The Kingdom of Crystal

The newest blowing room in the Kingdom of Crystal, in Örsjö outside Nybro.
Mikael Johansson became a master glassblower when he was 24 years old. Until 2004 he worked as a glassblower in the art glass workshop at Orrefors Glassworks. Subsequently he has worked at Pukeberg Glassworks, where he created his own everyday glass and art glass.

Bergdala is the only glassworks that still has a blowing room made entirely of wood. Visitors are welcome in to experience the genuine blowing room environment. The shop is right next to the blowing room. You can shop here for Bergdala Studioglas products at factory prices.

Kosta is the oldest glassworks in the Kingdom of Crystal. Glass has been blown here since 1742. Today visitors have an opportunity to witness this spectacle and experience the fantastic glass art that well-known designers create. In the well-stocked shop you can purchase Kosta Boda products at factory prices.

This glassworks primarily produces art glass and decorative glass, which mainly is cut, painted and engraved. Animal reliefs from Målerås are well-known throughout the world. In recent years the glassworks began experimenting with art work that incorporates both glass and metal.

Nybro Glassworks is the only glassworks in the Kingdom of Crystal located in an urban environment. Proximity to the railway was a priority in its establishment.
Nybro offers utilitarian glass for both everyday and party use, in which form, colour and function are prominent characteristics

Pukeberg is one of Sweden’s oldest and most well-preserved glassworks. Here you can experience what a glassworks area was like at the beginning of the 1900’s. The blowing room at Pukeberg is directly connected to the shop and is open to visitors. The building also houses the Design Archive – the Archive for Swedish Design.

At Skruf all glass is made by hand down to the most minute detail. Much of the glass used by the Swedish Parliament and the country’s ambassadors throughout the world comes from here. The blowing room is open to visitors. In the shops you can buy Skruf’s fantastic glass at factory prices.

Transjö Hytta, which is the smallest blowing room in Glasriket, is in an idyllic location right next to Lyckeby river. The atmosphere at Transjö is delightful and the surroundings beautiful. The two master glassmakers demonstrate some of the best glass art in the world.

Three glass artists Lars Sø, Maja Cunningham and Simon Holm try out new techniques and shapes in their own blowing room.

Erikshyttan was established in 1991 in Eriksmåla, one of many small villages in the Kingdom of Crystal. In the first years they only made purely functional glass. Since then they have extended the use of size, colours, various techniques and forms, resulting in a more artistic and sculptural production.

Glass artist Carlos R. Pebaque combines classic swedish style with south american temper and has created a new technique for art glass; "Cara" - a way of painting glass.

The Glass Factory today is Sweden’s only purely experience-based glass museum, and its art glass collection of more than 30,000 articles is the largest in Sweden.

Discover the interactive exhibition on the Kingdom of Crystal’s origin, evolution and future. In unique film clips you will meet glass artists and glass workers who talk about the Kingdom of Crystal, glass and its significance.

The Boda blowing room located inside The Glass Factory museum is the museum’s hot, pulsating heart! It
serves as a creative meeting place to which national and international craftsmen, artists and designers are invited to experiment and find new modes of expression.

The furnaces are fired up again in Orrefors! The vision is to create a beautiful and attractive destination where visitors in a sustainable and enjoyable way can become part of Orrefors’ magical past and present through a unique combination of glass, food, light, music and nature.

The new glassworks at Orrefors is also the Kingdom of Crystal’s first outdoor blowing room, with walls of green plants in a beautiful, historical glassworks setting.

Pay a visit to the museum, look into the shop, view all the plantings, take advantage of the chance to try glass blowing and then wind up with a picnic in a delightful setting!

Via eleven stations made up of towers, trees and cliff ledges, you swish along among the treetops. You soar over pools and ravines.

At the highest point you are 32 metres in the air and reach a speed of 70 km an hour. When you pause at the stations, a guide tells you about nature in Kronoparken and Småland wildlife.

Travel by zip line is quiet, increasing the odds of seeing elk and roe deer The zip line is suitable for everyone from ages 7 to 80. There are two courses with different degrees of difficulty. The family course is shorter and takes about an hour, while the entire course is 1,550 metres in length, making the adventure last twice as long.

Kosta Glass Centre offers hands-on activities for old and young. You can choose to blow a sphere, a drinking glass or a bowl. You then can choose which colour you want the glass to be and whether or not it should have a pattern.

When the choices have been made, it’s just a matter of getting started with the production. Together with a glassblower, you will manipulate the molten glass and watch how it takes shape. By the following day, your finished product will have had time to cool and be ready to pick up.

