Did you know that Sweden has many little-known attractions?
We didn’t know either, but found some of them while driving around in Sweden. Yes, these places are easily accessed by trains and buses too.
Here’s our route map:
Lavender Fields
A lavender field in Sweden? Totally unexpected!!
In Ystad, a town in Skåne county on Sweden’s southern coast, we came across some amazing lavender fields in full bloom in September.
It was a pretty little town with colorful houses on cobblestone streets, manicured gardens and flowers weaving out of windows.
IKEA Museum
In a small town called Älmhult, the original home of IKEA, is an amazing Museum where you walk down the path of IKEA’s 60+ years of history.
IKEA products, both old and new, are displayed, and there is a lot of information and short videos of its founder Ingvar Kamprad.
Oh yes, we didn’t miss out on the classic and delicious Swedish meatballs at the cafe.
If you are in the area, it is worth stopping for a couple of hours.
Gränna and Visingsö Island
Gränna, a beautiful town just an hour’s drive north of Jonkoping by Lake Vättern, is a mix of old and new – red wooden houses, lovely gardens, a Church and a Museum housing a Moped and Motorcycle collection.
Brahehus, ruins of an ancient nobleman’s house, is en route to Gränna on route E4. This is a pleasant must-visit stop and the views of Lake Vättern and the village from this castle ruin are simply spectacular!
Gränna is also the birthplace of ‘polkagrisar’, Swedish style candy rock with peppermint flavour and red and white stripes. Definitely worth a bite or two.
Just a short ferry trip away lies Visingsö island, which has one of Sweden’s largest oak forests and many lovely walking trails. The castle ruins of Visingborg and Nas Borg are worth checking out.
Vadstena
At Vadstena we found two admirable gems – an abbey and a castle.
Vadstena Klosterkyrka is a medieval church in a beautiful setting beside Lake Vättern with well-preserved 16th century architecture. It has lovely medieval sculptures, interesting art and carved floor slabs. A quiet and peaceful place!
Vadstena Slott is a beautiful renaissance castle on the lake shore. It has a wide moat and a double-wall arrangement that creates an ‘aisle’ where defenders used to shoot at attackers through openings in the outer wall. The furnished upper floors are the most interesting, and be sure to visit the chapel, with its incredible 17-second echo.
It is a beautiful place ideal for long walks by the lake with a lot of greenery and boats and cobblestone paths.
Vadstena itself is pretty little town, with lots of interesting shops, good restaurants and the oldest “working’ city hall in Sweden.
Our unusual find was the Vas Vitreum, a glassblowing shop featuring a small exhibition which includes a short film of how they blow glass. It was interesting to learn how glass can be transformed so creatively!
Tåkern Nature Reserve, situated adjacent to the striking Väversunda Church (about 30 mins drive) is a nature reserve and lake combo that pulls in a diverse cast of birds. The adjacent visitor centre told us about the wildlife one can see at the reserve. Alas, we could not take in one of the themed tours!!
Örebro
Örebro (meaning ‘a bridge over a graveled river’) is an interesting University town with an impressive castle and a very lively town centre.
The beautiful castle in the town center is Örebro’s shining landmark. It is surrounded by a moat filled with water lilies, plus delightful views of Svartan river which meanders through the centre of Örebro. This 14th century fortress consists of four three-storey towers surrounding a courtyard. It was one of the strongest defensive castles in Sweden during the medieval period.
The castle park (slottsparken) and the city park (Stadsparken) in the vicinity are such perfect places for strolling, jogging, and picnicking – great for the kids.
The Örebro region is also surrounded by the largest Swedish lakes: the Vänern, Vättern, Hjälmaren, and Mälaren.
Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred
Gripsholm Castle is one of the eleven royal castles in Sweden, located in Mariefred, next to Lake Mälaren in Sörmland. It is a beautiful castle – big decorated guns, pretty scenery, and the Sweden’s national portrait gallery of Sweden full of old portraits of kings and noblemen.
The castle is set at a beautiful location by the water and after the tour you can spend a long time sitting on the grounds next to the water. The tree-lined streets are lovely to walk around. Just a short walk away from the castle, there are some nice restaurants with lake-views.
Interestingly, we found that you can see Mariefred and the castle in a Day Tour from Stockholm on the historic steamship – SS Mariefred.
Wandering around Southern Sweden with no particular itinerary was a beautiful experience, one that we would love to repeat. Try it if you can.
Wow, I would so love to visit the IKEA museum! I didn’t even know that existed, and the Swedish meatballs too… yum! The lavender fields are just beautiful as well. Sweden has so much to offer!
