Ängelholm is a locality in the historical province of Skåne in southern Sweden. It is located on the shores of the bay Skälderviken, a part of the sea of Kattegat. Its center is, however, located a bit inland along the river Rönne Å. In addition to being known for its ocarinas, Ängelholm also has around 28.200 inhabitants.
A Short History of Ängelholm
The Danish king Kristian II gave Engelholm its town privileges in 1516. The province of Skåne was at the time a part of Denmark, something that changed with the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. Engelholm replaced the former town of Lundertun and eventually also the town of Båstad. Its status as a town was, however, short-lived. Engelholm lost its town status in 1547 and its merchants were requested to move to Landskrona. Those left experienced over a century of troubles with both Swedish and Danish soldiers raiding and burning the area. But it was not only wars that caused devastating fires. Ängelholm have seen plenty of them also in time of peace.
Ängelholm regained its town privileges under Swedish rule in 1767. It was, however, not until industrialization during the 19th century that the town gained momentum in its development. It developed around smaller industries within agriculture and food processing. The town also gained a reputation as a seaside resort.
The Swedish Air Force moved the F11 wing from Malmö to Ängelholm in 1945. The town was for decades going to be known for its air force wing until it was decommissioned in 2002. Today the former air base houses several businesses, one of which is the car manufacturer Koenigsegg.
Things to Do and See
Ängelholm has a small and cozy center with restaurants and shops. There is also the river with a more tranquil setting, a bit shielded from the busier streets of the town. The center of Ängelholm also houses the public library, the former parish church, and smaller museums such as the crafts museum Hantverksmuseet.
Ängelholms Havsbad
Ängelholm has a long sandy beach along the inner-most part of the bay Skälderviken. The beach covers a distance of 6 kilometers and the water is quite shallow along the shore.
Ängelholms Flygmuseum
The former air base has partly been turned into a museum that opened in 2004. The museum tells the story of the former air wing and includes several objects and since 2010 a JAS 39A Gripen.
Ängelholms Hembygdspark
This is the local heritage park with nature, a playground, a mini zoo, and what is best described as an open-air museum. Well, it is considered to be a collection of several museums, exhibiting the area’s heritage. Old buildings have been moved to the park and smaller museums for different functions such as the school have been set up.
Järnvägens Museum
Järnvägens Museum is a railway museum that is housed close to the current railway station. The museum opened in 1998 and was for a time run as a national museum together with the railway museum in Gävle. The museum is today owned and managed by Ängelholm Municipality.
Rögle BK & Catena Arena
Rögle is the local ice hockey team that as of the 2023-24 season plays in the SHL, the top-tier league of Sweden. The team has not won any Swedish championships but did win the Champions Hockey League in 2022. The team that originates from the small village of Rögle between Ängelholm and Helsingborg is currently playing their 15th season in the top-tier league of Sweden.
Rögle BK plays their home games at Catena Arena in Ängelholm. The arena was earlier known as Lindab Arena and was completed in 2009. The arena has a capacity of 6310 spectators during ice hockey games, making it the 11th largest in Sweden.
Ängelholms FF & Ängelholms IP
Ängelholms FF is the local football (soccer) team. The team was founded in 1976 and has played 14 seasons in the second-tier league of Sweden, currently known as Superettan. The last season the team played in Superettan was 2016. As of the 2023 season, the team ended up second-to-last in the southern division of the third-tier league Division 1.
The team plays their home games at Ängelholms IP, also known as Änglavallen. This is an arena that can house both football matches as well as athletics competitions. It has a capacity of 5.000 spectators.
Engelholms VS & Kungsgårdshallen
When it comes to sports Ängelholm might have been most successful in volleyball. The team Engelholms VS was founded in 1986 and has teams for both men and women. The women’s team has won the Swedish championship eight times between 2006 and 2023. One of the indoor arenas used for Volleyball is Kungsgårdshallen.
How to Get to Ängelholm
- Flights: The nearest airport is Ängelholm–Helsingborg Airport (AGH) which is 7 kilometers to the north.
- Car: Ängelholm is along Road E6 between Helsingborg and Halmstad.
- Bus: Buses from Skånetrafiken connect Ängelholm with the surrounding area.
- Train: SJ, Pågatågen, and Öresundståg have trains to and from Ängelholm. Destinations include Copenhagen, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Malmö, and Mölndal.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 544 kilometers (5 h 50 min)
- Gothenburg – 189 kilometers (2 h 10 min)
- Malmö – 87 kilometers (1 h)
- Linköping – 349 kilometers (4 h)
- Kiruna – 1774 kilometers (18 h 50 min)
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