A Little Piece of Sweden

Next to Bolmen, a lake in Sweden, is a little town called Jönkoping. About two hours drive from Copenhagen, this little piece of Sweden makes a good weekend getaway. It is also a cheaper alternative to a full-fledge weekend away somewhere else in Europe. The ticket to cross the Øresund bridge is less than DKK300.

Summer houses are spread out along the lake and are available for rent. Naturally, they are a lot more popular in the summer when one can swim in the lake, barbeque on the lawn and canoeing.

With a car, driving to surrounding small towns to join the locals for the summer fest (small party) can also be enjoyable. The drive takes about 10-15 minutes through forests and farmlands. Usually there is barbeque and lots of beers at the parties. Unfortunately, they also come with local amateur bands. But hey, that's part of the charm!

Another specialty nearby in Småland is Tiraholm Fish. You can drive around the lake to Tidaholm or take your car on the ferry. Once there, you can pick and choose if you fancy the eel or the fresh fish from the lake.

Småland has an interesting history. The novels by Vilhelm Moberg, The Emigrants make interesting reading while taking it easy here in Småland. The novels follow the stories of a group of poor Swedes who immigrated to Minnesota for a better life in the mid 19th century.