Halmstad, a city for students

Student shopping

As a student, you don’t always have the biggest budget. However, buying things for your home or for yourself doesn’t have to be expensive. In Halmstad, there are plenty of second-hand shops, which are ideal from a budget and sustainability perspective. On Brogatan in the city centre, you will find Busfrö Nytt & Bytt (Swe), External link, opens in new window. an exciting concept store where you can find masses of women’s clothes, shoes and household items. On Bryngelhusgatan, you will find the Red Cross second-hand shop (Swe) External link, opens in new window. – a well-stocked shop selling everything from furniture and household items to clothes and shoes. Myrorna (Swe) External link, opens in new window. on Karl XI’s Väg is a popular second-hand shop among students. Here you will find everything from home furnishings to a wide range of clothes – perfect for student initiation ceremonies, sit-down dinners and other social events. Kretsloppan (Swe) External link, opens in new window. is located by ICA Maxi, just down the road from the university. This is another good choice if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on furnishing your student apartment.

There are two flea markets at Halmstad Söder: Cityknallen (Swe) External link, opens in new window. on Skepparegatan and Byring & Bråte (Amnesty) (Swe) External link, opens in new window. on Fiskaregatan. You can find pretty much anything at both of these markets. There is more information about unique shops on our page Unique furnishings, flea markets and second-hand shops.

Halmstad City is perfect for walking and shopping. There is a varied range on offer here, with shops rubbing shoulders with cosy cafés, restaurants and outdoor eateries. In southern Halmstad, you will find the Hallarna shopping centre. There are more than 80 shops, restaurants and cafés, all under one roof. With the University situated between these two locations, you easily get to both for a little shopping spree!

Getting around

There are many options for getting around Halmstad. The city is ideal for walking and cycling. If you don’t own a bike, as a Halmstad resident you can now borrow one for free at Cykelteket (Swe) External link, opens in new window. for two weeks. There are several different types of comfortable bikes for you to choose from – pop in and check them out!

Do you already have a bike? If so, it’s good to know where you can get it repaired if you have any problems. You can have your bike repaired or serviced, as well as buy accessories and bikes, at Håkanssons Cyklar (Swe) External link, opens in new window. on Enslövsvägen. This shop also offers a student discount. On the other side of Laholmsvägen from the University, you will find Rima Cyklar. You can have your bike repaired or serviced here, and they also sell new and second-hand bicycles.

Public transport

If you prefer to use public transport, the services and connections are very good. Halmstad’s transport hub, Resecentrum, is located just a few hundred metres from the University. Many city buses and long-distance buses start out from there. You will find all the timetables and stops on Hallandstrafiken’s website (Swe) External link, opens in new window.. As a student, you also get a 25 percent discount on the 30-day bus pass (Swe). External link, opens in new window.

Wonderful cafés and restaurants

There are many places in Halmstad that are well worth a visit. Here, we have picked out a few exciting places to whet your appetite. At Cortado Coffee Shop (Swe), External link, opens in new window. you can enjoy a warming experience with everything from percolated coffee to many varieties of espresso. They also have a great selection of teas and a wide range of cakes and pastries, most of which are vegan. This is a perfect place for a coffee break when you’re studying. Brooktorpsgården (Swe) External link, opens in new window. is another cosy café if you would like to drink coffee in a 17th-century setting. The café serves sandwiches, hot and cold lunches, home-made pastries and coffee that is ground in-house.

Skånskan (Swe) External link, opens in new window. on Storgatan is a classic establishment in Halmstad. A welcoming café and patisserie with its own chocolaterie. You’ll find plenty of goodies to choose from here!
At Stora torg you will find Feldts Tivolikiosk (Swe). External link, opens in new window. A colorful café for both coffee and lunch!

Do you fancy some refreshing home-made Italian gelato? You can find some at both Riccardos (Swe) External link, opens in new window. and Hello take away (Swe). External link, opens in new window. Hello is situated on Stora Torg while Riccardos can be found both on Fredsgatan and out in the beautiful Möllegård nature reserve. Moreover, Riccardos has a unique ice cream van which pops up in various locations around Halmstad.

The café and beach centre, Söderpiren (Swe), External link, opens in new window. in the south, offers a little bit of everything. There you will find delicious pastries, fresh salads and their popular smörrebröd (Danish-style sandwiches). In addition to the café, there is also a sauna, a hot tub and a party room that you can hire. A perfect place for celebrations with beautiful views over Västra Stranden beach and the sea.

The beautiful and unique restaurant Söderfamiljen (Swe) External link, opens in new window. is located along Nissan’s quayside. The restaurant has a wide range of delicious seasonal food, home-made pastries, top-quality coffee, wines and interesting types of beer. Come here and hang out for lunch, the afternoon or the evening. The restaurant organises quiz nights and other fun events.

You can find all of Halmstad’s restaurants in the city on our page Restaurants A–Z in Halmstad city.

