Surrounded by the lakes of central southern Sweden, Växjö is an ideal place to hire a car. All those lakes mean plenty of beaches, waterside walks, watersports and outdoor activities. Try the sandy Evefal bathing area on Lake Helgasjön or the art trail that leads three-miles right round Lake Växjösjön. The more adventurous will explore Hisso and Muso islands in Halgasjön, and the specially protected beech forest at Bokhultet. Other highlights of the area include Linnés Råshult, an acclaimed open-air nature and farming museum near Diö and the smart contemporary art gallery at Ljungby.
Växjö is a lively cathedral and university city that is home to museums of glass making and local history, and two castles, the gothic Teleborg and Kronoberg, a 15th-century fortress facing Lake Helgasjön. Hire a car in Växjö to fully explore all the sights, including the historic theatre building, the water tower with its strange echo chamber, and the red-painted old cathedral with its distinctive twin spires standing in a beautiful lakeside park. Look out also for the House of Emigrants, which celebrates those who left Sweden for a new life across the Atlantic and the quirky museum of psychiatry.
