Copenhagen or Malmo?

Neither city is a beach destination, and both treat swimming as a summer extra in a sound that rarely gets much above 20°C. The difference is in style. Copenhagen's highlight is jumping into the clean harbour from wooden baths at Islands Brygge, with Amager Strandpark's lagoon a few metro stops away and Bellevue's lifeguard towers to the north.

Malmo has a more traditional city beach. Ribersborg's sand and dunes start close to the centre, and its shallow, calm water suits small children. For a quieter day, Skanör and Falsterbo, about half an hour south, have finer and emptier sand than Ribersborg itself.

Copenhagen is the serious food destination. Its foraging-led fine dining draws travellers in its own right, and below that there are smørrebrød lunches, cardamom buns, the Torvehallerne market halls and the natural wine bars and roasteries of Vesterbro and Nørrebro.

Malmo eats more modestly but with its own character. Falafel around Möllevångstorget, Skåne dishes such as smoked eel and spettekaka, and fika near Lilla Torg make for good, honest meals. There are only a handful of ambitious kitchens, though, and much less depth overall.

The gap here is wide. Copenhagen has royal palaces, the crown jewels at Rosenborg, parliament on Slotsholmen above medieval ruins, Nyhavn's gabled houses and solid national museums, enough for three or four full days.

Malmo's historic core is pleasant but small: Stortorget, the half-timbered houses of Lilla Torg, St Petri Church and the moated Malmöhus with its combined museums. The Turning Torso is its most memorable sight, and most culture-minded visitors end up treating the city as a base for Lund and Copenhagen.

Copenhagen offers the bigger night out. Kødbyen's converted butchers' halls hold bars and clubs that run until morning at weekends, Nørrebro has scruffier bar streets, and the cocktail bars in the centre are good. In summer, people drink along the canals late into the light evenings.

Malmo is quieter and more controlled. Möllevången has a loose, studenty mix of bars and small clubs, and Lilla Torg's terraces suit relaxed summer drinks. Many locals cross to Copenhagen when they want a proper big night.

Both sit in flat, gentle country, but Malmo has more within reach. Söderåsen's forested ravine has steep trails, Kullaberg has sea cliffs and coastal kayaking, and Falsterbo is one of Europe's great spots for watching migrating raptors in autumn.

Copenhagen's outdoors is closer to home: deer among the oaks of Dyrehaven, the coastal cycle north towards Helsingør and paddling in the harbour. Its nearest dramatic scenery, Møns Klint, is about two hours away.

The two share many of the same outings, including Kronborg, Louisiana and Roskilde, but Malmo has the edge as a base. Copenhagen itself is a day out from Malmo, Lund is ten minutes away, and Ystad, Ales Stenar and the manor houses of Skåne add a Swedish side that Copenhagen visitors seldom reach.

From Copenhagen the classic route runs up the North Zealand line to Frederiksborg and Helsingør, with Malmo and Lund an easy hop across the bridge and Dragør for a quiet half day.

Copenhagen is far better stocked for children. Tivoli, Den Blå Planet, the Frederiksberg zoo, Experimentarium and the old fairground at Bakken add up to several days of outings, and cargo bikes and pram-friendly transport make it all easy.

Malmo is just as relaxed and child-friendly in daily life, with playgrounds, free bus travel with a pram and a shallow beach. Its attractions are modest, though: a small aquarium at Malmöhus and a submarine to climb inside next door. Older children may run out of things to do within a few days.

Both have compact, flat centres made for cycling. Copenhagen adds a driverless metro that runs around the clock and reaches the airport in about a quarter of an hour, plus harbour buses, all on one ticket.

Malmo has no metro or tram, so buses fill the gaps. Its strength is the underground rail link through the centre, which connects quickly to Lund, the airport and Copenhagen. Walking and bike-share cover most of what a visitor needs.

Copenhagen is the place to shop. Design is the draw: furniture, lighting and Royal Copenhagen porcelain on Amagertorv, the long Strøget pedestrian street, the old department stores Illum and Magasin du Nord, and independent fashion in the Latin Quarter and Jægersborggade.

Malmo is practical rather than a destination, with high-street chains along Södergatan, small homeware boutiques around Lilla Torg and a big mall at Hyllie. Its open-air market at Möllevångstorget is livelier than anything Copenhagen offers in that line.

Neither is cheap, but Malmo is the easier on the wallet. Its hotels are reasonable by Nordic standards, and the weekday set lunch and Möllevången's falafel counters make eating cheaply simple. Evenings, with heavily taxed alcohol, are where costs climb.

In Copenhagen, rooms, meals and bar drinks are costly at every level. Saving money there means bakery breakfasts, supermarket picnics by the lakes and leaning on free sights like Nyhavn and the harbour baths.

Copenhagen has the deeper programme. The Royal Danish Theatre's harbourfront Opera House, the Royal Danish Ballet with its Bournonville heritage, DR Koncerthuset's outstanding acoustics and a long jazz tradition, culminating in July's festival, give visitors plenty that needs no Danish.

Malmo does well for its size. Malmö Opera is one of Scandinavia's largest stages, the symphony orchestra plays at Malmö Live, and the August festival brings free street concerts. Much of the stage work is in Swedish, though, and many enthusiasts simply cross to Copenhagen.

Both offer the same Nordic ritual of wood-fired sauna followed by a cold sea plunge, with no thermal springs in either. The setting differs. Malmo's version centres on one atmospheric institution, the 1890s Ribersborgs Kallbadhus on its pier, which locals use year round.

Copenhagen spreads the experience around, with floating saunas in the harbour and sea baths at Kastrup and Amager Strandpark, and quiet lakes and palace gardens for slow afternoons.