Access to 12 nations is what stands behind that quite hefty Studentlund-paywall that has to be dismantled with your hard-earned cash each new semester. Thus, naturally spawning the following questions: Is it worth it? Are the nations up to standard? Which are worth your time and which are not?
Well, in my duties as a journalist, I decided to give the nations a run for their money by reviewing each and every one of them, and therethrough attempting to answer those questions for you. But to routinely attend the nations one after one in a few weeks, like a simple mortal, wasn’t going to be enough. Then the article wouldn’t see the light of day before December and that wouldn’t be very helpful to you, nor put an interesting spin on it. It simply didn’t cut it, this required a challenge. Thus, I brilliantly came up with the idea to do it all in one week. I would attempt a so-called “Perfekt Lundavecka” (A Perfect Lund Week). This mighty feat was going to require endurance, stubbornness and logistical skills enough to run DHL for a day, but that didn’t deter me. With a complete schedule in my hand, I phoned five trusty friends who were foolish enough to accompany me through this, and we embarked on the adventure together. This article is for you new to Lund, for you that haven’t tried every nation yet, and for you that likes to see me suffer from my own, supposedly, brilliant ideas. Please enjoy.
Day 1. Monday, September 4th
Monday was, thankfully, a soft start to our “Perfekta Lundavecka” and a pleasant lunch at Lund’s Nation was the only thing scheduled for the day. Full of anticipation and perhaps a bit naive to what an ordeal this week was going to be, we couldn’t wait to get started. Monday also included our first guest feature in the form of our dear friend Adam, who would join us for the initiation of this “Perfekta Lundavecka”. As if the day couldn’t get any better, the sun was shining and we were able to sit outside on the nation’s roof terrace, perhaps the best one in Lund. The lasagna was good, the ambience great and the views incredible. The main critique was that the portion was somewhat small and that the price seemed to have been slightly increased, but factoring in the hellish economy we currently live in, and the still relatively small fee, this wasn’t anything major. The coffee and the brownie was the icing on the cake and we left satisfied and slightly tanned.
*Naturally everything will be rated in Skånis-rats.
Day 2. Tuesday, September 5th
The soft start continued on Tuesday and the only thing planned was “Pub Ölkällaren” at Kalmar Nation. Having heard through the grapevine that the queue could be quite long, we arrived a solid 30 minutes early to make sure that we’d receive a spot. Good decision by us, since Kalmar might just be the most popular Pub in Lund judging by the queue. Even though they didn’t have a roof terrace, they had a nice backyard that we could utilise in order to get our well-needed vitamin D. The pub itself was alright. The plusses were the great selection of beverages and the overall ambience. The minuses were the food where the portion-size was good, but the price quite high in terms of nation-prices and left a bit to wish for when it came to taste. The fact that they charged an entrance fee for a pub was also a bit odd but since they don’t have many other activities, that may be an explanation to why. Eager to continue our nation streak, we left Kalmar Nation embraced for the most intense day of the week.
Day 3. Wednesday September 6th
Wednesday, perhaps our biggest logistical obstacle. Today we’d have to go through three nations in order for the schedule to align. Excited, probably a bit overly so to be honest, we went to our first stop: Pub Selma at Wermland’s Nation. Sadly, this had to be a quick stop for us due to our tight schedule. In spite of this, Wermlands delivered and we were, for the third day in a row, able to sit outside in the lovely weather and enjoy a few of these delicious beverages that come in a clear bottle, share their name with a wide-spread pandemic, and that’s typically enjoyed with a slice of lime. This was their main beverage of this sort which was a nice alternative to the usual ones you’re often served in other nations. Our main critic was that despite their very nice yard, the inside of the premises were not as welcoming. More could definitely have been done to make it look more pub-like. Pleased to have contributed to clearing their 314 000 SEK debt, we moved onward.
Starving, we entered Kristianstad’s Nation to attend Pub Lottas. The main thing that Pub Lottas likes to brag about are their burgers, and with every right. They were great. Yes, the price is a bit higher than other nations, but for a well-balanced burger with fries, it’s fair. I personally went for the halloumi burger (probably something to do with my “Stockholm vegetarian” complex) while the others went for the chicken burger. Now don’t judge a burger by its picture, instead judge me for being a poor photographer, because even though it looks bleak there, it was, allegedly (somewhat vegetarian etc etc), the best nation burger out there. Additionally the pub is really cosy, the atmosphere great and the beverage assortment vast. With nothing to really criticise, except that we had to leave in order to continue our “Perfekta Lundavecka”, we went to the final stop for the day.
