

The bridge became internationally known through The Bridge, the Swedish-Danish crime series created by Hans Rosenfeldt and first broadcast in 2011. The premise turns on the bridge's geography: a body is found at its exact midpoint, placing it simultaneously in Swedish and Danish jurisdiction. Two detectives, one from each country, must share an investigation neither fully controls. The series ran for four seasons, acquired a large international following, and brought sustained attention to both Malmö and Copenhagen as filming locations. Fans continue to travel specifically to walk the locations.

Most of the series was filmed in Malmö, particularly in the Västra Hamnen waterfront district, where the Turning Torso appears throughout. Designed by Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2005, the Turning Torso is a 190-metre residential skyscraper whose nine stacked segments twist 90 degrees from base to top, a form based on Calatrava's own sculpture of a twisting human figure. It is visible from the bridge and from much of the western harbour, and has become as much a symbol of Malmö as the bridge itself.

The old town of Malmö, with its medieval square and cobblestone streets, also features across the series. The city is walkable and easy to explore independently, and the waterfront cycling routes connect the main filming areas comfortably.

Getting there

The train from Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) to Malmö Central station takes around 20 minutes and runs frequently throughout the day. Malmö makes a natural half-day or full-day excursion from Copenhagen, or can be incorporated into a Swedish or broader Scandinavian itinerary.