Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [92]
Sport Hörnan (103 62; Storgatan 14; 9.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-2pm Sat) has bikes for rent (Skr140/400 per day/week).
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AROUND VADSTENA
Rök
Sweden’s most famous rune stone, the 9th-century Rökstenen, is near the church at Rök (just off the E4 on the road to Heda and Alvastra). It’s a monumental memorial stone raised to commemorate a dead son, and features the longest runic inscription in the world. It’s an ancient, intricate verse so cryptic that scholars constantly scrap over its interpretation. The outdoor exhibition and stone are always open.
Buses are virtually nonexistent, though the scenic flatlands around Vättern make for perfect cycling.
Väversunda
The Romanesque 12th-century limestone Väversunda kyrka, situated 15km southwest of Vadstena, is a bizarre-looking church, and contains restored 13th-century wall paintings. The adjacent Tåkern Nature Reserve pulls in a diverse cast of birds; there’s a birdwatcher’s tower near the church.
Again, buses are hopeless; peddling is your best option.
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SMÅLAND
The region of Småland is one of dense forests, glinting lakes and bare marshlands. Historically it served as a buffer zone between the Swedes and Danes; the eastern and southern coasts in particular witnessed territorial tussles. Today it’s better known for the Glasriket (Kingdom of Glass), a sparsely populated area in the central southeast dotted with crystal workshops. Småland is broken up into smaller counties (län): Jönköpings in the northwest, Kronobergs in the southwest and Kalmar in the east.
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JÖNKÖPING & HUSKVARNA
036 / pop 123,710
Whenever you hear the scratching of matches on sandpaper, spare a thought for Jönköping – birthplace of the safety match. You can visit the restored production area here to learn more about this vital, but undervalued, necessity.
Fairy-tale illustrator John Bauer was inspired by the deep green forests around Jönköping, and the town museum shows off his superb otherworldly drawings of trolls, knights and princesses. Other famous exports include ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog, and indie band The Cardigans.
From Jönköping, at Vättern’s south end, an urban strip stretches 7km eastwards, sucking in Huskvarna, which is famous for its sewing machines, chainsaws and motorbikes.
Information
You’ll find banks along Östra Storgatan.
Library (Dag Hammarskjölds plats) Has internet access and a cafe, and is adjacent to the Länsmuseum.
Tourist office (10 50 50; www.jonkoping.se; 9.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-3pm Sat & Sun mid-Jun–mid-Aug; to 6pm Mon-Fri & to 2pm Sat & Sun mid-Aug–mid-Sep; to 6pm Mon-Fri & 2pm Sat rest of year) In the Juneporten complex at the train station.
Sights & Activities
JÖNKÖPING
Apparently ‘the only match museum in the world’, Tändsticksmuseet (10 55 43; Tändsticksgränd 27; adult/under 19yr Skr40/free; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat & Sun Jun-Aug, 11am-3pm Tue-Sat Sep-May), in an old match factory, deals with this practical Swedish invention. It’s quite an eye-opener: the industry was initially based on cheap child labour, workers frequently suffered from repulsive ‘phossy jaw’, and it was common knowledge that phosphorus matches were good for ‘speeding up inheritance and inducing abortions’.
Near the Tändsticksmuseet, the Radio Museum (71 39 59; Tändsticksgränd 16; admission Skr20; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat, 11am-3pm Sun Jun–mid-Aug; closed Sun & Mon mid-Aug–May) boasts over 1000 radio sets and related memorabilia.
Jönköpings Länsmuseum (30 18 00; www.jkpglm.se; Dag Hammarskjölds Plats 2; adult/under 18yr Skr40/free; 11am-5pm Mon, Tue & Thu-Sun, 11am-8pm Wed Jul & Aug, closed Mon Sep-Jun) covers local history and contemporary culture, but the real reason for coming here is to see