Ystad sits at the western edge of Österlen, the closest thing the region has to a city. Its compact medieval centre is one of the best-preserved in Sweden, with around 300 half-timbered buildings — the highest concentration in the country.
The main square (Stortorget) is overlooked by the St Mary's Church, whose night watchman still blows a horn from the tower every fifteen minutes between 9pm and 1am — a tradition unbroken since the 17th century. The Greyfriars Monastery is a beautiful 13th-century brick complex housing the town museum. Ystad's ferry port has frequent connections to Bornholm in Denmark and Świnoujście in Poland, making it a useful gateway in or out of Sweden.