Småland is the forest-and-lake heart of southern Sweden, from Vättern in the north to the Baltic coast at Kalmar. This page explains how the region is put together, when the big sights open, and which in-depth guide to read next.
When you need this
You are deciding which part of Småland fits your trip, or you have seen “Småland” on a map and cannot find it on a bus ticket. You want Astrid Lindgren’s World on a day it is actually open, a way to Växjö, Älmhult, Vimmerby or Store Mosse without a car, or an afternoon tracing an ancestor who left for America.
Province, not county
Småland is a landskap (province). In today’s Sweden a province is a geographic unit with no administrative function; the working units are counties (län) and municipalities. Småland takes in all of Kronoberg County and the larger parts of Jönköping and Kalmar counties, with small edges in Halland and Östergötland. Its largest towns are Jönköping, Växjö and Kalmar.
That matters in two practical ways. First, each county runs its own buses and regional trains, so there is no single Småland ticket. Second, Öland is not Småland. The island’s two municipalities, Borgholm and Mörbylånga, belong to Kalmar County, but Öland is a province of its own, reached over a bridge where walking and cycling have been banned since 2009. Our Öland guide covers the island.
The three counties at a glance
At the end of 2025, Jönköping County had 369,722 residents, Kronoberg 203,121 and Kalmar 245,477; all three shrank slightly during the year.
| County | Places | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Jönköpings län | Jönköping on Vättern, Gränna and the Brahehus ruin, Store Mosse National Park | Jönköping and Vättern |
| Kronobergs län | Växjö (emigrant and glass museums), Älmhult (IKEA Museum), Åsnen National Park, Glasriket’s Uppvidinge and Lessebo | IKEA Museum, Swedish design |
| Kalmar län | Kalmar and its castle, Vimmerby (Astrid Lindgren’s World), Glasriket’s Emmaboda and Nybro | Kalmar, Astrid Lindgren’s World |
Jönköping had 148,152 residents at the end of 2025 and sits at the southern tip of Vättern, Sweden’s second-largest lake, up to 120 m deep. The Brahehus ruin, begun in 1638, stands on the mainland by the E4 north of Gränna, not on the island of Visingsö.
Kalmar (73,068 residents) has a castle that counts itself the best-preserved Vasa-era castle in the Nordic countries, and a county museum built around the royal warship Kronan. See the Kalmar Castle guide for hours and prices.
Getting there and paying
Three rail lines do most of the work:
- Öresundståg runs Kalmar–Växjö–Hässleholm–Malmö–Copenhagen. No tickets are sold on board: buy in an app, at a station machine or online first. See Öresundståg.
- Älmhult station is served by Öresundståg, Krösatåg and SJ; the municipality puts Copenhagen Airport about 1.5 hours away by train.
- Krösatåg, Småland’s regional trains, are run jointly by the transport companies of Jönköping, Kalmar, Halland, Blekinge, Kronoberg and Skåne. The Linköping–Kalmar line serves Vimmerby.
Around Jönköping, regional trains run Skövde–Falköping–Jönköping–Nässjö almost every hour, and the E4 passes the city.
Bring a bank card. On Jönköpings Länstrafik (JLT) buses and trains and on Kalmar länstrafik’s buses and Krösatåg, you can buy single and 24-hour tickets on board with a card or a customer account, but not with cash; Kalmar adds a surcharge. In Kronoberg, tickets are sold in Länstrafiken Kronoberg’s app. For door-to-door plans across all three operators, use Resrobot, the national journey planner.
Rail works at Alvesta close the line on the weekends of 24–25 October and 21–22 November 2026. Krösatåg covers Kalmar–Växjö, buses run Växjö–Älmhult, and you need a valid ticket for the replacement bus.
Astrid Lindgren’s World
The park in Vimmerby stands on land Astrid Lindgren’s father farmed, close to her childhood home. It is open for a short season only. In 2026 it opened daily from 13 May to 16 August, then on five late-summer weekends until 20 September. The autumn opening is split: 16–18 October and 24 October–1 November 2026, 10:00–18:00, with closed days in between. Every November and December date we checked showed the park closed.
