Helsingborg (between 1912 and 1971, the spelling was Hälsingborg) is a city in Skane County in the southernmost part of Sweden, which has a population of 91,457 (2005). It is the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, which has 124,301 inhabitants (June 2007). Helsingborg is the centre of a region of about 300,000 inhabitants of north-west Skane. This arguably makes the Helsingborg area the fourth largest metropolitan area in Sweden.
Helsingborg is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city Elsinore (Helsingor) clearly visible on the other side of the strait of Öresund about 4 km to the west.
Historic Helsingborg, with its many old houses, is a scenic coastal city. The buildings are a blend of old-style stone-built churches and a fortress (Kärnan) in the centre, and more modern commercial buildings. The streets vary from wide avenues to small alley-ways.
Helsingborg has an elite football (soccer) team, Helsingborgs IF. Their home stadium is Olympia. Henrik Larsson is the most famous of the club's players.
Helsingborg is a major regional centre of trade, transport and business.
In 2001 Campus Helsingborg, a branch of University of Lund, opened in the former Tretorn rubber factory buildings, which had been founded by Henry Dunker. Three ferry companies take people and cargo to and from Denmark around the clock. The route is popular with day-trippers going to Elsinore or Copenhagen, or simply enjoying the views from the ferries. IKEA, the retailer of furniture and home interiors, has its international corporate headquarters in Helsingborg. Nicorette the nicotine chewing gum has a manufacturing plant here. Ramlösa is a mineral water from the southern part of the city.
