Pinacoteca Agnelli is an art gallery that displays art from a vast private collection. You'll find Renoir's Blonde Bather and Manet's La Négresse, as well as works by Matisse, Canaletto, Tiepolo, Canova, Picasso and Modigliani. The futuristic "crystal spaceship" pavilion is an attraction in itself. The Pinacoteca is perched on top of the Lingotto complex — the headquarters of the Italian auto giant Fiat, founded by Giovanni Agnelli. It was built as a car factory in the 1920s, and was the largest and most modern plant of its kind in Europe. A winding brutalist ramp took cars to the top of the building, where they could drive the 500 m long test track. The ramp and the test track are still in top-notch condition, but the building itself now serves a different function. While its exterior remained largely unaltered, the interior was revived to house an exhibition centre, a conference centre and auditorium, two hotels, offices and shops. The iconic ‘Bubble’ — a transparent meeting room on the roof — was also added.

This underground museum was voted the best in Europe in 2012, and is an essential visit for anyone interested in how the island's volcanic formations came to be. Centro de Interpretação do Vulcão dos Capelinhos uses multimedia to teach visitors about the formations as well as the island's history, notably the 1957-58 eruption.

Växjö cathedral is one of Småland's most visited places. The church is from the 12th century. The cathedral is located close to the shore of Lake Växjö. The imposing twin steeples can be seen over virtually the whole town. The cathedral, large and light, is full of Småland studio art glass and a wander around the building takes us through several of the bible's narratives. The triptych altar screen, sculptured by world-famous glass artist Bertil Vallien, forms the tree of life: from death to life.

Take a break from city life and catch some Atlantic waves. One of the surfing companies located in the city is Get Stoked, which holds courses for both beginners and advanced surfers.