In season, some trains stop at the park’s own station, 100 m from the entrance. If you drive, follow the road signs: the park warns that satnavs may show the wrong route since its new entrance road opened. Tickets, shows and accessibility are in our Astrid Lindgren’s World guide.
Växjö and the emigrants
Utvandrarnas hus (the House of the Emigrants) opened in 1968 and is the Nordic region’s largest institute focused on emigration to North America. It records the years 1846–1930, when nearly 1.3 million Swedes emigrated to the USA and Canada. The exhibitions follow the emigrants’ journey and Vilhelm Moberg’s Emigrants novels. If you are tracing family, the research room takes booked visits Tuesday to Friday, 10:00–16:00.
One ticket covers Utvandrarnas hus and Smålands museum, which shares its building with Sveriges glasmuseum. All three are closed on Mondays and over Christmas and New Year.
Glass and design
Glasriket (the Kingdom of Crystal) spans four municipalities — Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge and Lessebo — across Kalmar and Kronoberg counties. Glassmaking has been central there for over 200 years, but many works have closed, so check which glasbruk (glassworks) still offer glassblowing before you drive. In Växjö, Sveriges glasmuseum’s lower floor is closed while a new exhibition is built; the upper floor shows temporary exhibitions. Our Swedish design guide has the detail.
In Älmhult, the IKEA Museum opened in 2016 in the first IKEA store from 1958. It is cash-free, and tours are included in admission. Möbeldesignmuseum is not open yet: it closed to the public in Stockholm in 2022, its director said in February 2026 that opening in 2027 was more likely, and no date is confirmed. See the IKEA Museum guide.
Store Mosse and the lakes
Store Mosse National Park, formed in 1982 in Jönköping County, protects southern Sweden’s largest bog area. Boardwalks (spänger) cross open raised bog whose peat has grown for at least 8,000 years, between forested sand ridges and pine and swamp forest. A 12 m bird tower at the main entrance looks over the lake Kävsjön. The naturum (visitor center) is free and fully wheelchair accessible.
Getting there: the main entrance is on road 151 between Värnamo and Gnosjö, 17 km from Värnamo. Regional bus 242 stops at the entrance, and the Kust till kust railway runs through the park, with Värnamo or Gnosjö as the stations to change for the bus. Parking is free at every entrance, but a parking company monitors the car parks.
Rules that differ from the rest of the countryside:
| Rule in Store Mosse | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Camping and windbreaks only at designated places, max three nights at one spot | No pitching a tent anywhere |
| Fires and grills on the list of prohibitions, wording includes designated places | Bring a cold lunch |
| Dogs and other pets on a lead; no drones | Standard national-park limits |
| No overnight stay in a motorhome, caravan or class 2 car anywhere in the park | An ordinary car may stay overnight if correctly parked |
Åsnen National Park in Kronoberg, formed in 2018, is a second park in Småland’s lake country; see Sweden’s national parks.
Elsewhere, the right of public access lets you swim from any shore that is not part of someone’s garden, and municipalities sample their official beaches. Read lake swimming in Sweden before you jump in, and canoeing in Sweden for paddling. For a week in a red cottage, see renting a stuga and what to expect from a Swedish cabin.
When to go
Summer is when most is open: Astrid Lindgren’s World runs daily from mid-May to mid-August, and Kulturparken in Växjö opens Tuesday to Sunday from June to August. Autumn 2026 works if you pick dates: the park opens for the October school break, Kalmar Castle opens daily until 1 November and then on set days only, and the Alvesta works hit two weekends. Winter suits museums: the IKEA Museum and the Växjö museums stay open, but the park is closed.
Mistakes to avoid
- Looking for one Småland bus ticket; each county has its own.
- Counting Öland as part of Småland.
- Driving to Astrid Lindgren’s World in November.
- Paying cash on a JLT or Kalmar länstrafik bus.
- Looking for Brahehus on Visingsö.
- Planning a motorhome night in Store Mosse.
- Visiting the Växjö museums on a Monday.
