Huskvarna

Huskvarna, a town of 24,000 residents in southern Sweden, sits along Lake Vättern just 5 kilometers from Jönköping. You can see vintage Husqvarna motorcycles from the 1930s, walk past 17th-century waterfalls where Sweden's first rifle factory began, or catch an HV71 hockey game at the local arena during winter months.

Getting to Huskvarna

You can reach Huskvarna by train from Stockholm in about four hours, or drive along the E4 highway that connects Stockholm and Gothenburg. The town sits next to Lake Vättern, making it a convenient stop on a road trip through southern Sweden. Local buses connect Huskvarna to Jönköping's central station every 15 minutes during weekdays.

The Husqvarna Museum

The 2,400-square-meter museum displays products manufactured in the town since 1689. You'll find military rifles from the 1700s, motorcycles from the 1930s, and modern chainsaws. Local volunteers maintain the exhibits and lead guided tours. You can watch demonstrations of vintage machinery and try interactive displays that show how manufacturing techniques evolved from manual drilling to automated production.

Sports and Recreation

HV71, one of Sweden's top professional hockey teams, plays at Husqvarna Garden arena from September through March. The International Floorball Federation started in Huskvarna in 1986, and you can watch local floorball teams compete at the Huskvarna Sporthall throughout the year.

Manufacturing and Waterfalls

The waterfalls in central Huskvarna powered the town's first drilling works in the late 1600s. These same falls later powered machinery for rifle manufacturing and power tool production. A walking path follows the falls, with information panels explaining how different industries used the water power over three centuries. The original Husqvarna factory buildings remain near the falls, including an 18th-century workshop where rifles were once assembled.