Jönköping

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DESTINATIONS sweden jonkoping

Jönköping

Jönköping offers some of the best experiences in Sweden. Nature has been wonderfully generous with this region and has dotted it with beautiful small lakes, rolling wooded hills, meadows, wetlands and - not least - a kilometre-long beach in the town centre. Jönköping is an ideal venue for meetings and trade, strategically located between Sweden's three largest cities, and the warm local population is eager to share their natural assets and hospitality.

The City

For a long period, Jönköping was Sweden’s southernmost outpost; enemies would invade from over the hills to raid and pillage. Today, more than 3 million people visit the town every year to enjoy culture or sports, attend courses or do good business. Jönköping is Sweden’s fourth largest city for hotels. It is also the home of one of the largest exhibition venues in the Nordic region. There is always something going on, and lots of people to meet. Jönköping is a great place to relax, to shop and to eat out. The town centre of Jönköping consists in equal parts of water, streets and sandy beaches. Jönköping also boasts one of Sweden’s highest concentrations of restaurants. The town centre is built around three lakes and abounds with narrow alleyways, cafés and restaurants. You’ll easily find a seat in the sun, both at lunch and dinner. As for bars and nightclubs, Jönköping comes alive when darkness falls. Jönköping is the perfect big little town – a natural meeting place with exciting people, great choice and everything at an easy distance. There is even a nature reserve – Rosenlunds bankar – right in the middle of the town, between Jönköping and Huskvarna. Central Jönköping overlooks Stadsparken Park, the home of exotic animals, a huge playground and buildings from the former farming community. You don’t need a compass to explore the wilderness around Jönköping. There are waterfalls, mountains, marshlands and lookout points in all directions and several nature reserves just minutes away. Most locations are easily reached via bicycle routes, winding paths and signposted hiking trails. Spira, the new culture centre, has really put Jönköping on the map since it opened in 2011. It is a hothouse where dancing, music and theatre flourish. Jazz or classical, pop or rock, house or techno – or why not a mixture of them all? Jönköping constantly vibrates with music. Visitors with a taste for cyberculture will love Dreamhack, the world’s biggest computer festival with more than 13,000 LAN-connected computers. Dreamhack is held at Elmia Conference and Exhibition Centre and is packed with attractions – both on- and off-screen. The Elmia Conference and Exhibition Centre attracts many visitors and companies wanting to exhibit their own products and services or search for new ones. Elmia Wood is the world’s largest forestry fair, while Subcontractor is one of Europe’s leading fairs for subcontractors. Gränna and Visingsö are unmissable destinations offering enchanting views, manor houses, cobbled roads, bicycle rides, idyllic wooden cabins, castle ruins, paths and oak forests. Wherever you set foot, you’re in the middle of a history book. Outside Sweden, the name Huskvarna is probably more famous as a 350-year-old brand than as a 100 year-old town (although the brand is spelled Husqvarna). In past times, the town’s mighty waterfall supplied power for the local industry. Weapons, vehicles and machinery have been manufactured in steady succession in Huskvarna since the early 17th century. You can find out all about it at the Factory Museum (Fabriksmuseet).

Do & See

In Jönköping, Gränna, Visingsö and Huskvarna you have a lot of things to discover! The nature and history of the city and Småland region is very rich and captivating. There is always something going on, and lots of people to meet. Jönköping is a great place to relax, shop and eat out.

Dining

Jönköping is a very restaurant dense city. As a matter of fact, we are in the top five in Sweden. Here you can enjoy everything, from tapas with Mediterranean flavours at the restaurant N.E.O to Swedish potluck and rustic meat dishes at Småländska kolonin to fresh Swedish seafood at Hamnkrogen by the pier in Gränna.

Cafes

No matter where you look or where you go, there is always a café just around the corner. Jönköping has a well-established café culture, and friends will often suggest taking a Swedish "fika" during the day, or after shopping downtown. The many different pastry shops and bakeries are also great if you want to take some delicious treat home with you.

Bars & Nightlife

Jönköping comes alive when darkness falls, and the city offers many different bars and clubs for you to enjoy. If you are in the mood for partying and dancing, you should visit Harrys/Sliver or any of the other nightclubs in town. If you want to enjoy a nice beer or some wine in a cosy environment with soft music, you have to visit bars like The Bishops Arms or the local favourites such as Den Småländska Kolonin or N.E.O. The nightclubs are open until 2 am.

Shopping

Shopping in Jönköping is easy. The city has a lot of different stores, but you can also visit the great mall Asecs and the large stores at Solås Center. In the city alone there are more than 200 shops. The Asecs mall has over 80 shops and restaurants for you to discover and enjoy. At Asecs parking is always free.

Tourist Information