Eksjö Travel Guide

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I could easily entitle my Sweden travels “Where to find the best cakes” and so Eksjö was no exception. No, to be honest, I didn’t look for a bakery when I walked through Eksjö’s old town, only for a place to have coffee. But it was obviously at prime time and I didn’t find one in the little streets. When I was already on my way back via the market place, I saw it: Lennarts Konditori. Oh and how delicious did these cakes look…. Haha, I had a bit of a hard time to understand that the cakes they had in the shelf are not being sold by the piece but as a whole (thanks, dear waitress for having been so patient with me), but the ones they sell as pieces are similar delicious. I ended up with the Princesstårta (that’s the one with green marsipan) and one with berries and cream. Oh heaven!! Their coffee was also good and no wonder that I came back the next day to have breakfast before I went to Skurugata. Well, coffee and cake that is. Haha, and completely bewitched I was with these delicious cakes, I forgot to take notes about the prices. It wasn’t much, for 2 cakes and one coffee (Latte Macchiato) I must have paid approx. 60 SEK.

The bakery is easy to find. It is at the market place, opposite of the main entrance to the church. Seating outside. And they also sell snacks which looked delicious as well, given what I saw on the others’ plates.

Favorite Dish: Lennarts Konditori on Google Maps

Opening hours:
Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.,
Sat: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.,
Sun: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Oct-April) and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. (May-Sept).

Most small Swedish towns have a "Town Hotel", Stadshotell. Eksjö's is one of the most impressive I know and also where a lot of the town's nightlife happens. As soon as my cousins were old enough, this is where they and their friends all went for their big do's. Now that most have left Eksjö for bigger cities, they still come here for family holidays, and then have their reunions here in great style. Depending on the time of week, the hotel offers pub disco, trubadours or other live music and nightclub. If you want to stay here too, the only thing I will say is: do not go there on the weekend of the school leaving as then all, and I mean ALL, Eksjö college graduates gather here to celebrate and it is a VERY noisy affair well into the early hours :)))

Dress Code: Not that swanky but "decent".

This shop is in the main pedestrian street and has loads of fun if you want something unique. However, there are also several auctions and such in the surrounding countryside throughout summer. Just follow the "antikt" signs popping up.

What to buy: Glass, wooden furniture (if you can transport it) or just about anything special.

What to pay: From five crowns to several thousands.

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Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Eksjö village has cobbled streets in several places. So better bring appropriate shoes. In case you want to hike in Skurugata, bring hiking shoes. In case of doubt, look at my photos. It can be cold inside the canyon, so bring additional fleece or sweater with you!

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Eksjö has enough pharmacies and shops where you can stock up.

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: In case you want to stay at Eksjö Camping, it has a well eqipped kitchen, so there is no need to bring dishes. Camping is forbidden in Skurugata.

I have passed this church so many times on my way between Västervik and Eksjö in my childhood and it became a favourite early on. Still today, I know few as beautiful in Sweden and apparently I am not alone as the church was voted "Sweden's most beautiful church" in 1997. You see it from a distance early on when driving along the main road and this makes it more spectacular as Ingatorp is set at the foot of the local hills.

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The circular trail in Skurugata is well marked. Only remember to follow the blue marking on the trees. I have decided to walk past the information board from the parking lot, which is leading to the south(east), with blue and orange markings. But then this was also the path further on into Klinten Natural Reserve. Only at the crossing I realised that the orange ones are for Klinten. The information board does not mention this. But the signs at the crossing (photo) are clear enough.

Which way is the best? As mentioned, I took the southern path so that I approached the canyon from the south. I think it does not matter which way you choose, but I realised that most take the one from the north, which will result in “hiking jams” when you meet these inside the canyon. Personally I liked my choice because I stood on the highest point (Skuruhatt) first and could get a good idea of what will await me down in the canyon. And when I walked back to the parking, the light atmosphere in the surrounding woods was magic. I saw several tree trunks, overgrown with moss, where I thought that it was logical to believe this is the habitat of elfs and dwarfs and trolls. It reminded me so much of Christine’s Green Man (photo on her homepage). See my travelogue for the photos.