Swedish summer in Österlen

A Swedish summer usually means all weathers and we certainly got that during our days in Österlen. However, we managed to pinpoint the sunniest day for our bike ride. Henrik had also been wise enough to attach the extra lines to the tent, which prevented us from flying away during a night when it was both windy and raining heavily.

The first day we set off for Kivik. You can't visit Österlen without seeing this apple paradise. And yes, it was cosy there but I probably missed its charm, which may have to do with the dull weather that day. Of course, we were also at the muster and learned how the musting process works. Some must was also brought home.

Hungry after looking at apples in all their forms, we headed towards Skåne-Tranås to find Österlenchoklad. Since you shouldn't eat sweets before dinner, we first made a lunch stop at Madame Blå, a creperie that you can also find in Skåne-Tranås. They have fantastic galettes and also waffles if you prefer something sweet. All served in a nice old Skåne barn.

Strengthened by lunch, we then took a walk to Österlenchoklad, which is located in a former school building where they run a factory, sales and café. If you are a chocolate lover like me, this is a stop that should not be missed. In the neighbourhood you will also find Daniel Berlin krog, one of the country's best restaurants. Here, however, it must be booked far in advance, so it is not a place for a spontaneous visit.

Besides food and coffee, Skåne is a great place to see castles. Skåne was once a very rich landscape and there is therefore a castle in almost every community. Some are still privately owned but still have the park open to visitors while others welcome visitors and have guided tours.

For those of you who like wine and pizza in a castle environment, we can recommend Kronovalls vinslott in Skåne-Tranås. They also serve more castle-like food but have become known for the pizza they serve in the Spannstall restaurant. Super tasty!

One day we visited one of the Piper family castles for a tour. Christinehof Castle was built by Christina Piper around 1740. During her lifetime, she built four more castles and is usually called the uncrowned queen of Skåne. Christina Piper was an incredibly driven businesswoman in the 18th century, a time when women were supposed to be for pleasure only.

The castle is today run by the Cultural Association Christina's Friends and they hold personalised and knowledgeable tours about the castle and its former owners. For history nerds, this is a tour that is highly recommended.

Near the castle is Alunbruket, which had its heyday when Christina Piper took it over in the 18th century, the whole village was characterised by the mill's activities. Today the mill is closed, but the area has nice hiking trails, B&Bs and of course a coffee shop with traditional cake barrels.

So it was then time for our bike ride. Skåne and Österlen are a good place to cycle tourism in as there are plenty of cycle paths and few slopes. However, there are some slopes, namely Brösarps slopes so we went there. We also thought of visiting a nearby vineyard we read about. Lunch would actually be somewhat simpler, but since Brösarp's restaurant selection is somewhat limited, we were faced with the choice between the local pizzeria and an inn. The choice fell on the inn, which turned out to be Brösarp's inn and the simple lunch was exchanged for a really luxurious lunch with a delicious dessert.

Full and satisfied, we pedalled on to Skepparp's vineyard, Österlen's largest vineyard with a wonderful view of the beautiful landscape. Here we had a nice wine tasting with their own wines. Exciting to taste Swedish wines! The farm also holds an annual wine festival which unfortunately was cancelled this summer, but we hope to start again next year.

With a little wine under our belts, we headed home to our tent. We can say that Österlen delivers both in terms of castles and coffee.