9-Day Southern Sweden

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This morning is at your own leisure in Stockholm. Drive from Stockholm to the idyllic town of Söderköping, next to the Göta Canal. There is much to explore in the area such as the spectacular nature such as the Ramunder Mountain in the city. The St Anna Archipelago is also just outside Söderköping. This coastal stretch is known for its nature reserves and thousands of islands.

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Today we recommend a detour to Vimmerby to visit Astrid Lindgren’s World, the fairy tale park based on the stories of Astrid Lindgren. Continue to the historic town of Kalmar, one of Sweden’s oldest cities dating back to the 11th century. History is waiting around every corner. Take a walk down the cobbled streets in the Old Town, visit the cathedral and Kalmar Castle, which is 800 years old. Today the castle is a living Renaissance palace with room for both banquets and conferences.

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This day is at your own leisure in Kalmar. We recommend visiting the Kingdom of Crystal, where you can view skilled glassblowers transforming syrupy molten glass into beautiful works of art. The tradition of glass blowing started in this region more than 500 years ago. Today there are 13 glassworks in the Kingdom of Crystal, all within a short distance of each other in the Småland region. Today Swedish glass is world-famous for its design and production.

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This day is at your own leisure in Kalmar. We suggest you visit Sweden's smallest province, Öland Island. The island is 137 km long and has a width that varies from 4 to 16 km. On this island you will find 400 windmills, 34 churches; 16 ancient fortifications; 34 orchid species, the highest lighthouse in Sweden, and the largest windmill in Scandinavia. As well as one of Europe's longest bridges and the largest castle ruin in northern Europe, the Alvaret.

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Drive from Kalmar via Nybro, Vetlanda and Jönköping to Gränna. From Gränna it is possible to go to Visingsö Island. After returning to Gränna, the route along the shoreline of Lake Vättern will take you to Vadstena. Vadstena is a town with a rich medieval history where practically every building has its own story to tell, the most prominent being the castle and the abbey.

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Today you are spoilt for choice, depending on what you are looking for, you can either explore the medieval town of Vadstena or the city of Motala and the Göta Canal.

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Return to Stockholm by car. Drive east towards Mariefred where you can visit the 16th-century Gripsholm Castle. The former royal barn which has housed cattle, horses and a hay-loft has now been beautifully renovated and is home of Grafikens Hus. The castle houses the Swedish state art collection where you can find portraits from King Gustav Vasa to the present day. The charismatic town of Mariefred is worth a visit with its narrow streets, colourful, low wooden houses and boatmen’s cottages.