Eksjö is one of Småland's best small-town stops. The reason is Gamla stan, the old wooden town: narrow streets, courtyards, and painted timber houses that survived the fires and rebuilding that erased so many Swedish town centres.
The town works because the sights are compact. You can wander the old streets, step into Eksjö Museum, and look at preserved homes and craft buildings without turning the day into a checklist. The scale is human, and the timber buildings give it a texture that larger Swedish cities often lack.
Eksjö also has useful countryside close by. Skurugata adds a rough forest walk and a view from Skuruhatt, while Skullaryd gives families an easy moose-safari option. It is a strong day from Jönköping or a good pause on a slow Småland trip.