Sweden Guide
The southeast
Växjö
Founded by Saint Sigfrid in the eleventh century, VÄXJÖ (pronounced "veh-quer") is by far the handiest place to base yourself if you are interested in touring the region's glassworks. Deep in the heart of Småland county (110km from Kalmar), the town itself boasts two superb museums: the extensive Smålands Museum, notable for being home to the Swedish Glass Museum, and the fascinating House of Emigrants, which explores the mass emigration from Sweden in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While the town centre doesn't hold much else of appeal, the romantic castle ruin of Kronoberg is within easy reach, just 4km to the north.