Gullaskruv: Glass History and Cycling Routes

Gullaskruv offers three distinct starting points for planning your trip: the history of Gullaskruvs glassbruk, the art glass gallery and cycling routes linked to the railway. Depending on whether you are interested in the development of glass production, contemporary art glass or traces of old railway lines, you can choose a different focus. The following stops bring these themes together without conflating their different historical periods.

Glassworks and Estate History

Count Axel Emil Lewenhaupt founded Gullaskruvs glassbruk in 1893 on Gullaskruvs säteri. The glassworks was probably completed in 1895, when production of window glass began. In 1927, Gullaskruvs glassbruk resumed operations as a small glassworks. These three stages give the local history a clear outline: its founding on the säteri, the start of window glass production and its later reopening as a small glassworks. The fate of the estate’s two old side wings is also a reminder of its history: they have been at the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm since 1936.

Landscape and Railway Traces

Högelyckes odlingslandskap, on the edge of Gullaskruv, was classified as an area of very high natural value, Class II. This nature assessment offers a distinct perspective alongside the history of glass and railways. The glassworks site lies on the railway line between Nybro and Sävsjöström. Just north of Gullaskruv, the stone rows beside the railway embankment, which date from the construction of the railway, are well worth seeing. There is also a wind shelter by the stone rows. The stone rows and the Class II classification mark two different perspectives: the built heritage of the railway embankment and the assessed cultural landscape.

Cycling Along the Old Routes

The Glasbruksturen cycling route passes through Gullaskruv. From here, you can cycle along the old section of Road 31, on the railway embankment, or along both routes. This lets you choose your route based on whether you want to follow the road, the railway embankment or both. There is a wind shelter by the stone rows on the railway embankment.

A 65-kilometre cycling route runs from Nybro to Åseda along the old railway embankment, where trains once ran during the historic ironworking era. At regular intervals, the route passes the glass industry settlements of Orrefors, Gullaskruv, Målerås and Sävsjöström. For this longer trip, the railway embankment is both part of the route and evidence of its former use. Check the route conditions locally before setting off.

Art Glass in Gullaskruv

The Carlos R. Pebaque Design gallery in Gullaskruv displays Carlos’s art glass. Another perspective on his work is offered by the CARA technique, which Carlos developed: during glassblowing, glass rods are used within the glass to paint images into it. Alongside the historic production of window glass, art glass and this pictorial technique offer distinct ways of engaging with the material.

Discover more destinations: Nybro, Målerås, Alsterbro, Orrefors, Kristvallabrunn, Örsjö, Kulla, Kråksmåla.

Go to the main travel overview: Nybro.