Villas in Jönköping

Holsbybrunn and Kvillsfors suit canoeing on the Emån, Hjältevad suits forest walks near Eksjö, and Brandstorp has Lake Vättern. This is the highland of northern Småland, all forest, small lakes and farms, with the cottages spread across the county. Gothenburg is the nearest big airport, around two to three hours away depending on where you stay.

Where

Villas: 16
From, per week: £258
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Gothenburg Landvetter is the closest airport with UK flights, around one and a half to three hours by car depending on the area. Copenhagen, around two hours from London, has more flights and is three to four hours away via the Öresund bridge. Driving from the UK through Denmark is a long day.

Where to stay in Jönköping

Holsbybrunn and Vetlanda (the Emån)

Holsbybrunn has the most of our cottages in Jönköping county. It is a village on the Emån a few minutes east of Vetlanda, and the river's marked canoe trail passes right through it on its way to the Baltic. Vetlanda is a small market town with supermarkets, a lake beach and summer horse trotting. Gothenburg Landvetter airport is around two and a half hours by car.

Best for: Canoeing, river fishing and a town with shops close by

Not for you if: You want the sea: the nearest coast is around an hour and a half east.

Kvillsfors and Pauliström (east of Vetlanda)

Kvillsfors sits further down the Emån, where the canoe trail continues east through the forest towards the Kalmar coast. Pauliström is a hamlet near the county border, closer to Hultsfred than to Vetlanda. Both are deep in the forest, with lakes, gravel tracks and elk in the woods. Astrid Lindgren's World in Vimmerby is around 45 minutes to an hour away. Allow three hours or more from Gothenburg.

Best for: Quiet river and forest cottages with few neighbours

Not for you if: You need shops on foot: these are small villages with little beyond a store.

Hjältevad and Eksjö (the highland)

Hjältevad is a small village east of Eksjö, whose old centre of wooden houses and courtyards is one of the best kept in Sweden. Around 15 km from Eksjö, the Skurugata ravine cuts 800 metres through the hills, with a short trail up to the Skuruhatt viewpoint. Vimmerby is about 40 minutes east. Gothenburg Landvetter is around two and a half hours away.

Best for: Walkers, and anyone who likes old wooden towns

Not for you if: You want a lake on the doorstep: check the listing, as many cottages here are among fields and woods.

Stockaryd and Rörvik (Sävsjö)

Stockaryd and Rörvik are villages in Sävsjö municipality, a gentler, more open part of the county than the deep forest further east. The area has several 12th-century stone churches and plenty of small swimming lakes. Sävsjö has trains on the main line between Malmö and Stockholm. Växjö is around 45 minutes south, and Gothenburg Landvetter around two hours.

Best for: Families who want a central base with trains nearby

Not for you if: You want somewhere remote: these are small working villages.

Skillingaryd, Hok and Kållerstad (west)

Skillingaryd and Hok are villages in Vaggeryd municipality, with bogs and old forest protected in a string of small nature reserves. Kållerstad is a rural parish near Reftele, further west. Store Mosse National Park, a huge raised bog with boardwalks and bird towers, is within easy reach of all three. Jönköping is around half an hour from Skillingaryd. Gothenburg Landvetter is under two hours.

Best for: Bog walks, lakes and the shortest drive from Gothenburg

Not for you if: You want scenery on a big scale: this is low, wooded country.

Brandstorp (Lake Vättern, west shore)

Brandstorp is a rural parish above the west shore of Vättern, around 25 km north of Habo. Its late 17th-century church has ceiling paintings from the 1740s, and Habo's wooden church, painted inside from floor to roof, is a short drive south. Jönköping is around 40 minutes away. Gothenburg Landvetter is about an hour and a half by car.

Best for: A lakeside base north of Jönköping

Not for you if: You want warm swimming: Vättern is deep and cold even in summer.

When to go to Jönköping

June to August is the main season, when lakes warm up, canoe hire and summer cafes open, and the long evenings stay light until late. Swedish families holiday from Midsummer through July, so book early for that stretch. Mosquitoes can be bad in June near still water. September is quiet and good for walking, fishing and picking berries and mushrooms, though many cafes close. Winters are cold, dark and often snowy in the highland, with frozen lakes from around January.