Things to do in Glasriket - 25 tips for sights and experiences

What to see and do in Glasriket in Småland? We have travelled around the area with our motorhome, and here we have gathered our best tips for sights and experiences. You'll find tips on everything from glassworks and art to delicacies and nature experiences.

The Glass Kingdom in Småland

Glasriket is the area in Småland that has been known for its glassworks since the 18th century. What has been popular and economically viable has varied over time, but what is fascinating is that after several hundred years, the focus is still on glass.

A few decades ago it was very popular to travel to the Glass Kingdom to find glass. Later on, the glass industry faced major challenges and, with production relocated to low-wage countries, several large companies went out of business, such as Orrefors in 2013.

Today, Glasriket is developing into something new and exciting. Art glass is made in several small huts, with a focus on the artistic process rather than mass production. Now they are welcoming tourists with a focus on arts and crafts, combined with food and nature experiences.

What to see and do in the Glass Kingdom?

There is a lot to see and do in Glasriket in Småland. We travelled here with our own motorhome, and discovered the area in cooperation with Glasriket. We have thus received tips and guidance, but the entire post is based on our own experiences and thoughts!

Here you will find 25 tips for sights and experiences, divided into different areas of interest: glass and glassworks, arts and crafts, food and drink, culture and history, and nature and adventure.

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Things to do in the Kingdom of Glass - glass and glassworks

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1. Try your hand at glass blowing at the Kosta Glass Centre.

Glass blowing is a historic craft that dates back some 2000 years. At the Kosta Glass Centre you can try your hand at glass blowing under supervision, whether you are a child or an adult. During a workshop you can create your own bowl or vase, which you can then take home with you. A very interesting experience!

Address: Stora Vägen 96, Kosta

2. See art in the Kosta Art Gallery

Kosta Art Gallery is an art gallery in the Glasriket region of Småland, showing glass art by various famous designers. You don't have to have a specific interest in glass or art to appreciate this. The glass art here is fascinating! Before or after, you can also take a guided tour of the nearby glassworks to watch the glassblowers at work.

Address: Stora Vägen 96, Kosta

3. Find glass at Kosta Outlet

If you want to shop for glass while travelling in the Kingdom of Glass, there are many options. All glassworks have shops, and in Kosta Outlet you will also find 20,000 square metres of shopping. Here you can find glass, but also, for example, clothes and furnishings.

Address: Stora Vägen 77, Kosta

4. Make a glass tour to different glassworks

One thing you don't want to miss in the Kingdom of Glass is to take a glass tour, visiting different glassworks and glassworks. There are shops everywhere, and if you come during working hours, you can usually peek into the glassworks, see the work in progress and talk to the glassblowers. Here are a few tips.

Persson & Persson

Morgan and Elin Persson run a glassworks at their farm in Ösjöbol. They make high quality art glass, but also recycled glass from ordinary empty bottles.

Address: Ösjöbol 5, Åseda

Målerås glassworks

At Målerås Glassworks you can step into a shop filled with beautiful and special glass art by several different glass artists. During the high season, there are also guided cabin shows and the opportunity to try it out yourself. In Målerås there is also a glass restaurant with panoramic windows overlooking the cabin, as well as cabin herring packages. Next door is a small craft shop.

Address: Mackamålavägen 7, Målerås

Orranäs glassworks

Orranäs Glassworks is a fine and pleasant glassworks located right next to the old Orrefors. Here you can watch the glassblowers working in the furnace, visit the beautifully decorated glass shop and the Exhibition Hall and Orrefors Museum, which showcases Orrefors' glass production from different eras.

Address: Bruksområdet 1, Orrefors

Pukeberg glassworks

Perhaps the most interesting thing to know about Pukeberg Glassworks is that it is home to the National Glass School, the only glassblowing programme in the Nordic countries. There is also a shop with products made by the glassblowers.

Address: Pukebergarnas väg 59, Nybro

Mickejohan's art glass

If you want to be fascinated by artistic creation, we recommend a visit to Micke Johansson's art glass. Micke Johansson became a master at the age of 24 and today has developed techniques that no one else in the world has mastered. You are welcome to visit the cabin and the shop, and sometimes special shows are organised, which are usually very popular and well attended.

Address: Örsjö 134, Örsjö

Skrufs glassworks

The Skruf glassworks is known for its clean and simple design. The cabin in Skruf, like the shop, is usually open to visitors all year round.

Address: Kajvägen 4, Skruv

Bergdalahyttan

Bergdalahyttan is sometimes referred to as the 'Blue Edge Mill' because it produces the famous Blue Edge series. It also produces innovative art glass. You can visit the smelter, the shop and the exhibition.

Address: Bergdala Glassworks, Hovmantorp

5. Visit The Glass Factory in Boda

If you want to learn even more about glass, visit The Glass Factory - Sweden's only dedicated glass museum. Here you can learn about the development of the craft, see glassblowers in action and take part in various exhibitions, events and shows. The museum also has an art glass collection that includes 50,000 artefacts from different glassworks.

