1Växjö
Base · 2–3 days
The sensible southern Småland base: strong rail links, lakeside walks, the Swedish Glass Museum and the region’s deepest restaurant scene. Give it two nights, then use it to reach Kosta and Åsnen.
2Eksjö
Base · 1–2 days
The Highlands’ essential stop, with lanes and courtyards lined by more than 50 protected wooden buildings. It is compact enough for a full day, but worth an overnight for an unhurried old-town walk, museum visit and lakeside swim.
Åsnen National Park and Lake Åsnen
Base · 2–3 days
The strongest outdoor destination in the southern half: island-dotted lake water, easy paddling, osprey country and low-technicality walks at Trollberget or Bjurkärr. Stay near the lake rather than trying to do it as a rushed excursion.
Kosta and Glasriket
Short stop · 1 day
Come for a working furnace, Kosta Boda glass and a booked hyttsill evening—not just outlet shopping. It is the clearest way to experience the craft and food culture that shaped inland Småland.
Stockaryd, Hultsjö and the Sävsjö countryside
Base · 1–2 days
This is the quiet local core: cottage country, woodland trails and uncomplicated lake time around Stockaryd, Hultsjö, Norrsjön and Sörsjön. Use it for a slow rural reset, not a packed sightseeing schedule.
Vetlanda and the Skirö country
Base · 1–2 days
Vetlanda itself is functional, but the surrounding Skirö and Wallby landscape delivers the classic Småland mix of stone walls, fields, forest and lakes. It works best as a driving, cycling, fishing or swimming base.
Värnamo and Store Mosse National Park
Base · 1–2 days
Värnamo is mainly the practical base; Store Mosse is the reason to come. Its boardwalks, bird towers and huge raised bog feel strikingly open after days in forest and small towns.
Sävsjö, Vrigstad and Rörvik
A useful cluster of small service towns rather than a sightseeing destination: Sävsjö is the rail-and-grocery anchor, Vrigstad is handy on a driving route, and Rörvik makes a modest lakeside detour. Keep expectations practical and use a car.
Sample routes
Rail-first southern Småland sampler
4 daysVäxjö (2 days) → Stockaryd, Hultsjö and the Sävsjö countryside (1 day) → Eksjö (1 day)
For travelers without a car who want the region’s useful urban base, a deliberate glimpse of rural Småland, and its best wooden town. Keep Stockaryd simple: walk, fika and lake-country atmosphere, then return to a proper base rather than trying to chase sparse buses.
Plan this routeClassic lakes, glass and wooden towns
7 daysVäxjö (2 days) → Kosta and Glasriket (1 day) → Åsnen National Park and Lake Åsnen (2 days) → Eksjö (2 days)
The best first car trip. Växjö handles museums and food, Kosta provides the furnace-and-hyttsill experience, Åsnen supplies real lake time, and Eksjö gives the trip its architectural payoff. Do not dilute it by adding Store Mosse.
Plan this routeHighlands, back roads and bog country
8 daysEksjö (2 days) → Vetlanda and the Skirö country (2 days) → Stockaryd, Hultsjö and the Sävsjö countryside (2 days) → Värnamo and Store Mosse National Park (2 days)
For drivers who would rather cycle, fish, swim and walk than collect museums and restaurant reservations. Eksjö prevents the route becoming purely rural; Store Mosse gives it a genuinely different landscape at the end.
Plan this routeUnhurried southern Småland circuit
12 daysVäxjö (3 days) → Kosta and Glasriket (1 day) → Åsnen National Park and Lake Åsnen (3 days) → Stockaryd, Hultsjö and the Sävsjö countryside (1 day) → Eksjö (2 days) → Vetlanda and the Skirö country (1 day) → Värnamo and Store Mosse National Park (1 day)
A proper slow trip for repeat Sweden visitors with a car. The extra time belongs at Åsnen and Växjö; Stockaryd and Vetlanda are intentionally short, landscape-led pauses rather than places to pad out with invented sightseeing.
Plan this route