I feel like Sweden is so underrated! I visited Malmo a few years back and absolutely loved it. Thanks for this great inspo for a future trip to Sweden. I definitely want to go to Älmhult to grab some meatballs from the original IKEA!
I love this- a lavender field and the IKEA museum?! right up my alley!
I love all these hidden gems in southern Sweden! I would especially love to check out the IKEA museum, the lavender fields and the castle.
Haha an Ikea Museum? Of course there is!
I have only been to Göteborg in Sweden, but really want to visit Gotland too. I love the look of Lake Vättern and the views from Gränna!
oh wow! never knew there was an Ikea Museum 😆 all of your suggestions on this list look beautiful, but i love what you wrote at the end “Wandering around Southern Sweden with no particular itinerary was a beautiful experience”… that wounds like my kind of day in this pretty area of the country.
I visited Malmo and Stockholm a few years ago and totally love it. Would love to visit IKEA Museum and try Swedish meatballs there. Also, the lavender fields and the castle in Vadstena look so beautiful. Love all these hidden gems!
There are certainly many reasons here why we would head south of Stockholm in Sweden. We are always looking for new places for lavender visits but would never have thought of Ystad. Interesting to be able to visit both castles and castle ruins. Lots of lovely small towns and great spots to enjoy the outdoors. Fun that you could even see Mariefred and the castle as a day tour from Stockholm. All great reasons to spend more time in Sweden.
As soon as I saw the castle and lavender fields I thought this would be a place I would love to visit. I haven’t been to Sweden but when I do I will be sure to check this area out.
My Swedish friends always insist that Southern Sweden is so different from the rest of the country – and your blog post shows this too. It looks so green and lush and even warm! The Ikea museum would be definitely on my list, as well as Gripsholm – I remember it very well from the novel by Kurt Tucholsky. Have you read it? I guess it is more well-known in Germany, as Kurt Tucholsky was a famous German author. Thanks for the great read!
I didn’t realize that the red and white stripes peppermint candy is from Sweden. The view from the castle ruin is simply beautiful. I would also like walking through IKEA Museum and eat some meatballs. I wonder if it tastes different.
I loved reading this because I am originally from Finland, and it made me remember home. Finns visit Sweden relatively often but here are many places I have never been to. We love visiting castles and I think IKEA museum would be fun too. Sweden is so beautiful! I will bookmark this for our future travels.
I have never been to Sweden till now. I was supposed to travel last year but that did not happen. I would love to go to these offbeat places in Southern Sweden as they look so pretty and beautiful. I will for sure go to see the home of IKEA, Älmhult. I want to see where the biggest store originated.
Wow! I love IKEA and it would be amazing to visit the Museum. Happy to know as well that there are so many things to see and do in Southern Sweden. Will add this to our bucket list.
Sweden is a country I’d definitely like to see more of, and the south clearly has many hidden gems. Vadena Stott looks so charming, and I’d like to see Orebro too. Definitely on my list to return!
So far in Sweden, I have only been to Stockholm for a weekend but there is clearly lots more to see next time. This is why I love a road trip, you discover hidden gems along the way & places that you had never even heard of taking you by surprise. This post just reinforces that with all the beautiful places you discovered. Thanks for sharing – put Sweden back on my list.
Loved all these hidden Gems and I know the best way to explore would be on a road trip. We have been to Stockholm, Gothenburg & Malmo and loved them. But it looks we certainly need to make a second trip. Would love to visit IKEA Museum and also the lavender fields. The castle in Vadstena looks so beautiful. Would love to spend lots of time there.
Lavender fields in Ystad, an abbey and a castle in Vadstena! I am soooo in love with Sweden already. I would not even know of these beautiful gems if not for your post because Stockholm was it! You have inspired a visit to Sweden to seek out these beautiful off-the-beaten path gems.
What a great route! All the way up Sweden with some beautiful and off-the-beaten-path stops. Love this. I need to see those lavender fields!
I’ve never been to Sweeden, but I would love to visit those gorgeous lavender fields! Also, I think it’s amazing there is an IKEA Museum, I’ve never heard of a store chain that has a whole museum dedicated to it! Thanks for sharing!
what a lovely country to explore! would love to be able to head that direction some day!
I love great hidden gem finds like these. They are the so often the real identity of a country, her people, and her culture. Really love Gränna and Visingsö Island!
The lavender fields are so beautiful! My friend is visiting Sweden next summer, this would be a great guide for them when planning their visit.