Växjö – the greenest European city

It is precisely because of their determination that they won various environmental awards, among others, the city was also named the greenest European city.

Green also for posterity
It has been for many years Växjö used to be a town by the lake where many paths meet, but until a few decades ago the lake was heavily polluted and the crossroads uninteresting. In the 1970s, however, they began with the planned cleaning of Lake Växjö and its relocation to the city center. Today, the lake is clean again, in the summer locals and guests happily swim in it, fish and walk around the clean surroundings. In 1980, the city decided to take over the nearby power plant and instead of coal, they started using biomass, which today supplies the city with electricity and hot water. Since the results were satisfactory, the townspeople unanimously decided in 1996 to eventually stop using fossil fuels, and the results are incredible. From 1993 to 2006, carbon dioxide emissions decreased by as much as 30 percent per person, which rightly places Växjö among the most environmentally conscious European cities. The task is not over yet, as the city is promoting the so-called green trade, for example the sale of hybrid vehicles and organically grown food. They also promote the concept of a green and biologically diverse Växjö with easily accessible green spaces. In the summer months, the fact that more and more residents choose to use public transport and bicycles rather than driving wasteful Volvos and Saabs, which are otherwise the pride of the Swedish automotive industry, is especially pleasing on the streets of the city. It is Saab that is announcing the presentation of a new hybrid vehicle for this year's Geneva Motor Show. Their efforts also resonate abroad, and last February the European Commission awarded Växjö with a prestigious award within the framework of the European Campaign for Renewable Energy. According to the European Commission, Växjö is a successful example that proves to us that an ecological approach pays off, as they have already gone more than half way to the final cessation of the use of fossil fuels. Last year, the city was declared the most ecologically successful city also within the Baltic states. In Växjö, they are aware that international awards are a nice promotion for the city, but that they also oblige them to work even harder on the way to a city that will live exclusively on clean energy.

Veksju, Wekfu, Waks...????
The name of the city is almost impossible to pronounce, so it is best to first ask the locals on arrival how to pronounce the word correctly with so many "dots" above the vowels. We will be surprised to find that the city is very young, as the University of Växjö, which is considered one of Sweden's best universities, has as many as 16,000 students. The townspeople will also tell us that the town's name combines the words väg (road) and sjö (lake), meaning a road across a frozen lake that farmers crossed in winter on their way to the square that later became the town. The legend about the origin of the city tells about the English missionary Sigfrid, who came to preach the word of God at the end of the Viking Age. He built the first church on the site of today's cathedral in the twelfth century, and the city developed around it. Today, Växjö is a city with an extremely high quality of life. Lake Växjö stretches right into the heart of the city and offers walks through lush greenery in the immediate vicinity of the city center. Nearby is Lake Helga with a small archipelago, where free-spirited Swedish women shamelessly bask in the sun's rays in the summer, and handsome Swedes show off their sports sailing, swimming and surfing skills. In addition to swimming in the lake, visiting swimming pools and outdoor amusement parks are especially popular in the summer. Cycling trails, kayaking trips, fishing, golf courses and riding centers in and around Växjö prove that the city's residents really can't complain about a lack of space or infrastructure for sports. The sporting spirit of Växjö is also confirmed by many sports stars, such as athlete Carolina Klüft and tennis stars Mats Wilander and Jonas Björkman.

Kingdom of glass
The city with just over 80,000 inhabitants lies in the Smalånd province in the south-east of Sweden. Wood represents the greatest natural wealth, but the vast landscape, dominated by lakes and forests, offers artistic inspiration, which is best expressed in glassmaking. The Smalånd region has as many as fifteen glass factories, including the world-renowned Kosta Boda and Orrefors. Almost all glass factories, even smaller ones, such as Linshammar, Bergdala, Johanfors and Pukeberg, try to bring the art of glass design closer to visitors, so they organize a daily display of the work of designers and glassblowers in the factories. However, since large glass factories are largely too commercially oriented, for truly innovative products we have to go to smaller private designers, such as Transjo studio, Gullaskruv, which is run by glass designers from Uruguay, and we must not forget Wilk Adolfsson, who creates artwork in a small studio in Brinkleden near the village of Orrefors. In Växjö, the history of glassmaking and some of the most beautiful products are on display at the Swedish Museum of Glass, which shows the 500-year tradition of glassmaking in Sweden, although the country only became famous for its products in the nineteenth century.

