Nature

The Municipality of Jönköping has some 20 different nature reserve areas, one of which is the small but spectacular Mount Taberg, which consists of a particular variety of rock bearing ore, which was mined as early as the 15th century. Today, the mine has been shut down and is only showed on guided tours during the summer. The slopes of the mountain are habitats for more than 400 different species of plants and ferns, ranging from native central-European to alpine plants. A curious fact is that in and around Taberg nine different species of bats may be found.

Several of the municipal nature reserves have been designated as areas of national interest. One such characteristic area is the 35-40 metre high slopes of the sandbanks at Rosenlund at the southernmost tip of Lake Vättern. Here are the last remaining traces of the melting and retreat of the inland ice, which occurred some 11,000 years ago.

There are two wetland and bogland reserves, i.e. the “Dumme mosse" and the “Komosse", their vast desolated areas offering a magnificent and unique nature experience.

The orchards at the Brunstorp heritage farm in the Huskvarnabergen nature reserve are also a seed bank, preserving and growing some 130 different kinds of apples, 30 different varieties of pears, and 20 different sorts of cherries and plums. Many of these are local varieties threatened by extinction.

Jönköping is widely recognised not only for its beautiful setting but also for its parks, one of which is the more than 100 years old Town Park, set in the hills, just west of central Jönköping. The park contains a unique Bird Museum amongst many other cultural and heritage sites, and offers superb views over the lake and the city centre.

The Rosarium, between Jönköping and Huskvarna, numbers more than 300 different kinds of roses.

There are a great variety of interesting nature and cultural heritage sites and treasures to be seen both in Gränna and on the island of Visingsö, which are considered among the most interesting tourist destinations in the Municipality of Jönköping. On Visingsö the “remmalag", the traditional horse-drawn wagons, on which people are seated lengthwise, back-to-back, are available for guided tours of the island.