Road Trip 2025 , Day 1, Part 1

 

From Google Maps

The map shows main roads and towns involved in our road trip. We started from Borås on Saturday, 9 August and drove to Linköping, where we stayed two nights. On Monday the 11th, we drove from there down to Västervik on the east coast, where we stayed one night. On Tuesday the 12th, we drove from Västervik via Vimmerby to Eksjö, where we stayed one night. And on the 13th from there back to Borås. 

Of course we also made various stops along the way - both planned and unplanned...

 

Saturday, 9 August - Part 1
Lake Vättern and Brahehus Castle Ruin

I think we left Borås around 11 AM or so, and then drove straight on past Jönköping (where there were a lot of roadworks going on, causing some boring queues). Our first stop was at a motel between Jönköping and Gränna, overlooking Lake Vättern. We've been there before, so knew it was a good place to stop for lunch.

View from Motell Vätterleden, overlooking Lake Vättern

 

Next, we also made a stop just after Gränna, at Brahehus Castle Ruin. We'd been there before, but remembered the views from there as well worth seeing again.

 

Brahehus Castle Ruin near Gränna

 

"The ruins of Brahehus Castle are located 3 km (2 mi) outside of Gränna in the province of Småland, Sweden. The ruins sit 270 m (890 ft) above sea level and 180 m (590 ft) above the lake Vättern, providing a panoramic view of the lake and the island of Visingsö. Built for and named after Count Per Brahe the Younger (a 17th century Swedish statesman and writer) in the 1640s, the castle was abandoned by the 1680s and suffered a fire in 1708. The castle is near the modern E4 highway and is a popular destination for recreation and tourism."

 

Vättern is the second-largest lake in Sweden, and the sixth-largest lake in Europe.