Västgöta Nation, the first club out of four during our “Perfekta Lundavecka”. Sufficiently hydrated, we were ready for some Club Metro. The queue to Club Metro can be quite long so make sure to be there early or, as in our case, buy pre-purchase tickets. The club was a blast with great music, packed dance floors and a hyped atmosphere. Although already sufficiently hydrated, we made sure to hydrate some more as it’s essential for enduring an entire club night (see picture for two happy customers enjoying the water). After a few hours of clubbing and running into a few familiar LundaEkonom-faces, we left, pleased with having accomplished this logistical marvel.
Day 4. Thursday September 7th
Day 4 had come along. In our state of ecstasy the evening before, we had temporarily forgotten that there were 7 more nations, and 4 more days, to go in order to complete our “Perfekta Lundavecka”. Suffering from the poor decisions made the previous evening, we agreed upon being a little less ecstatic today and headed to day 4’s first activity: Pub at Sydskånska’s Nation. Once again we were joined by our dear friend Adam who came to support us halfway through our “Perfekta Lundavecka”, but who wasn’t foolish enough to come along for the entire endeavour. The pub was nice with a great assortment of beverages, but the interior of the pub itself was not the cosiest due to the room being quite dark and the arrangement of tables made it difficult to talk to one another when in a larger group. Also, party lights are fun and games but not at a pub maybe. On the plus side though, the Ful Medames (an Egyptian/Lebanese dish) slapped, especially when considering the cheap price. After two hours of solid banter, it was time to say goodbye to our guest and head towards the second club of the week.
Club Downtown at Östgöta Nation. The club’s commonly known as “köttmarknaden” (the meat market) due to the two, conveniently placed, balconies on either side of the dance floor where you can position yourself in order to scout for a possible love-interest for the night. Scouting wasn’t our task this night though because we were here to review, and review we did. Our first task was hydration and like VG’s the night before, the water was sufficient (see picture above). Our second task was to check the pulse on the dance floor and, once again, I can gladly say that it delivered. We even managed to get captured on camera by their photographer, as can be seen above. Along the evening we eventually had to rest for a while and decided to check out the balconies. Despite not finding anything particular, we can attest that it indeed is a great scouting spot. Feeling done with the review, we went home ready for day number 5.
Day 5. Friday September 8th
Having apparently not received the memo to not go full ecstatic the day before, and additionally having come down with the local epidemic; “Novischsjukan” (The Novice Disease), I knew that day 5 was going to be an uphill battle. But as I mentioned in the intro, endurance was a requirement in order to complete a “Perfekt Lundavecka”, and I was not about to give up. I battled my way to our first activity for day 5; Fredmans Pub at Helsingkrona Nation. Due to the state we were in, we decided to meet up at 17:00. Sadly this meant that their burgers were sold out, so we had to do without. Well okay, except for me who managed to get hold of the last vegetarian one. Something I justified with the mantra: My article, my burger. The burger did put up a fight against Kristianstad’s burger, but I must say that Kristianstad Nation reigns superior this far. What Helsingkrona lacked in burgers though, they made up for in beverages, so we gave their vast selection a try before moving on with our evening.
On our way to the next nation, we dropped by Skånis during a small party to pay our respects. Skånis of course isn’t a nation, but when paying for Studentlund you’re also contributing to LundaEkonomerna. Thus they rightfully deserve a shoutout. Since these are the people that will review my article before publishing, and mainly because I’m a part of Lundaekonomerna myself, this review will be 100% biassed. Here comes our next guest stars in the form of our current PL for Nådiga Lundtan; Ellen, our former PL for Nådiga Lundtan; Felicia (a.k.a Lenny), and of course our contact member in Le Board; Lisa. After giving Lisa and our holy trinity: Felicia (Lenny), Ellen and Melinda (former, current and future PL of Lundtan) a few minutes of divine affection, we went on with our nation streak.
Back on track with the activities, we stood in front of our main event for the evening: Club Tomorrowlund at Halland’s Nation. Once again, we’d sorted pre-purchase tickets, and could seep through straight into the fun. I’ll keep this one short. On the plus side; the atmosphere was sufficient, the music good and the dance floor packed. On the negative side; it was boiling hot, the queues to the bars endless, and the fact that the bar was placed in the middle of the dance floor both disturbed the dance floor and created longer queues. This sadly took away from the overall experience. Despite this we, in regular fashion, enjoyed a few waters. Although, while forgetting the most important part of it; to take a picture. So you’ll just have to take my word for it. After a fairly good time, we left ready for day 6.
