In Hjo, a remarkably well-preserved wooden town meets the natural landscape of the Hjoån Valley. There is also a historic town park and seasonal trips on Lake Vättern. If you’re considering whether Hjo is right for your trip, two questions can help you decide: Are you mainly interested in the town’s history, or would you also like to explore the trails and landscape along the stream? And would you like to include a summer steamship trip?

A wooden town with a medieval street layout

Hjo is one of Sweden’s best-preserved wooden towns. Around the medieval marketplace and the church, the historic wooden town follows a street layout dating from the late 14th century. Stora torget has been the centre of Gamla staden for several centuries and is one of Sweden’s best-preserved historic small-town squares. The Europa Nostra Medal of Honour awarded in 1990 recognised the remarkable preservation of the town’s cohesive wooden urban fabric. Historic gates, courtyard buildings and wooden houses remain along Hamngatan and Långgatan.

The church and town park also tell different chapters in the town’s history. The present stone church was built towards the end of the 18th century, retaining the existing floor plan. Despite later changes, its interior has preserved its Late Gustavian character. The landscape architect Johan Joseph Sternemann designed the town park in 1877. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Hjo Vattenkuranstalt spa was located there; at the time, it was one of the leading facilities of its kind in Sweden’s inland region. In 2018, the park and its buildings were granted special protected status, on the grounds that the park is probably one of the best-preserved complexes in Sweden’s inland region.

Hjoån Valley: trails and landscape

If you’re looking for a route through the landscape as well as historic town scenery, “Hjo’s Jungle” offers an easy, approximately four-kilometre hike from Hjo Harbour to Stämmorna on Lake Mullsjön. The route follows the Hjoån through deciduous forest, ravines and open clearings. There are also walking and cycling trails throughout the Hjoån Valley. The valley is part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas. The hike and the trails in the valley offer different ways to explore the natural environment; the stated distance of approximately four kilometres refers to “Hjo’s Jungle”.

Sport fishing is permitted along the lower stretch of the Hjoån. The rules of the protected area apply, as does any permit that may be required. Hjo Tourist Information sells fishing permits. This lets you find out before your trip whether fishing is something you’d like to include in your stay, without conflating it with the walking trails.

Park, culture and trips on Lake Vättern

Kulturkvarteret Pedagogien hosts changing exhibitions and permanent displays throughout the year. The building formerly housed Hjo samrealskola, which operated from 1898 to 1964. Another link to the town’s history is the S/S Trafik: the steamship was built in 1892 for the route between Hjo and Hästholmen. Today, it has been fully restored, is registered as a protected vessel and is classified as a historic ship. In summer, it sails from Hjo Harbour to Visingsö, Vadstena and Hästholmen. If you’d like to go aboard, check the timetable for your travel dates, as the trips are seasonal.

The sauna and beach huts offer a different schedule from the summer sailings. The Badhyttsbastun at Guldkroksbadet, centrally located by the harbour, offers sauna sessions overlooking Lake Vättern all year round. At Hjo’s beach, you can rent your own beach hut throughout the year. Hjo Bryggeri has brewed Svagdricka to a traditional recipe since 1926 and is now Sweden’s only wood-fired brewery. These highlights offer different ways to plan your trip: summer boat trips, year-round sauna and exhibitions, or the local brewing tradition.

Getting to Hjo and staying overnight

Bus 402 takes you from Skövde Resecentrum to Hjo in about 40 minutes. The journey time is approximate; check the timetable for your travel dates. The tourist information office also books admission tickets and guided town tours. This lets you assess Hjo as an overnight destination based on the experiences you actually want to plan, rather than assuming a particular itinerary.

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