Visit Småland

A bucket list for our part of Småland

Deep forests, sparkling lakes and red cottages in picturesque villages. Småland offers both nature experiences and cultural treasures - a popular destination for both adventure seekers and culture enthusiasts. In this guide you will get tips for a Småland bucket list in our part of Småland.

Småland is a province in southern Sweden, bordering Östergötland, Skåne, Blekinge, Halland, Västergötland and Öland. The province is the country's third largest, and extends from the east coast inland.

Jönköping is the largest urban area followed by Växjö and Kalmar. This guide is based in Jönköping, where you can experience both the quiet countryside, nature and feel the pulse of the city.

Linnea - Småland's provincial flower

Linnéa is a delicate flower with light pink petals. The Linnean became Småland's state flower in 1907 and symbolizes the beautiful nature of the landscape and the legacy of Carl von Linné. Carl von Linné loved the Linnean and had it in his seal, among other things.

The Linnaeus flower blooms from May to July and you will find it in forest glades, on rocky slopes and in bogs. The Linnaeus is protected in Sweden. This means that it is forbidden to pick it. Seeing a Linnaeus is a real stroke of luck, but leave it.

Have a taste of Småland

Classic Småland flavours are Swedish curd cake and ice cream bars, and more recently, marzipan cake has also become associated with Småland due to the now widespread celebration of "Fössta tosdan i mass".

Swedish curd cake, this Småland delicacy contains, in addition to milk and rennet, sweet almonds, bitter almonds, eggs, cream and granulated sugar. It is grainier in texture than Hälsinge cheese cake.

Swedish curd cake is best eaten warm with jam (usually cranberry) and whipped cream. You can eat homemade cheesecake at Svengården's café on Visingsö, Café Kleven 7 outside Gränna and Åsens by, among other places.

Fössta tossdan i mass

The first Thursday in March has become a holiday to celebrate in Småland. Marsinpantårtan or massipantååta is the obvious festive meal of the day. The reason for the celebration is dialectal. The phenomenon was created by the Svenningson siblings, with the background that their aunt in a broad dialect had said "fössta mass" they developed the concept to "fössta tossdan i mass".

On February 25, 2010, Jonas Svenningson started a Facebook page called “Fössta tosdan i mass” (First Thursday in Mars) and since then the phenomenon has only grown. Today, the day is also known as Småland’s National Day.

Do you want to explore more of Småland?

There is much more to do and discover in Småland.

Visit the Visit Småland website for more inspiration. External link, opens in new window.