*Note: The queue-score reflects the queue to get into the club, not the queues within the club, like the ones to the bars for example.
Day 6. Saturday September 9th
If day 5 was an uphill battle, day 6 felt like climbing Kebnekaise on a pogo-stick. Despite it being a fairly calm evening the day before, “Novischsjukan” had begun to truly take hold of me and I was exhausted. But god didn’t rest until the 7th day and neither would I. Geared up on pharmaceuticals, I mentally prepared myself for the first activity of the day: “Sonjas Ölcafé” at Blekingska’s Nation. This pub coincided with our next guest appearance, who is also a familiar LundaEkonom-face, Isabel. On the menu today was The Cuban Grilled Sandwich, a creative idea but which was met with mixed reviews. While I personally thought it was alright, some of the others weren’t as impressed. What we all could agree on though, was that there wasn’t enough food for the price, especially when compared to the other pubs we had been at. Besides that, the pub was alright, but once again it wasn’t very cosy and the ambience just wasn’t there. A recurring theme for the nation pubs sadly. While the premises are well-suited for a great live concert, a bit more can be done to make it feel warm and welcoming when converted into a pub. A big plus on the music though, as it’s fun to see a bit of variation on that front. Unfortunately, nation playlists are often far too homogenous. We finished our meals and had a few beverages before leaving for the last club of the week.
Club Casanova at Malmö Nation. When we arrived at the nation we were instantly confronted with Malmö Nation’s main hurdle: The queue. We arrived at 21:00 sharp but still ended up far back. Although, as stated previously, we wouldn’t fall short with our “Perfekta Lundavecka” so close to the finish line, so we fought through. Standing in the queue for such a long time, while already exhausted from the week that had gone by, inevitably led to contemplation. Among else, we all agreed that a “Perfekt Lundavecka” was a horrible idea and that this was the first and last time we would ever attempt such a foolish feat. Well except for Melinda who hadn’t found it as exhausting and suggested that we’d do it once every semester, something that was met with a unison “no” from the rest of us. After 3 hours of claustrophobic pressure and immense, life-altering contemplation, we were finally let in. Now say what you want about Malmö Nation. Is it disproportionately hailed? Probably. Does it deserve the divine-like praise and attention it gets? Perhaps not. But one thing can’t be denied and that is that this Mekka for Stockholmare, does deliver when it comes to the general atmosphere. Love it or hate it, but it’s always packed, the mood’s great and the music full of recognisable hits. Due to our state of being though, we only stayed for an hour or so before calling it a night. This however, left more than enough time to enjoy their water, dance for a while and have a few heated arguments regarding which crappy Stockholm football team that is less crappy than the other.
Day 7. Sunday September 10th
Day 7. The finish line had finally revealed itself. Now unlike God, I wasn’t about to rest on the 7th day, because there was still one more nation left to visit: Göteborg’s Nation. This was a blessing, as it came in the form of a three-course dinner at their “Restaurant Bedas”. To witness and celebrate our crossing of the finish line, our previous guest stars Adam and Isabel joined us for the event. Seated at Bedas we were served Burrata for the pre-course, potatoes and pork for the main-course and a mixture of cream and berries for dessert. The dinner was absolutely fantastic and exactly what our bodies craved after a week-long diet consisting of nation-burgers and chicken boxes from Botan. Furthermore, it’s insanely price-worthy, costing only 50 SEK. Our only critique was that it was quite noisy in the restaurant which made it difficult to talk to each other, but that was essentially only a minor annoyance as we had interacted enough during the week anyhow. Ecstatic to have accomplished this remarkable feat, I said my goodbyes and rushed home in order to become one with my pillow for the next 14 hours before my eventual resurrection.
To conclude, here are a few final reflections. We had done it. Perhaps as pioneers, we had completed a “Perfekt Lundavecka”. Writing this article slightly more than a week after, I can certify that it came at a cost: I’m still plagued by “Novischsjukan”, the intensity of which I probably magnified by continuing to participate. And as if that wasn’t enough, my finances are in shambles, eagerly anticipating the next CSN. But overall, it was worth it. I sincerely hope this handcrafted guide comes to good use and I personally believe that although it’s a tedious fee to pay each new semester, the nations and the Lund student life in general does give you a lot of bang for your buck, especially if active in any sort of way. If for some reason you weren’t deterred by my own experiences of “Perfekta Lundaveckan”, and would like to walk in our footsteps, reach out to our Vice PL Melinda as she seemed eager for another round. Best of luck!
