Kivik is a coastal locality in Simrishamn Municipality in the province of Skåne in the southern part of Sweden. This coastal area is famous for tourism and its orchards within a region known as Österlen. The year-round population stands at around 890 inhabitants, but that is a number that increases many times over during the summer months.
A Short History of Kivik
Kivik has a long history dating back as a fishing village along the Baltic Sea coast. The village was a part of the two parishes of Södra Mellby and Vitaby. It was within these that the current locality was defined in 1886. The locality became in 1952 the seat of Kivik Municipality, which became a part of Simrishamn Municipality in 1974.
Kiviks Musteri AB was founded in 1935 and has since developed and expanded. The company is today the largest employer in Kivik and one of the main trademarks with a connection to the locality.
Things to Do and See
Kivik is a summer resort town that comes to life during the summer months. Apples can be found almost everywhere in the surrounding orchards. It is the apples and the coast that are the main attractions here. Kiviks Musteri is just a short distance away with a long history to tell.
Kiviks Hamn
The harbor and the local marina is the secondary center of the locality. This is where you, in addition to small and big boats, will find restaurants and parts of the social life of Kivik.
Kivik Strand
Just to the north of the marina is the local beach. This is a long sandy beach that is easy to reach from the center. Hiking along the beach will eventually take you all the way to the village of Vitemölla.
Kiviks Museum
The local museum is the oldest museum in the area of Österlen. It was founded in 1890 by Ola Vappelin and was initially a private museum. It has since 1947 been run by the local heritage society and has exhibitions about life in Kivik over the last centuries. The museum is also home to the local archive.
Kiviksgraven
In the southeastern parts of Kivik is the burial mound known as Kiviksgraven. It might only be three and a half meters high, but it has a diameter of 75 meters. It is considered to be one of the largest graves in Sweden from the late Bronze Age.
How to Get to Kivik
- Flights: The nearest airports are Malmö Airport (MMX) to the west and Kristianstad Österlen Airport (KID) to the north. There is also Copenhagen Airport (CPH) right across the Öresund Strait in Denmark.
- Car: Kivik lies along Road 9 between Brösarp and Simrishamn.
- Bus: Buses from Skånetrafiken connect Kivik with the surrounding area.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 592 kilometers (6 h 20 min)
- Gothenburg – 307 kilometers (3 h 40 min)
- Malmö – 94 kilometers (1 h 15 min)
- Linköping – 397 kilometers (4 h 30 min)
- Kiruna – 1823 kilometers (18 h 40 min)
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