Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
workshops. Småland is broken up into
län
(smaller counties): Jönköpings in the northwest,
Kronobergs in the southwest and Kalmar in the east.
Jönköping & Huskvarna
036 / Pop 123,710
Whenever you hear the scratching of matches on sandpaper, spare a thought for Jönköping
- birthplace of the safety match. You can visit the restored production area here to learn
more about this undervalued necessity.
Fairy-tale illustrator John Bauer was inspired by the deep-green forests around
Jönköping, and the town museum shows off his superb otherworldly drawings of trolls,
knights and princesses.
Sights & Activities
Jönköping
Tändsticksmuseet
MUSEUM
free, Nov-Feb free; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat & Sun Jun-Aug, shorter hours rest of year)
Apparently 'the only match museum in the world', Tändsticksmuseet, in an old match
factory, deals with this practical Swedish invention. It's quite an eye-opener: the industry
was initially based on cheap child labour, workers frequently suffered from repulsive
'phossy jaw', and it was common knowledge that phosphorus matches were good for
'speeding up inheritance and inducing abortions'.
Radio Museum
MUSEUM
10am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 2pm Sat, 11am-3pm Sun Jun-mid-Aug, closed Sun & Mon mid-Aug-May)
Near the Tändsticksmuseet, the Radio Museum boasts over 1000 radio sets and related
memorabilia.
