Driving from Gothenburg to Stockholm (or vice versa), you pass by perhaps Sweden's prettiest lake -…read moreLake Vättern. It's a gorgeously blue lake rimmed by hills. Gyllene Uttern (Golden otter) is a lovely hotel and café along the eastern shore and a perfect rest spot with a scenic vista to enjoy a Swedish fika (Jause in Austrian, coffee break in English). The café here serves up various teas and coffees along with your favorite Swedish sweets (think Kanelbullar). Of course there are more substantial dishes as well and the Räksmörgås (shrimp sandwich) is excellent. On a sunny day enjoy your treats on the open air terrace overlooking Lake Vattern. If it is too cool, don't worry. There are large picture windows in the café looking towards the lake. A stop at Gyllene Uttern leaves you completely refreshed and sufficiently refueled to continue on to Stockholm!

A very decent road restaurant, coffee stop and funky looking hotel. The best feature, and what…read moremakes it stop-worthy, are the stunning views over the lake Vättern. There's a full blown ala crate lunch restaurant and a cafe. We both had the pulled pork sandwich (served grilled with cheese and veggies) which was a very good light lunch alternative when wanting to move on with your travels. Nothing amazing but a very decent road stop.

I have now stayed at several hotels in the Gränna area, and cannot say that Ribbagården compares…read morefavorably in most respects. On the plus side, there seems always to be a room available, when other hotels are filled... this is how I ended up staying there twice. Also, it is somewhat less expensive than comparable hotels, but it is also cheaper. If one is looking for a place to sleep, and not an experience, it is certainly adequate. Part of my disappointment stems from what Ribbagården could be. Parts of the house date back to the 1400s, and it has been operating as a hotel for over 100 years. The place is steeped in culture, and potentially quite beautiful. Unfortunately, the appearance of the place creates a strong impression that the management is committed to putting as little money back into the hotel as possible. Little effort has been made to preserve the historical feel that could potentially add to the experience (in contrast to Hotell Amalias Hus, just up the road). While not dirty, the place is clearly in a state of general disrepair. The modern additions are both incongruous with the potential historical feel, and also generally quite cheap. The place looks as if they have sold off the valuable antiques and replaced them with flea market purchases. In summary, this is not a place to avoid. I would happily stay here again, if no other hotel rooms were available in Gränna. However, if one wants more of a memorable experience, as opposed to just a comfortable bed and simple but adequate breakfast, there are better places within a few hundred feet.

Not sure if I should review the rest-stop or the historical Brahehus site?…read more Let's go for the view at the historic site. Simply amazing. If you stop here, go over to the other side of the road and check it out. It's unbelievable. We didn't eat at the rest stop so I can't really say more than it looked ok, it was super busy but still seemed pretty relaxed. It's hard to rate this. It gets a 5 for the view.

This rest stop is beautiful situated and has large green areas. It is actually not located anywhere…read morenear the ruins, for that you have to drive a different way. Many tables and they are placed with a lot of space between them. South bound rest stop has the sea view. There are toilets.