Address: Storgatan 5, Boda Glassworks

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Making in the Kingdom of Glass - arts and crafts

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6. Shop for lighting at BSweden Belysningsbolaget.

In the middle of the Småland forests you will find the company BSweden and its Factory Outlet. Founded in 1993 by Gunnel Svensson, the company has grown into a name that stands for quality and has received many different awards. For example, you can find a customised lamp from Harrod's in London. The factory shop sells second-hand products at a favourable price.

Address: Holma, Lenhovda

7. Meet teddy bears in Margaretha's dollhouse

Located in Kosta, Sweden, Margaretha's Dollhouse is a small shop that invites you into a wonderful fairytale world of high-quality teddy bears and dolls. The shop attracts both children and collectors, and everyone with childhood memories. You can also hand in your broken darling to the Doll & Teddy Doctor, or stay in the Teddy Boarding House - a Teddy-themed two-bedroom apartment.

Address: Stora Vägen 66, Kosta

8. Making paper in the Lessebo hand paper mill

The Lessebo hand paper mill in Småland is something very special, as it is still a working mill where paper is made in the traditional way using Dutchmen, kyp and moulding frames. Today, tourists are also welcome for guided tours - or perhaps to try making paper themselves. An interesting and different experience!

Address: Storgatan 79, Lessebo

9. Shop for paintings at Emmaboda konst

In little Emmaboda you will find the art shop that has perhaps the largest selection of paintings in Sweden. There are around 3500 paintings here, painted by 400 different artists. We talked to the owner Göran Björkqvist, who told us that he has a great focus on young Swedish artists who are on their way up in their careers. We definitely recommend a visit here!

Address: Nygatan 24, Emmaboda

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Things to do in the Glass Kingdom - drinks and delicacies

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10. Enjoy coffee at Tadah coffee roastery

Tadah kafferosteri in Lenhovda is a small coffee roastery in Småland that offers freshly roasted speciality coffee using the artisanal "slow roast" method. You can buy the beans or enjoy the coffee in the nostalgically decorated café. There is even a small nostalgia museum in an adjacent room. A very charming place!

Address: Romarliden 2, Lenhovda

11. Browse the goodies in Kosta Delicatessen.

Kosta Delikatess is both a shop and a restaurant at the same time. In the shop you can buy lots of delicacies to take away, and in the restaurant you can order dishes with ingredients from the forest, land and sea.

Address: Holsteins väg 7, Kosta

12. Try a gin drink in Småland's largest gin bar.

At Kosta Delikatess you will also find a gin bar with Småland's largest selection of gin. However, the ambition is to grow, so soon Sweden's largest selection of gin may be here.

We tried a bottled non-alcoholic gin & tonic. Surprisingly good and fresh!

13. Have a drink at the Glass Bar, Kosta Boda Art Hotel

Kosta Boda Art Hotel is an exciting design hotel, decorated by Kosta Boda's designers, where glass helps to decorate every corner of the hotel. For example, you can admire glass art in the hotel's pool and try a spa treatment with heated glass. You can also seek out the coolly designed Glass Bar, and have a drink in this delicious setting.

Address: Stora Vägen 75, Kosta

14. Experience an evening with herring.

Hyttsill is an old tradition in the Glass Kingdom. When the glassblowers had finished their day's work, the ovens could be used for cooking, and salty herring and potatoes were grilled in the ash heaps. Still today, hyttsill is served in a hut, and in addition to herring, things like isterband, salt pork and cheesecake are served.

During the evening there is not only food but also entertainment, both with artists and glassblowers, and the atmosphere is usually great. Hyttsill can be booked both at Kosta and several smaller glassworks. Kosta sometimes hosts major artists, such as Tommy Körberg, Robert Wells or Lasse Kronér.

15. Get into the Christmas spirit at Kosta Christmas Market

Kosta Christmas Market is part of the Christmas celebrations in Kosta, in the Kingdom of Glass. Here you can experience Christmas shopping and Christmas lights galore, and you can also visit Santa's World. Every year, when the Christmas market opens, you can count on performances and other events. When we were here, Måns Zelmerlöw opened the market!

16. Get nostalgic at the Fenix pastry shop

Do you want to dream back to bygone times for a while? Then you should definitely have a coffee and a pastry at the Fenix patisserie in Emmaboda. At this nostalgic café, you can choose to sit in the 50s, 60s or 70s section. When we were here, we quickly started talking to the other guests, and everyone fell into conversation about what objects they recognised and had memories of...!

Address: Kyrkogatan 3, Emmaboda

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Things to do in Glasriket - culture and history

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17. Fascinated by Granhult's church

Granhult Church in Småland is Sweden's oldest wooden church. This fine little wooden church, dating from the 1220s, survived against all odds and is today a fascinating attraction. Not least, it is fantastic to see all the old paintings and decorations in wood.

