Vetlanda Kommun
The south of the Småland highlands
The area of the municipality Vetlanda Kommun extends over the densely wooded south of the Småland highlands and forms the southeastern border region of the county Jönköpings Län to the two other counties Kronobergs Län and Kalmar Län.
Destinations & attractions in Vetlanda Kommun
Due to the numerous mountain ranges, the landscape in the Vetlanda Kommun offers a very varied picture despite the strong forest cover. In addition, there are over 360 lakes, which provide pleasant visual change in the green of the ubiquitous forests.
The lakes offer a wide range of fishing and paddling opportunities and several quiet places to swim, which results in enough leisure activities in and around the water. The largest lakes in the region are the approximately 23-square-kilometers Örken, which partly belongs to the municipality Växjö and the almost 22-square-kilometers Solgen, which extends to the area of the municipality Eksjö.
From a cultural historical point of view, the region around the city Vetlanda, the central town of the municipality, is quite significant. The spot of today's city was already in the earliest time a junction of important roads from all directions as well as the river Emån. A constellation that led to the creation of a settlement and a court place (Tingsplats) around the year 1000 AD and to the construction of the Hultaby Castle in the Middle Ages.
Numerous prehistoric grave fields and the final syllable "landa" in the name of the city, which stands for the name of a prehistoric settlement, are considered clear evidence of a very early populating of the region. The prefix "Vet" stands for wheat and means the fertile plain in the valley of the river Emån, on whose shores the city is located.
More than 40 abandoned mines and quarries bear witness of the time when nickel, copper and even gold were mined in the mountains of the region. Particularly well-preserved examples of this are the exciting visitor mine Kleva Gruva, with tunnels leading deep into the mountain, and the imposing backdrop of the former slate quarry Hörnebo Skiffergruva.
With an area of 1,500 square kilometers, Vetlanda Kommun is the largest municipality in the province of Jönköpings Län. With a total of around 28,000 inhabitants, the resulting population density of just over 18 inhabitants per square kilometer is slightly below the national average.
About half of the inhabitants are located in the central village of Vetlanda, the second half is divided into eleven other places with more than 200 inhabitants and other small villages and settlements in the municipality. The next larger towns are Ekenässjön and Landsbro, each with around 1,500 inhabitants.