Travel Guide To Sweden’s Most Charming Town, Gränna
Gränna is a magical, fairytale village known for the invention of Polkagris. In English, this is the hard candy sticks traditionally tasting like peppermint. The whole town is lively, just like you imagine a candy city to be. The main street is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops selling homemade polkagris in any flavour you can imagine! One of the things I love most about Gränna is that there is such a mix between tourism and nature, with such a bustling small town surrounded by forest, and the island of Visingsö just a short ferry ride away. In this guide I hope to show you all the magical places you have to visit in Gränna, Sweden.
Where To Stay In Gränna, Sweden
Hotel Gyllene Uttern
Gyllene Uttern is an unexpected site as you drive towards Gränna. A big castle by the side of the road, this hotel is like a little fairytale. We checked in at 3pm and headed straight for a little fika in their cosy kaffestuga. Even if you are not looking at staying here, you should definitely stop by for a coffee and cake and a quick look at the view! We spent the afternoon walking around the beautiful nature nearby. There is an amazing walkfall hike (I will talk more about it below) as well as some amazing cliffs to discover! We ended the night with a 3 course dinner in their hotel restaurant! It was delicious.
The next morning we headed straight out onto the terrace to watch the sun rise over the lake. We brought our our morning coffees and it felt like such a peaceful way to wake up! Next we indulged at the buffet breakfast surrounded by knights in armour and grand paintings in the restaurant.
What To Do In Gränna
Try the most famous Polkagris in Sweden
The number one thing to do in Gränna, Sweden’s ‘candy town’ is to taste the Polkagris. And a lot of it at that! The main street has a few different shops that sell it, all with their own traditional recipe and method! Each shop has an open kitchen so you are able to see the chefs rolling out the sugar candy and leaving it to dry!
Around christmas time there is an amazing Christmas market in Gränna where they serve polkagris flavoured glugg (Mulled Wine) and fun christmas flavours of rock candy! Lastly, you should make a visit to Gränna Choklad and try some of their delicious truffles because they are to die for!
The Best Hiking Trails in Gränna, Sweden
Röttle Waterfall Hike – Röttle
Starting off at Gyllene Uttern, you can start this amazing hike through the fields towards the small town of Röttle. The trail starts on the left of Gyllene Uttern, towards the direction of Jönköping. Just follow the trail heads to Röttle By and you should pass by a waterfall, through some beautiful forest land and in to the old village. The walk itself takes around 3 hours depending how fast you walk and how many stops you take! Here you can really see the nature that Gränna, Sweden and Småland are known for!
Grännaberget – Gränna, Sweden
This is my favourite view point in Gränna! You can get here by driving up to the carpark or doing a short walk starting just next to Hotel Amalias Hus. The walk is not very long but the path is quite steep! Once you are at the top there are so many nature walks you can do. The forest here is really luscious and you will see a lot of small lakes hidden in between the trails!
Visit Visingsö Island from Gränna, Sweden
Visingsö is the big island in the middle of the Vättern. If you are in Gränna, Sweden, for a few days then you cannot miss it! The island can be accessed by a ferry that leaves Gränna around every half an hour. Double check the schedule before you plan your trip because they do cut down on the frequency in the autumn to spring. The island is quite big but can be explored within a day! The best way is to hire bicycles from one of the shops when you first get off the ferry. From here, you can cycle to the old castle ruins, through the beautiful open fields to hidden beaches and view points.
Every autumn there is an apple festival which we were lucky enough to join a few years ago! The residents of the island all had stalls selling crafts and vegetables, as well as apples, outside of their houses. We hired bikes and cycled around the route they had set out, meeting some amazing people along the way!
