The Swedish town of Jönköping in northwestern Småland, picturesquely situated at the southern tip of Lake Vättern, was granted its municipal charter by Magnus Ladulås in 1284. After being several times destroyed by fire it was largely rebuilt from 1835 onwards. It is now a center of agriculture and forestry, enlarged by the incorporation of the neighboring communes of Huskvarna and Gränna. It is the chief town of Jönköping county.
A sandy beach runs through the town of Jönköping, which adds to its beauty. The town is also home to Elmia, a major fair and exhibition center. Elmia hosts major events for subcontractors, as well as the truck, caravan and railway industry.
To the west of the Jönköping station is the old Match Factory (Tändstickfabriken), founded in 1844 by J. E. Lundström, which began to produce safety matches in 1852 and soon gained an international reputation. It is now occupied by the Match Museum (Tändstickmuseet), with a collection of matchbox labels, designed both for the domestic market and for the various countries to which the matches were exported.
Address: Match Museum, Jönköping , Sweden
Hours:
June 1 to August 31: 10am-5pm; Sun:10am-3pm; Sat:10am-3pm
15km/9milnorthwest of Jönköping is Habo church, a large red-painted wooden building of the late 16th century, with vividly colored wall paintings on Biblical themes in rustic Baroque style.
From Jönköping, E 4 runs north up the west side of Lake Vättern to the little town of Huskvarna, one of the attractions of which is Dr Skoda's Waxworks. The road then continues to Gränna.
The Huskvarna company began manufacturing rifles in 1680 until 1757. It switched to a variety of products and is known worldwide for a variety of products today including sewing machines.
Address: Jönköpings Tourist Office, Djusläkartorget 2, S-55189 Jönköping, Sweden
Several permanent exhibitions can be viewed. They feature artifacts from the last 10,000 years, the work of John Bauer, memories of Jönköping during the 17th century and Swedish art.
Address: Jönköping County Museum, Dag Hammarskjölds plats 2, S-55002 Jönköping, Sweden
Hours:
July 1 to August 31: 11am-5pm; Wed:11am-8pm
September 1 to June 30: 11am-5pm; Wed:11am-8pm; Closed: Mon
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
West of Jönköping's Municipal Museum is the Municipal Park, in which is an Ornithological Museum (some 700 species of birds; collection of eggs). Also in the park is an open-air museum, with old wooden houses from Småland (15th-18th C.). At the west end of the park are a church from Bäckaby and a belfry from Solberga (18th C.).
14km/8.5mi south of Jönköping is the Taberg (343m/1,125ft), a hill of iron ore (no longer worked). This area is now a nature reserve. From the top of the hill there is a view extending in clear weather for 80km/50mi.
In the original heart of Jönköping, between Lake Vättern and the little lakes of Munksjö and Rocksjö, a number of older buildings have been preserved. In Hovrättstorget are the Provincial Court (Göta Hovrätt; 1639-55) and the former Town Hall, built in the late 17th century. To the northwest stands the Kristina Church (17th/18th C.), to the southeast the County Museum (Länsmuseet), with a collection which includes Småland pottery and ironware and native art.
In a nature reserve 25km/15mi northeast of Värnamo is Nydala Abbey (12th C.), of which only a chapel now remains. Part of the abbey church is incorporated in a modern church.
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Huskvarna, Sweden
