Jönköping lies at the very southern tip of Lake Vättern, squeezed between the water and the high ground, and that position made the city. Vättern is Sweden's second-largest lake, long, narrow and extremely deep, with water so clear that it is used for drinking, and the shoreline here, with its harbor, parks and promenades, is the best place to see it. The city has a lively waterfront and a long, steep main street climbing from the lake into the hills.
Industry shaped the place. In 1845 the Lundström brothers set up a match factory here, and Jönköping became famous for the safety match, a Swedish invention, with the product shipped across the world. A museum in the old factory tells the story. In neighboring Huskvarna, the Husqvarna company has made weapons since 1689 and later bicycles and motorcycles, a name that will mean something to any rider, and a museum there recounts that history. The two towns, now part of the same municipality, sit on either side of a river that powered the factories.
For riders, the lake drive is the pleasure. The road along the eastern shore, heading north through Gränna and on toward Vadstena, follow the water with gentle curves and views across the lake to the opposite hills. Gränna, about thirty kilometers north, is famed for polkagris, red-and-white peppermint candy sticks, sold in small shops, and as the birthplace of the balloonist Andrée, who set off for the North Pole in 1897 on an expedition that ended in tragedy. The surface is excellent, speeds are limited and cameras are common, so keep to the limits.
Jönköping has fuel, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, and it is the natural stop for supplies before the lake loop. The best months are June to August, with long, light evenings, and September, with softer light. Summer weekends can be busy at the waterfront. Winter is cold and dark, and ice and snow make riding impractical. Sweden's elk and deer are a hazard at dawn and dusk, particularly on the quieter roads, so slow down where the forest meets the verge.