Address: Granhult 2, Norrhult

18. Travel in the footsteps of Vilhelm Moberg

Utvandrarbygden in Småland is the area where many Swedes left to emigrate to the USA from the mid-19th century until the 1920s. It's also where author Vilhelm Moberg grew up and where you can find the places that inspired the epic The Emigrants. For example, you can visit Klasatorpet, known as 'Korpamoen', Duvemåla and Moshulta Old School, where Moberg attended as a child.

19. check out the James Bond Museum

The James Bond Museum in Nybro is a great place for anyone who loves the James Bond films, and perhaps for everyone else as well. The man behind this impressive collection of film gadgets is now, along with his other names, James Bond, and it all started with the disappearance of his father.

Address: Emmabodavägen 20, Nybro

20. Visit Hönsalotta's Luffar Museum

Hönsalottas Luffarmuseum, located at The Glass Factory in Boda, tells the story of tramps like Hönsalotta, Smålands-Pelle, Stolla-Hedda and Långe målaren. The museum has been recognised as one of Sweden's funniest museums, and is currently only open for pre-booked groups.

Address: Storgatan 4, Boda Glassworks

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Things to do in Glasriket - nature and adventure

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21. Ride the longest zipline in Europe

Europe's longest zipline course is located in Sweden, at Little Rock Lake, deep in the forests of Småland. There is a total of 4.6 kilometres of course, and experiencing this is a real adventure for anyone who likes adrenaline and beautiful nature in combination.

Address: Bränderydsvägen Sawcreek Crownpark, Klavreström.

22. Bring your dog to Vidinge Farm.

Vidinge gård is a dog-friendly accommodation in the forests of Småland, which also offers parking space for motorhomes. Here you can go cycling, fishing or try packraft - tours with an inflatable kayak. There is also a cosy bar on the farm.

Address: 364 95 Älghult

23. Bathing in the hot tub at Kosta Lodge

Kosta Lodge offers accommodation in the form of cottages, rooms in the main building and caravan sites. Guests can also enjoy the pool area, which features pools, a jacuzzi, wood-fired hot tubs and a wood-fired sauna. Located within cycling distance of Kosta, Kosta Lodge is also a good starting point for hiking, cycling, fishing and moose safaris.

Address: Stora Vägen 2, Kosta

24. Go on a moose safari!

If you want to see moose and other animals, there are several safari parks in Glasriket. We visited Kosta Safaripark with our motorhome. Here you drive at a maximum of 10 km/h while looking for animals such as bison, wild boar, mouflon sheep, fallow deer, red deer and moose. We got to see all the animals from some distance, and one moose chose to get really close. Here are a few different parks to choose from:

• Kosta Safari Park
• Glass Kingdom Moose Park
• Grönåsen Elk and Farm Animal Park

25. Relax at the Ödevata farm hotel

Ödevata gårdshotell in Småland is a cosy, simple and close-to-nature hotel, where you are also welcome with a motorhome. Here you can hike, paddle, fish or just enjoy the peace and quiet. You can also be inspired to a sustainable lifestyle, through the farm's aquaponic cultivation and production of biochar.

Address: Ödevata 104, Emmaboda

More things to see and do in the Glass Kingdom

There is, of course, even more to see and do in the Kingdom of Glass than what we have listed here. Here are some more tips and suggestions:

• Bergdala Glass Technology Museum shows the development of glass production and the machines that were once common in glassworks.
• Cycling dressin can be done starting from Åseda. The route is up to 54 km round trip.
• Golf, in the form of Emmaboda Golf Club, Nybro Golf Club or Uppvidinge Golf Club.
• Farm shops there are several, such as Jossan's farm shop & café, and Rugstorp's farm, café and shop.
• Riding an Icelandic horse with the Icelandic horses of Hägnens.
• Hiking, cycling and canoeing can be done in many places.
• Even more glass huts such as Carlos Art Glass, Erikshyttan, Nybro Crystal and Transjö hytta.

Where can you park your campervan?

There are plenty of pitches and campsites in the Glasriket. Here are some suggestions:

• Vidinge farm, Älghult
• Uva Park car park, Skolgatan 23, Fröseke
• Kosta Lodge pitch, Stora vägen 2, Kosta
• Lessebo campsite, Djurhultsvägen 18-22, Lessebo
• Skruv's wilderness campsite, Gåsamåla 149, Skruv
• Broakulla caravan & camping site, Åbyvägen, Broakulla
• Ödevata farm hotel, Ödevata, Emmaboda

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Below you will find articles with even more tips on things to see and do in Småland, near Glasriket.

More tips for things to see and do in the Glass Kingdom?

Have you visited the Glass Kingdom in Småland? Do you like crafts and glass art? Do you have even more tips on what to see and do in Glasriket? Please tell us!

Facts about the Glass Kingdom in Småland

• Landscape: Småland
• County: Kalmar County and Kronoberg County
• Municipalities: Emmaboda, Lessebo, Nybro and Uppvidinge.
• Companies: AB Glasriket is a marketing organisation, jointly owned by the glassworks and the municipalities.
• History: In the 18th and 19th centuries, political efforts were made to exploit the area for glass production.
• Read more: You can find more information on the Glass Kingdom's website.