"Take the opportunity to visit the national parks near Jönköping"
During the summer, Jönköping University (JU) offers inspiration! Every week, employees from different parts of JU share their best summer tips - ranging from hotspots and excursions to personal favorites for relaxation and holiday spirit. This week, it's the turn of Deborah Finkel, Professor of Psychology at the School of Health and Welfare at Jönköping University.
Deborah at Djurö.
What are your plans for the summer?
I will be in the United States in July and I am planning to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, with a friend. Cleveland may not sound like a very glamorous place to visit, but it is located on one of the Great Lakes (Lake Erie) and combines the history of an older American city with new energy. Let's see what interesting things we can find.
Do you have any hidden gems in Jönköping and the surrounding area?
One of my favorite places to visit in the area is Omberg. Very nice trails with great views of Lake Vättern in Mörkahålkärrets Nature Reserve. At the southern end of Omberg is the Omberg Turisthotell, a beautiful old building with a very nice restaurant - you can even get a gourmet lunch to take with you on your hike. And the nearby ruin of Alvastra Monastery is a lovely place to visit, especially when the flowers are in bloom. Nearby is the Tåkern Nature Reserve, famous for birdwatching.
What is your best summer tip in general?
I try to visit all 30 national parks in Sweden and there are 5 that are not that far from Jönköping. Store Mosse is only 65 km south of Jönköping. Norra Kvill is 120 km to the east and has forests that have remained intact for more than 150 years. The newest national park, Åsnen, is 160 km southeast of Jönköping - it has some hiking trails but is a better place for kayaking. Läckö Castle is just 135 km to the west, and from the castle's nature center you can book a boat trip to Djurö National Park - no other archipelago in Sweden is so isolated. Tiveden is 140 km northwest of Jönköping and is one of my favorite parks, with old forests and lakes and swimming and camping.