In The Kingdom of Crystal we have an Moose guarantee. There are two moose parks here. Grönåsen’s Moose Park outside of Kosta and Glasriket’s Moose Park outside of Nybro. Here you can get a close view of the king of the forest. If you are lucky you may even get to feed this majestic animal. Adjacent to both parks are grilling amenities and shops to purchase moose souvenirs.

Grönåsens Moosepark – Kosta Tel: +46 478-50770 www.moosepark.net

Glasriket’s Moose Park– Långa Slät, Nybro www.glasriketsalgpark.se

Handmade paper has been produced at the Lessebo mill since 1693. Handmade paper is manufactured nearly the same way today as it was 300 years ago. Experience the old art of making paper, visit the gift shop and get a guided tour during the summer.

Come rent bicycle trolleys in Åseda and pedal out onto this typical forest line where the track wind its way deep into the Småland forests. During the summer the railbus from the 50’s runs between Åseda and Hultanäs.

The place inspired Moberg to create The Emigrants novel’s Kristina, for whom he borrowed many attributes from his grandmother. Here you can visit the Rundqvista estate and experience how these parts looked during the 19th century. Café and guided tours during the summer.

A recreation area in Nybro with jogging loops, hiking trails, mountain bike trails, an outdoor gym and a natural playground.

In winter the jogging track becomes an excellent cross-country ski trail, and the slalom slope is an uphill training challenge in summer. Throughout the year the Svartbäcksmåla outdoor recreation area is a popular destination for those who enjoy being in nature – to train or to take a leisurely walk. The marked trails create summertime opportunities for hiking and running. There is also an outdoor gym in the area for strength training, and for children there is an awesome adventure park. The nature reserve is an interesting nature and cultural area, with traces from the ice age as well as from tar trenches and charcoal kilns

Alsterån flows through the deep and green woods of Småland, an idyllic place for fishing in the heart of The Kingdom of Crystal with many opportunities for adventures. At Stream Fishing Alsterån you can fish brown trout in the running waters but also pike, perch, bream, tench and roach.

Visit Sweden’s largest vagabond museum in Boda. Many photos and documents about the country’s vagabonds who visited all the glassworks and brickworks during Sweden’s worst period of poverty. In addition many varieties of wirework and other vagabond art. Open weekdays during peak season, otherwise by agreement.

In Nybro, you can find the world’s first James Bond 007 museum. Here you can find everything connected to the film hero James Bond. For example, you can see the original film posters, the cars, the motorcycles, Black Jack tables, gold bars, spy cameras, different printed material and much more.

Hot shop herring is a very old tradition in The Kingdom of Crystal which goes back to the times when the glassworks was the meeting place in the village. In the evenings, visitors are invited to enjoy traditional food prepared in the furnaces where the glass has been left over night to slowly cool down. Today hot shop herring is served at Bergdala, Kosta, Målerås, Orrefors and Pukeberg during the summer and at Christmas but also other dates. Group reservations can be made all year around.

A brasserie-style restaurant housed in the unique Kosta Boda Art Hotel. A seasonal menu with local ingredients is offered here. Brasserie 1742 is a modern interpretation of a brasserie. Innovative cuisine in a rustic setting. The menu is based on locally sourced ingredients, selected according to the season.

An experience for both eye and palate, with an interior painted and designed by Ulrica Hydman-Vallien and a superbly equipped kitchen, where the work is directed by some of Sweden's best chefs. The food is prepared using local ingredients and inspired by the surroundings and the current season.

In Sävsjöström you find Mickes Vilt Rökeri serving their award winning air dried and cold smoked delicacies in a restaurant that mixes Austrian and Småland cuisine.

Unique restaurant serving both delicious Thai food and classic home cooking in Orrefors, within walking distance of the works. Offers both lunch buffet and classic à la carte menu. Pleasant and individual accommodations.

Breakfast, morning coffee, lunch or dinner… at Café Hos Oss, everything is cooked and baked with care, primarily using local ingredients and producers. After work events, music quizzes, cheese tastings, jazz evenings and author sessions are just a few examples of the events hosted by the café.

In the forest near Örsjö you will find something unexpected – the ultra-Brittish Tea Room Ällebäck. Enjoy afternoon tea on granny´s sofa with scones, biscuits and cakes while you are transported to a bygone age. The old radio plays hits from the 1940s while stars of the period look down from the walls. The White Guide´s reviewers expressed their appreciation as follows: “The cosy, homey style made us forget the world outside and simply relax.”

