Gränna
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gränna | |
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  Gränna
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Sweden |
| Municipality | Jönköping Municipality |
| County | Jönköping County |
| Province | Småland |
| Area [1] | |
| - Total | 1.53 km² (0.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2005-12-31)[1] | |
| - Total | 2,578 |
| - Density | 1,685/km² (4,364.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Gränna is a town in Jönköping Municipality in Jönköping County, Sweden. It is situated in Småland on the eastern shores of the lake Vättern, about 35 km north of Jönköping.
Gränna has a population of 2,578 (2005) and was founded in 1652 by Count Per Brahe.
The town is situated at the foot of Gränna mountain and is characterized by its steep streets and old wooden houses.
Up until the local government reform of 1971 Gränna and its immediate surroundings constituted a city municipality of its own, since then an integral part of Jönköping Municipality.
Gränna is, despite its small population, for historical reasons often still referred to as a city. Statistics Sweden, however, only counts localities with more than 10,000 inhabitants a cities.
Gränna is known for its red and white candy canes, also known as peppermint rocks or "polkagrisar" (literally translated polka-pigs) in Swedish. They were first made by the widow Amalia Eriksson in 1859.[2] A statue of Amalia can now be seen in the park at the foot of Gränna mountain. The town is popular with tourists and is a connection point for the ferry service to the island Visingsö.
The balloonist Salomon August Andrée, who died in an attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon, was born in Gränna. The Grenna Museum[1] hosts an exhibition of the expedition together with a comprehensive collection of related objects and photos.
[edit] Gränna in popular culture
- When Niklas Strömstedt wrote lyrics in Swedish for the musical Mamma Mia!, Glasgow was replaced by "Gränna" as the place which the singer calls from in the lyrics of the song Super Trouper.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Tätorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km2 2000 och 2005 (xls) (Swedish). Statistics Sweden. Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ Gränna-Visingsö Turistbyrå
[edit] External links
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Gränna is one of 134 towns with the historical City status in Sweden. |
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