We would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the ResQ app (Swe) External link, opens in new window.. Via the app, several restaurants in Halmstad offer half-price meals that would otherwise have to be thrown away. The app is user-friendly, with a list of meals as well as a map showing where the restaurant is located. You buy your meal directly in the app and then collect it before the collection time expires.

Nightlife

In the city centre, there are a number of bars where you are sure to have an enjoyable evening. The welcoming basement bar Källarkrogen Vinyl (Swe) External link, opens in new window. is located on Hamngatan. Enjoy a cold drink in this cosy environment and be entertained with good music at the weekend. Make sure you don’t miss their student evenings which are organised now and again.

If you are looking for a bar with a wide range of great drinks and cocktails, we can recommend Zigges Garage (Swe), External link, opens in new window. which is next door to Vinyl. Try some of their signature cocktails, such as Seven Dots, Iki Hale Ka’a, Cucumber Rumble and Bitter Grasshopper.

38:an Kök & Bar on Brogatan is a popular venue among students. Choose from a wide range of beers and great drinks which are reasonably priced. This restaurant also organises a number of weekday events, such as pub quizzes and karaoke Tuesdays.

The Bull’s Pub (Swe) External link, opens in new window. is located in a snug old fire station in Lilla Torg in the city centre. It offers a wide range of beers and cocktails. Their outdoor terrace, together with Solsidan (Swe) External link, opens in new window. and Morfars (Swe) External link, opens in new window. in Lilla Torg, is always very popular in Halmstad during the summer months.

As a student, it is good to know about Hjärter 6 (Swe). External link, opens in new window. They run the student union’s pub, with fun after-work activities, pub evenings, and other events such as birthday parties and student parties. These are usually held in the student union building Lilla Hjärtat at Nässjögatan 6. Keep a lookout on Hjärter 6’s Facebook page (Swe) External link, opens in new window. to make sure you don’t miss any of the fun events they organise.

Outdoor activities

As a student, it is great to be active and relax from your studies. There are many ways of doing this, such as exercise and fun activities. In Halmstad, we have a total of 185 different spontaneous activity areas. For some great tips, see below.

Engelbrektsplanen is a favourite spot for many students. It is located on Engelbrektsgatan near the university and is also known as Bollmensplanen. Here you will find an outdoor gym, parkour, beach volleyball courts, barbecue facilities, a basketball court, a grass pitch and areas with benches etc. where people can socialise. A perfect place to hang out in, in other words.

If you like exercising outdoors, you will find Halmstad’s largest outdoor gym in Linehedsparken on the other side of Laholmsvägen from the University. There is a gravelled running track close to the gym, while in the park, you will find a tennis court and a football pitch.

There are a number of basketball courts around Halmstad, as well as several tennis courts with nets set up from May to September/October. You can find tennis courts in Slottsparken, Nissastrand, Skogabygatan and Furet. As well as Engelbrektsplanen, there is a basketball court in Linnéparken.

Next to Sannarp upper secondary school, there is a fun 18-hole frisbee golf course in a forest setting. There is an information board there with a map, rules and tips on how to play. There are also benches, tables and barbecue facilities. Halmstad Arena Skatepark (Swe) External link, opens in new window. is right next door, offering both street and bowl. Beginners and professionals are equally welcome here. The park is open to BMX riders and people on skateboards, scooters and inline skates.

Do you fancy trying a new activity but don’t have any equipment? No problem! You’ll find most sport equipment at Fritidsbanken (Swe). External link, opens in new window. There, you can borrow any equipment you need for up to two weeks, free of charge. Come on in, see what you fancy trying out, borrow the equipment and head off to one of the activity areas! On 31 August 2019, Fritidsbanken is moving to Haldahuset on Knäredsgatan below the University. They are planning to reopen at the end of October 2019.

For more information, a map and other areas for spontaneous activities, visit halmstad.se (Swe). External link, opens in new window.

If you like water sports, Halmstad Wake Park in Grötvik is a must during the summer months. If you’re feeling brave, a number of jumps have also been set up in the cable park. All the equipment you need is available to hire on site. Keep a lookout on Halmstad Wake Park’s Facebook page (Swe) External link, opens in new window. for opening hours, as the season may run until the end of September if the weather is good. Halmstad also has great opportunities to try out different types of surfing. You can hire equipment and attend courses for all kinds of surfing at Kitekalle (Swe), External link, opens in new window. Namasea (Swe) External link, opens in new window. and Ohana (Swe). External link, opens in new window. At Kitekalle, you can also hire bikes and fat-bikes. Don’t hesitate to set out on a new adventure!

Indoor activities

There are many different things to do at Slottsmöllan in Halmstad. For example, you will find one of Sweden’s oldest and largest indoor go-cart tracks here in Gokarthallen (Swe). External link, opens in new window. Slottsmöllan is also home to the Halmstad Activity Centre (Swe) External link, opens in new window. – the perfect place for a group of friends to have fun. Prison Island consists of 28 cells, each with some kind of challenge to solve. The Gladiator Battle is a venue where you challenge each other in various crazy ways, while Black Pearl Golf is a miniature indoor golf course in a black light environment. You will also find Slottsmöllan Skatepark (Swe) External link, opens in new window. and Halmstad Climbing Club (Swe) External link, opens in new window. here. Everyone is welcome!

