Helsingborg is located on the eastern side of the Öresund with the Danish city of Helsingör just a 20 minute ferry ride away. Prior to the construction of the Malmö-Copenhagen Öresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark, a majority of the transscandinavian traffic relied on the Helsingborg-Helsingör ferries. Even today, the ferries are popular among tourists and commuters – partly because they are cheaper to use than the bridge.
Helsingborg features several important Swedish landmarks from centuries gone by, such as the 12th century Raus Church which is one of the oldest churches in the country. There are also two castles: Helsingborg Castle and Sofiero Castle. The ruins of Helsingborg Castle overlooks the harbour and its 14th century tower Kärnan can be climbed by visitors in reasonably good physical shape. Sofiero is a much younger castle; constructed during the 1800s this ocean side mansion is famous for its gardens and rich collection of local and foreign plant species.