Business center
Växjö is considered a leading Scandinavian business region, as as many as 7,000 companies of various profiles and professions are registered in the city and its surroundings, where huge international corporations cooperate with smaller companies. Volvo Construction Equipment, Saab, Alstom are just some of the world-famous names that have their headquarters in Växjö, besides them, more than 350 companies dealing with computer technology are also registered in the city. One of the most important industries in the region is the wood industry. Sam Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea, the world's largest chain of affordable furniture stores, was born in the Smalånd region. The barren land, which forced the inhabitants to live in harsh conditions in which they used the limited natural resources to the fullest, taught him the entrepreneurial skills that placed him among the most important, as well as the richest, Earthlings. Lammhult is home to Möbelriket, one of the leading Northern European furniture centers, where makers, designers, manufacturers and sellers of famous Scandinavian design are presented under the same roof.

A never-forgotten tradition
Although Växjö is a young city with great opportunities and a high quality of life, it is even higher because the Swedes are strongly aware of the importance of tradition and preserve it in everyday life and institutions that ensure that the past will never be forgotten. Due to poverty, as many as 1.3 million natives left Sweden between 1850 and 1930 and emigrated to America in search of a better life. A few hundred victims of the Titanic were actually Swedes who set out for the promised land from Smalånd. In memory of the difficult life of emigrants, the Swedish Emigration Institute was founded in 1965, and later the Emigrant House Museum was opened. The institute stands in a beautiful location right next to the lake, in the heart of the city, and in addition to the museum it also contains an extensive archive and library. A walk through the history of the city must also include a visit to the cathedral, where the first church was built in the twelfth century, and the interior is full of windows donated by various glass factories from the city and the surrounding area. A short car or bus ride takes us to the ruins of the Kronoberg fortress on the shores of Lake Helgasjön. Just four kilometers from Växjö is Teleborg Castle, which gives the appearance of a medieval fortress, but was built in 1900 as a wedding gift from one of the counts, and today the castle and its beautiful park are used for receptions, weddings and conferences.

Cultural center
Given the high quality of life, it is not unusual that the city also offers excellent entertainment and a rich cultural program. The concert hall is one of the largest concert halls in Sweden, where Musica Vitae, one of the best string ensembles in the world, often performs. The Kornoberg Theater is one of Sweden's largest and most active theaters, and is particularly notable for its excellent children's shows. Every autumn, the Linneateater delights musical fans with a new show. Växjö is also the headquarters of CoMa, a center for contemporary art music, which will organize world music days next September under the title Listen to the World in three cities across the country, one of which will be artistic Växjö. The fact that the city is not only devoted to ethnic and classical music is demonstrated by the opening of a music house, which was opened in 2003 for groups that do not have a place to play future world hits. The well-equipped building offers about fifty bands, from rockers to hip-hop musicians, great opportunities to perform, so we won't be surprised by the fact that it is from Växjö that great bands come out, such as Melody Club and The Ark, who represented Sweden last year at the Eurovision festival with the singer The Worrying Kind.

How to get there
From the nearby Smalånd Airport (www.smalandairport.se) the Swedish carrier SAS (www.sas.se) flies daily to Stockholm, local carrier Flysmaland (www.flysmaland.com) also connects Smalånd with Stockholm daily, three times a week to Vilnius and twice a week to Berlin. Since October 2007 Ryan air (www.ryanair.com) connects Smalånd with Düsseldorf, Germany.