Padel has become something of a Halmstad speciality. We have several excellent indoor courts here, for example, at Halmstad Padelcenter External link, opens in new window. and Sannarp upper secondary school. It is cheaper to play early in the morning and during the late afternoon and evening. You can also play padel in Halmstad’s largest racquet sport centre, Söndrumshallenn (Swe). External link, opens in new window. In addition to padel, you can do gymnastics and play regular tennis, badminton, squash, and table tennis.

Everyone is welcome to go ice-skating in Halmstad Arena. The rink is open to the public every day during the season. Halmstad Arena also has a swimming pool, Halmstad Arena Bad, for pleasure, relaxation and exercise. The arena has a gym and serves as a venue for major events and elite sport.

Student League (Swe) External link, opens in new window. is a football tournament run by students through the Halmstad Student Sports Association. Each term, a new season starts for the University’s students. The tournament includes all programmes, with everyone being welcome to take part. A perfect way to play football while meeting new people from other programmes. You also have the chance to win prizes during the season!

Many students appreciate access to an ordinary gym and of course, there are plenty of those in Halmstad. See a map of the gyms in Halmstad. External link, opens in new window.

Nature

One of the best things about Halmstad is completely free and accessible to everyone – our countryside. If you want to relax from your studies, there is no better way than getting out into nature. And it’s not just during the summer that the countryside is well worth a visit. Autumn gives us the most amazing array of colours, in winter the silhouettes of the trees are clearly visible, while the greenery of spring is always eagerly awaited.

Prince Bertil’s Trail is a real classic in Halmstad. The 18-km long hiking trail begins at Halmstad Castle and ends in beautiful Möllegård. The coastal path is flanked by the varying countryside, as well as barbecue areas, bathing spots, benches, etc.

Following the Nissan River offers the perfect walk. From the City Library, you can reach scenic areas in just 5 minutes. Head north along the Nissan, passing the beautiful island of Laxön, until you arrive at Slottsmöllan. Cross the bridge and start heading south again, until you arrive back at the library. A perfect little circular walk to help you gather your thoughts, breathe and just enjoy our beautiful countryside here in Halmstad after a hard day of studying.

Another lovely place to visit close to the city is Galgberget. Here you can enjoy unparalleled views over the city, and there are several cosy spots for a picnic. There are also exercise trails that are perfect for a run.

If you want to leave city life behind you quickly and easily, we recommend you to visit Ön by Torvsjön lake. It’s easy to get there, both by car and by bus. There are several hiking trails circling Torvsjön. In addition, benches, tables and barbecue areas have been set up around the lake. Bring hotdogs to grill, wrap yourself in a blanket and enjoy life. Moreover, you can fish here all year round! Fishing permits can be obtained from the Halmstad Tourist Center or ifiske.se. External link, opens in new window.

Culture

There is loads of culture here in Halmstad. All kinds of culture! Kulturhuset Najaden External link, opens in new window. is located on Fiskaregatan. The building is a venue for many forms of music, dance and culture, with a concert hall and a variety of stages. Here, amateurs, professionals, performers, participants and audiences can meet across generational boundaries.

At Halmstad Theatre (Swe), External link, opens in new window. you can watch everything from plays and concerts to stand-up comedy and lectures. From September through to April, the events follow hot on the heels of one another. Take a look at Halmstad Theatre and pick and choose from all the interesting performances.

The events at the various venues can be found in our events calendar (Swe). For more tips, check out our culture and history page.

What’s on – events and activities

There are loads of different events over the course of the year in Halmstad. Some examples are one of Europe’s largest beach volleyball events, numerous concerts, fun runs and food markets. To make sure you don’t miss out on what is going on in Halmstad, we recommend that you keep an eye on our events calendar (Swe) and the channels below.

What’s on newsletter and social media

If you want to know what’s going on in Halmstad, you’re more than welcome to follow us on Facebook External link, opens in new window. and Instagram. You can also sign up for our newsletter, What’s on (Swe), and keep up to date with what is happening in Halmstad. We issue the newsletter once a month.

You can also find out about activities and events in Halmstad at @enjoyhalmstad (Swe). External link, opens in new window. At @destinationhalmstad (Swe), External link, opens in new window. you can discover beautiful environments and locations in Halmstad. All the images posted on this account have been sent in by Halmstad residents and visitors. Feel free to send in your own pictures too!

A day in Halland

If you’re looking for inspiration regarding new places to visit, we can also recommend Visit Halland’s tool, A Day in Halland. External link, opens in new window. You will receive carefully selected tips based on where you are and what you’re interested in.

Halmstad Student Union

As a student, would you like to receive tips and news about social activities that are organised specifically for students? Take a look at Halmstad Student Union’s website External link, opens in new window. and keep an eye on Facebook, Halmstad Studentkår (Swe), External link, opens in new window. and Instagram @halmstadstudentkar (Swe) External link, opens in new window. to find out the latest.