# Värnamo

Värnamo is a city in Småland with just above 18,000 inhabitants. 33,000 people live in Värnamo kommun, the municipality.

## Understand

Värnamo is by the river Lagan, a short distance from its mouth into lake Vidöstern. It is in the historical region Finnveden, one of the "small countries" which make up today's Småland. During the middle ages Värnamo grew into a political and economic centre of the area. It is the second largest city in Jönköping County, after Jönköping itself.

## Get in

The closest airports are Jönköping Airport and Växjö airport, which are about 70 km (43 mi) from Värnamo.
Some of Swebus'$^{[deadlink]}$ tours between Stockholm and Malmö stop in Värnamo. JLT$^{[deadlink]}$ operate the regional public transport which connect Värnamo with most of the nearby cities.
Krösatågen railway connecting Jönköping with Växjö stop in Värnamo. So do the trains connecting Nässjö with Helsingborg. The national train company SJ$^{[deadlink]}$ operate a railway between Gothenburg Karlskrona and Kalmar which stops in Värnamo. Södra stambanan, connecting Malmö with Stockholm, stop in nearby stations Alvesta and Nässjö. From these you can continue to Värnamo by a regional train or bus.
Värnamo is at the intersection between the national highway E4, carrying traffic north to Stockholm and all the way to Tornio and south to Halmstad, and route 27 which carry traffic between Gothenburg and Karlskrona. Route 127 connects Värnamo with Vetlanda, and route 153 with Varberg.

## Get around

Being relatively small, it is easy to cover central Värnamo by foot or bicycle. The public transport in Värnamo is close to non-existent, as the local bus network is constituted by a single bus line.
* Västbo Taxi (The taxi center is located by the train station), ☏ +46 370-80 000. A local taxi company. (updated Feb 2018)

## See

* 57.26666713.9166671 Store Mosse National Park (17 km (11 mi) north west of Värnamo). A national park and the largest morass in Sweden outside of Norrland. It has a rich bird life, with several bird towers and lookouts, and 10 hiking trails between 1 km (0.62 mi) and 7 km (4.3 mi) length; two of them are accessible for weelchairs. Naturum is a nearby visitors centre providing information about the local geology, flora fauna and cultural history, with exhibitions and activities for young and old. One of the more popular parks so don't come late during the summer months as parking lots fill before noon. One parking lot is reserved for motorhomes which can stay for one night. In the south western part of the national park, there is a 3km board walk through the moor. The boards are narrow, so that it is an adventurous hike. (updated Feb 2018)
* Vandalorum, Skulpturvägen 2, ☏ +46 370-30 22 00, info@vandalorum.se. A museum of contemporary art and design. (updated Feb 2018)
* Miliseum, Artillerigatan 14, SE-568 30 Skillingaryd (14 km S of Vaggeryd), ☏ +46 370-67 89 50. Tu-F 10:00-15:00, Sa 10:00-14:00, Su (July only) 10:00-14:00. A museum about the local regiment, with heritage back to the 17th century Swedish Empire. The museum tells about the life of soldiers serving in the National Army System and their families, together with the operations of military engineers units. Adult 60 kr, youth 13-18 20 kr, child free. (updated Oct 2020)

## Do

* 57.26333313.8272221 High Chaparral (24 km (15 mi) north west of Värnamo), ☏ +46 370-827 00, info@highchaparral.se. An Old West-themed theme park. (updated Feb 2018)
* Ohsabanan, ☏ +46 370-65 11 11. A heritage railway connecting the settlements Ohs and Bor about 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Värnamo. During the summer trains are operated by steam locomotives. (updated Feb 2018)
* Football: IFK Värnamo play soccer in Allsvenskan, the top tier. Their Finnvedsvallen stadium (capacity 5000) is 1 km north of the railway station. The playing season is April-Nov.

## Eat

* Restaurang Bambu, Lundavägen 4 (Bredaryd), ☏ +46 370-802 25. Asian cuisine. (updated Feb 2018)
* Bredaryds Wärdshus, Lundavägen 16 (Bredaryd), ☏ +46 370-803 20. (updated Feb 2018)
* Gästgivargården, Växjövägen 1, ☏ +46 370-30 15 65, info@gastgivargarden.com. (updated Feb 2018)
* San Marino, Storgatan 52, ☏ +46 370 460 90. A pizzeria. (updated Feb 2018)
* D8, Storgatsbacken 18a, ☏ +46 370 70100. Italian restaurant with a reputation for its pizzas (updated Sep 2021)
* Rosegarden, Storgatan 22, ☏ +46 370 18550. Both à la carte and buffet available with a blend of different Asian cuisines (updated Sep 2021)

## Sleep

* Bredaryds Wärdshus, Lundavägen 16, ☏ +46 370-803 20. (updated Feb 2018)
* Folkhögskolans Vandrarhem Värnamo, Sveavägen 32, ☏ +46 370-37 90 50. A hostel. 350 kr/night for a single. (updated Feb 2018)
* Best Western Hotel (formerly Hotell Tre Liljor), Storgatan 28 B, ☏ +46 370 690600, info@treliljor.se. (updated Sep 2021)
* Scandic Hotel, Storgatsbacken 20 E, ☏ +46 370-65 66 00. (updated Feb 2018)
* Sväno och Lövö vandrarhem, Naturum (Located inside Store Mosse National Park), ☏ +46 102236130, storemosse@lansstyrelsen.se. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. Two old farmsteads turned hostel. The reception is staffed 11:00-17:00. (updated Feb 2018)
* 57.02777814.0130561 Toftaholms herrgård, Toftaholm (15 km (9.3 mi) south of Värnamo), ☏ +46 340-440 55. A mansion turned conference and hotel centre with 45 suites. The restaurant has a great wine cellar. The mansion also offer a relax area. 1500-3700 kr. (updated Feb 2018)

## Go next

* Eksjö - One of the best preserved historical wood towns in the Nordic countries
* Jönköping - The largest city in Småland
* Växjö - A bishopric and one of three county seats in Småland
* Älmhult - Birthplace of Carl Linnaeus and IKEA