Visit this fine old confectionery with a real 50’s style located in the centre of Emmaboda. Enjoy classic baked goods and delicious sandwiches. Light lunches are also served. Outside dining is available during the summer.

The shop at Målerås Glassworks showcases the latest from the blowing room one floor above. The characteristic decorative glass, most of which is ground, painted and engraved, stands neatly lined up in rows. Here you will find lots of exquisite crystal articles at factory prices.

The surroundings in Transjö can only be described as idyllic. Transjö Glasbod is a converted barn that creates a picture postcard view of Småland and the Kingdom of Crystal, with its red-and-white facade and windows filled with art glass. The store is an exhibition hall in itself, where no two pieces are alike.

Many of the items in the works shop are painted with a relatively new technique, airbrushing, which also is used to paint cars, among other things. The result is modern, colourful glassware that suits everyone.

In the works area is Kosta Boda’s own shop, where you can find glass products graded as both firsts and seconds. Check out the classic series or look over the latest articles that have been produced. Kosta Boda’s various designers ensure that the shop is filled with wonderfully varied designs, where everyone can find their favourites.

MickeJohan’s shop is in a converted barn next to the blowing room. It displays decorative glass sculptures, eccentric Graal vases, immense Ariel pieces and beautiful dishes and bowls.

The shop in Pukeberg is located in the same premises as the blowing room. When you pass among the shelves, you can almost feel the heat from the furnaces. Colourful glass predominates, and objects at Pukeberg Glassworks are made in small batches and sold only in the shop.

Skruf’s stylistically pure design idiom permeates the entire shop, with clear glass, clean lines, beauty and functionality at the same time. Timeless products fill the shelves of the oblong shop, and the design sometimes is reminiscent of brands like Svenskt Tenn.

In the small works shop next to the blowing room, you will find all the glass that is blown in the Bergdala Glassworks. The shop offers both the famous glass articles with blue edges and new items.

The glassworks takes an environmental approach and works primarily on remodelling non-returnable bottles, turning them into utility glassware. Visitors are welcome to the glassworks to watch production and see the exhibition. There is also a large range of first quality and seconds for sale, a gallery with exhibitions by different artists and some cultural events. Don't miss the chance of a course in remodelling glass!

The Glass Factory Shop specialises in glass and glass-related products. The selection is characterised by innovation, creativity and renewal that can be purchased exclusively at The Glass Factory Shop in Boda. Looking for something unique? No problem. This is a place where you will also find studio glass from exciting new artists and more well-known names from the entire Nordic region. In the café section, locally produced speciality foods are sold, and simple dishes are served.

Carlos R Pebaqué has created his own technique for art glass; CARA, wich is a way of painting glass during the blowing process.

Carlos’ glass can be found throughout the world, and in 2014 he celebrates his 30th anniversary at Gullaskruv. During his years as a glass designer, Carlos R Pebaqué has worked with many different techniques, and after a lot of training he developed his own technique for art glass: the Cara technique.

Bsweden manufactures lamps in a modern Nordic style. Its location in The Kingdom of Crystal makes glass a primary material in its fittings. The glass is blown by hand at different glassworks. Come visit the factory shop in Herråkra where you can find seconds and odd or discontinued models.

Welcome to southern Sweden’s largest outlet for well-known brands. Here you can browse among exciting products in the 20,000 square meters shopping area. The shops offer everything within glass and crystal, china ware, clothes, sport articles, shoes, etc. A lunch restaurant is also located there.

Visit the factory shop and bargain hunt for locally made leather goods.

Målerås Läder AB is a true family firm that has made bags since 1947. They have a large assortment of briefcases, flight bags, women’s handbags, wallets, belts and more. From the shop you can see straight into the manufacturing area and you are welcome to watch how the work progresses.

Rustic style is in the rule in this renovated barn in the pretty village of Långasjö. Shopping inspiration with hand-picked interior décor, both new and vintage. Anna Örnberg´s Vintage de Lux jewellery is on sale here, and the range now offers clothes too. Finish your visit with coffee on the verandah.

Kosta Boda Art Hotel is a hotel exploding in colors, shapes and pleasure. Enjoy a swim in the fantastic indoor pool with an underwater art glass exhibition. Our restaurant is a treat for both eye and palate. Our food philosophy is a classic yet innovative cuisine with seasonal ingredients. Welcome!

Situated by the dam in Kosta lays Kosta Lodge, which offers 26 fully equipped apartments, each with their own patio. The apartments are 35 square meters with six beds in each apartment. Kosta Lodge is an ideal option for those who wish to tend for themselves while staying close to activities and adventure. By summer two pools will offer play and coolness under the summer sun.