Practical information
| Item | Detail (checked 2026-09-25) |
|---|---|
| Astrid Lindgren’s World, autumn 2026 | 16–18 Oct and 24 Oct–1 Nov, 10:00–18:00; one day 230 kr (15–64), 210 kr (3–14, 65+), under 3 free |
| Utvandrarnas hus and Smålands museum, Växjö | 1 Sep–31 May: Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–16:00; 1 Jun–31 Aug: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00; Mondays and 24–26, 31 Dec, 1 Jan closed. Adult 150 kr, student 75 kr, 0–18 free; seniors 80 kr on Thursdays 1 Oct–17 Dec; annual card 350 kr |
| IKEA Museum, Älmhult | Oct–Mar 11:00–17:00, Apr–Sep 11:00–18:00; adult 60 kr, 60+ 55 kr, under 18 free; card or Swish only |
| Kalmar läns museum | Adult 150 kr, under 20 free (to 31 Dec 2026) |
| Kalmar Castle | Daily 10:00–16:00 until 1 Nov 2026, then set days |
| Store Mosse naturum | Mon and Tue 09:00–13:00, Sun 10:00–16:00 when checked; free entry and free parking |
| Alvesta rail works | 24–25 Oct and 21–22 Nov 2026 |
| Bus and regional train fares | In each county operator’s app; not republished here |
FAQ
Is Småland a county?
No. Småland is a historic province, and provinces no longer have an administrative role. It covers all of Kronoberg County and most of Jönköping and Kalmar counties, with small edges in Halland and Östergötland. Buses, regional trains and county services are organised by county, so a Småland trip can mean three different transport operators and apps.
Is Öland part of Småland?
No. Öland is a province of its own, although its two municipalities, Borgholm and Mörbylånga, belong to Kalmar County along with much of eastern Småland. You reach it from Kalmar over the Öland Bridge by car or bus; walking and cycling on the bridge have been banned since 2009. Our Öland guide covers the island itself.
When is Astrid Lindgren’s World open?
Seasonally. In 2026 it opened daily from 13 May to 16 August, then on five late-summer weekends until 20 September. It reopens for the autumn school break on 16–18 October and 24 October–1 November 2026, from 10:00 to 18:00, and is closed through November and December. One-day autumn tickets cost 230 kronor for ages 15–64.
Where can I learn about Swedish emigration to America?
At Utvandrarnas hus, the House of the Emigrants, in Växjö. Opened in 1968, it is the Nordic region’s largest institute on emigration to North America, covering the years 1846–1930, when nearly 1.3 million Swedes left for the USA and Canada. Adults pay 150 kronor, under-18s go free, and the research room takes booked visits Tuesday to Friday.
Can I visit Store Mosse National Park without a car?
Yes. Regional bus 242 between Värnamo and Gnosjö stops at the main entrance, next to the free naturum visitor center. By train, travel to Värnamo or Gnosjö and change to the bus. A marked cycle route also leads from Värnamo. Camping is allowed only at designated places, and motorhomes may not stay overnight anywhere in the park.
Where can I see glassblowing in Småland?
In Glasriket, the Kingdom of Crystal, spread across Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge and Lessebo municipalities in Kalmar and Kronoberg counties. Glassmaking has been central there for over 200 years, but many works have closed, so check which ones still offer glassblowing before driving. In Växjö, Sveriges glasmuseum’s upper floor is open while its lower floor is rebuilt.
Related guides
- Astrid Lindgren’s World: tickets, shows and the park station, for the park most visitors come for.
- Kalmar: arrival, cashless buses and the Kronan museum on the Baltic coast.
- Jönköping and Vättern: the Visingsö ferry, Gränna and the lake.
- Sweden’s national parks: Store Mosse and Åsnen in the national picture.
- Öland, Skåne and Värmland: the neighbouring island and two other regions.
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Statistiska centralbyrån, Länsstyrelsen Skåne, Naturvårdsverket (Sveriges nationalparker), Kulturparken Småland, Kalmar läns museum, IKEA Museum, Astrid Lindgrens Värld, Jönköpings Länstrafik, Kalmar länstrafik, Länstrafiken Kronoberg, Öresundståg, Transportstyrelsen and SMHI — full register in this topic’s source file. Opening hours and prices are 2026 figures. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.