A visit to Jönköping takes you from boardwalks across peatland and forest to museums that tell stories of crafts and industry. Nature and history offer different ways to explore the region: sometimes the focus is on a landscape, sometimes on a building, a collection or a lively depiction of the past. You can choose what to explore based on the subjects that interest you most.
Peatland landscapes and walking trails
In Store Mosse National Park, boardwalks wind through a changing landscape of peatland, pine forest and spruce forest. The national park can be reached by car, train, bus and bicycle, and has several entrances. Check the latest route information before setting out. The naturum Store Mosse visitor centre is next to the main entrance. There, you can learn more about the national park and its wildlife, get suggestions for places to visit and find somewhere to rest during your hike. Check the visitor centre’s opening hours and facilities by season.
At Isaberg, you can also choose a route to suit your preferred distance: there are around ten walking trails ranging from 1.5 to 21 kilometres. This range gives you a practical reference for planning without specifying a walking time. The Bjärsvedsleden is a 12.5-kilometre trail from Isaberg through hilly terrain to Bjärsved and Bjärsvedsklint. For details of the Isaberg trail network, see the latest hiking map.
In Östra Vätterbranterna, options include walking and cycling trails, as well as boat and kayak trips around Landsjön, Bunn and Ören. This puts routes on land alongside trips on the water; check the current availability of activities and providers.
Crafts, city history and collections
The Husqvarna Museum explores more than 300 years of craftsmanship, innovation and production. It is housed in the oldest factory building, next to a waterfall, and features interactive exhibitions on industrial innovation. The Tändsticksmuseet offers a different perspective on industrial history: the museum is housed in a wooden building dating from 1848. There, you can see a matchworkers’ apartment, printing presses and inventions, as well as thousands of matchboxes with different labels and designs. Match production in Jönköping began in 1844–45; safety matches were made there from 1853. Together, the two museums show different aspects of production and innovation.
At Eksjö Museum, city history meets changing exhibitions on contemporary art and cultural history. The museum is in the old town, by the Eksjöån, and offers guided walks through the unique wooden town. Check whether the walks are available before booking. Another historic landmark is Aschanska hemmet, a preserved bourgeois home from around the turn of the 20th century.
On Visingsö, Brahekyrkan is associated with the powerful Brahe family and houses many art treasures. A regional product also has a clearly defined link to its place of origin: in 2022, Gränna-Polkagrisar received the EU designation of protected geographical indication.
Garden culture and guided discoveries
Around 550 varieties of roses grow at Rosenlunds rosarium, including old and modern shrub roses, climbing roses, ground-cover roses, wild species and floribunda roses. The collection explores the diversity of rose types rather than focusing on just one kind. From Jönköping Travel Centre, Rosenlunds herrgård and Rosarium can be reached on foot or by bicycle along a route of about three kilometres by the shore of Lake Vättern. Guided tours cover the garden’s history, from the first spadefuls of earth to the present day, and introduce selected rose varieties. Check in advance whether a tour is available on your chosen date.
Wild West pageantry and a ferry crossing
High Chaparral is a Wild West theme park set in 1876. Interactive activities include dressing up, a bank robbery, gold panning and the Trappers Challenge; these are subject to seasonal scheduling. There are also stunt shows, cowboy duels, living history and family-friendly comedy shows. Show schedules may change by season, so check the dates when planning your visit.
The Visingsöleden is a paid ferry service between Gränna and Visingsö on Lake Vättern; the crossing takes about 30 minutes. Check the timetable and fare in advance. This lets you choose specific routes and experiences without assuming that every discovery calls for the same kind of outing.
Discover more destinations: Habo, Gislaved, Aneby, Nässjö, Eksjö, Vaggeryd, Värnamo, Månsarp, Vetlanda, Marieholmsbruk, Sävsjö, Tranås, Mullsjö, Jönköping, Ramkvilla, Gnosjö, Ödeshög, Gräsberg.
For the main travel overview: Sweden.