The Mansion is situated in a beautiful oak forest in the middle of Småland, The Kingdom of Crystal and Vilhelm Moberg's emigration district. Here you can stay in a rural, scenic and relaxing setting - they have a total of 15 guest rooms.

They are organic-certified. The chef serves food and drinks based on organic and local ingredients - You always have to reserve a table if you want dinner!

Enjoy the calmness! Hostel, Bed and Breakfast or cabins. Live in double rooms or in family rooms. A natural beautiful area with fishing possibilities in several different lakes. Boats and canoes forrent. Fishing equipment for sale.

Unique accommodations next to Hindsjön along Småland’s culture route, in a former police station. Try spending a night in your own cell. All rooms are newly renovated and have their own shower and toilet. Alsterbro is a charming locality in the northern part of the Municipality of Nybro.

Rooms modified for the disabled. Large self-parking area free of charge with room for buses. Fully licensed restaurant, with wild game and fish dishes as a specialty. Cafeteria with home cooking, daily specials, pizzas and à la carte. Indoor pool and sauna.

A cosy youth hostel open year round. Located 185 metres above the sea level, it has a magnificent view over the surroundings. Located in Vilhelm Moberg’s birthplace in the emigrant district in the middle of the Kingdom of Crystal. Rooms with 2-4 beds, mini shop. Communal kitchen, showers and toilets in the corridor.

Centrally located in Nybro only 200 m from Nybro Torg and the bus and railway station. The facility consists of 4 rooms with a shared bathroom with shower and WC and an extra WC. In the kitchen you can prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner, which can be eaten in the communal room or on the patio.

| Vidinge Gård is a guesthouse located in the beautiful countryside close to Älghult. It's the perfect holiday home if you want to enjoy the nature, with forest, lakes and streams, biking and hiking just around the corner. Here you will find 17 bright rooms, with hotelstandard with your own WC/Shower, hostel type rooms with shared WC/Shower and shared kitchen, or your own apartment for couples up to groups.

njoy peace and relaxation in Örsjö, which is located 15 km from Nybro. Here you will find a holiday village featuring several accommodation opportunities in the form of cosy cottages and flats.

There is a playground for the youngest children and also a barbecue site and a fireplace, where you can light a bonfire on summer evenings. Not far from the holiday village is Örsjösjön lake, where you can swim or walk the fine hiking trail that circles the lake.

Cosy hostel housed in old church stables, a 60m long red-stained building in a beautiful countryside setting at the centre of the small village of Långasjö. Only 100 m from a beach along Långasjön. Also offers package deals for biking and hiking.

The hotel is in the centre of Orrefors, in the heart of the Kingdom of Crystal. Orrefors Park, with its outdoor glasswork and glass shop, is within comfortable walking distance.

At Orrefors Hotell the rooms are a little more distinctive than most. We have allowed the furnishings to reflect the peaceful and light surroundings. And we very much want you to smell the aroma of our nature. Of course, it does not hurt that all rooms have TV.

Orrefors holiday village consists of 15 homely cabins with 3, 4 or 6 beds. The cabins lie in a wooded area with innumerable walking trails and only a few metres from the millpond. In the middle of the countryside but still with access to all the facilities needed for an enjoyable relaxing leisure time.

The Orrefors camping site is located on a large headland (about 6 hectares) in Orranäsasjön lake about 3 km northwest of Orrefors.

There are approximately 50 sites with electricity for caravans or motorhomes, some of which are located right next to the lake. In addition, there are two large meadows and a tent site with a total 40 pitches at your disposal.

Within the campsite, you will find a restaurant, a swimming pool, cabins and you have the possibility to buy fishing permits to 5 lakes close at hand. The campsite is located in Kosta and you can reach several glassworks as well as the emigrants region within a 20 minutes driving distance.

Here you can live close to nature and in a town at the same time. The campsite is situated by the Linnéa Lake in Nybro. They offer cabins and camping places right by the lake.

The campsite is situated by Lake Rottnen in Hovmantorp and here you will find a nice beach, a restaurant, wireless Internet, cabins and boats for rent.

Cosy family camping with 40 electric sites and 5 cottages. Indoor pool with plunge pool, slide and whirlpool bath, beach volleyball, mini golf, BBQ, playgrounds, jogging track. 800 m to town centre.

Emmaboda camping is located about 1 km from the municipal seat near Rasslebygd and the Emmaboda Festival.