Bruzaholms Gokarthall och paintball

In Bruzaholm, a small village in Småland between Eksjö and Vetlanda, Bruzaholms Gokarthall set up its covered track inside a former industrial hall, and has been running for more than twenty years. The indoor layout stretches around three hundred and twenty metres, technical and twisting, with enough tight corners to reward precision over raw speed. Driving under cover means you can come all year round whatever the weather, which counts at these latitudes where winter drags on.

Karting here stays open to everyone, no licence or experience needed: a briefing, a helmet, and off you go chasing your best lap. Younger drivers can take the wheel of the smaller karts from about a metre thirty-five, while the adult models call for a slightly greater height. The venue rounds out the track with other activities, minigolf and paintball, handy for stretching out a group or family outing. People rarely stop after a single run, the urge to shave off a few tenths quickly taking over.

Bruzaholm sits deep in the forests of Småland, a region of lakes, pine woods and small towns where glass and iron long kept the locals in work. Eksjö, a few kilometres away, preserves one of Sweden's finest old wooden towns, with its colourful seventeenth-century houses. The surrounding nature lends itself to hiking and summer swimming, and the area is easily reached from Jönköping or the main road linking Stockholm to the south of the country, for a sporty stop away from the busy routes.