Experience more... -in our corner of... · Essunga Grästorp Götene Lidköping Skara Vara WELCOME TO OUR CORNER OF WESTERN SWEDEN Essunga, Grästorp, Götene, Lidköping, Skara and Vara Here in our corner of western Sweden we are proud of our unique natural and cultural heritage. You can view traces from pre-Christian Sweden and from further back in time when the ice age created our plateau mountains. Explore our cultu- ral heritage on foot along a variety of hiking trails that run through broad-leaved woodland, archi- pelago environments and along farm tracks. Make yourself at home and enjoy! LOCAL PRODUCE The Västgötaslätten is made up of lush plains and nutrient-rich soil. You will find many local food producers and farm shops here offering the very best in the way of food. From field to fork is a short step. FARMERS’ MARKETS & LOCAL PRODUCE Grästorp offers small-scale locally produced goods avail- able for sale on the last Sunday of every month through- out the summer, for example, at its farmers’ market (Bonnamarknad). Another popular visitor attraction is local ice-cream makers Mäjens Glass & Maräng and neighbouring Mossängen farm shop. THE WHITE GUIDE Here in our corner of western Sweden you will find numerous coffee shops and restaurants offering tempting delicacies. Several of them feature in the White Guide. Just a few years ago Conditori Nordpolen was named Sweden’s best patisserie. Find out why! Lidköping boasts plenty of White Guide cafés, and if you want to enjoy a unique gastronomic experience – head for the Hvita Hjorten at Läckö. GASTRONOMICAL FOOD EXPERIENCES 'FIKA' WITH A SPECIAL TOUCH Bjertorp Slott Kvänum Café Bella Mi Lidköping Feeling Restaurant & Wine bar Lidköping Café på Klostret Blomberg Restaurang Hvita Hjorten Lidköping Café Stallet Kållandsö Mellbygatans ost & delikatesser Lidköping Conditori Nordpolen Vara Restaurang Sjöboden Kållandsö Esti Vara Forshems Gästgivaregård Forshem Henrys Bageri Lidköping Rådhuskonditoriet Lidköping Sivans Café och butik i Baljered St Levene Visiting the North Pole (Nordpolen) can be much easier than you think. All you actually need to do is come to Vara and look for a sign showing a polar bear. Welcome to Conditori Nordpolen – you won’t be disappointed. ABBEY CAFÉ WITH A LONG HISTORY Varnhem has been serving coffee to visitors for hundreds of years. The café has been the natural meeting place in historical Varnhem. It has now expanded its offering with barbecue evenings and Afternoon Tea at certain times. ESTI Pitchforks and spades adorn the yellow-striped walls sandwiched between quotes such as “Bättre fika åt folket” (Better coffee and cakes for everyone) and Med kärlek till och från slätta” (With love to and from the plains). Serving up local ingredients and focusing on enjoyable taste sensations in a cup. DINING AND ‘FIKA’ IN FAIRYTALE SETTINGS The Kinnekulle district also offers gastronomic experien- ces. For example, you can visit Forshems Gästgivaregård, which is Sweden’s oldest inn, with a history dating back to the 13th century. You will also find Hellekis Trädgårdscafé & Kök at Hellekis Manor – one of many castles and manor houses on Kinnekulle. BJERTORP SLOTT IN KVÄNUM Guests come to Bjertorp Slott to enjoy a taste of the good life. Our catering team use the best ingredients the region has to offer, and the castle itself is the best-pre- served art nouveau setting in Sweden, with individually furnished hotel rooms that are all unique. THE FISHING VILLAGE OF SPIKEN A few kilometres from Läckö Castle you will find the fishing village of Spiken. In summer the harbour is filled with boating visitors and other tourists enjoying locally produced delicacies. Lake Vänern’s red gold – vendace roe – is harvested and processed in Spiken during the darkest months of winter. CULTURE – WHERE IT BEGINS There’s huge variety to be found in our corner of western Sweden: runestones and Christian Vikings, art, music, architecture and design. Experience baroque style at Läckö Castle or follow one of our brown & white culture trails. And if you fancy a trip back in time, try out our Retro Route (Retrovägen).For something truly modern instead, we have a VERY blue building in Vara SWEDEN’S BLUEST STATION BUILDING The Blue Orange is one of Sweden’s biggest works of art and was created by German artist Katharina Grosse, whose particular interest is colours and their interaction with one another and the observer. Five boulders in all colours of the rainbow have landed on the old station building, which is vivid blue from roof ridge right down to the ground, and a sixth on the other side of the tracks. SWEDEN’S BIGGEST LITTLE CONCERT HALL Vara is home to one of Sweden’s biggest concert halls. Perhaps not in terms of the exterior, but definitely in terms of ambition and repertoire. Every spring and autumn Vara Concert Hall presents a seasonal program- me featuring everything from Family Saturdays, classical music, dance and jazz to theatre, stand-up and musicals. THE RETRO ROUTE AND NOSSEBRO Route 190, also known as the Retro Route, winds its way from northern Gothenburg up to Skaraborg. At the heart of this picturesque route you will find retro stronghold Nossebro in Essunga municipality, where you can view three decades of well-preserved cultural heritage – both interiors and exteriors from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. In addition to an authentic old electrical shop from 1969, you can visit a unique three-room apartment (“Andra Våningen”) and an old fire tower, a station house, a cinema, cafés and eateries with an appealing retro style. CULTURE – WHERE IT BEGINS LIDKÖPING – THE CITY OF PORCELAIN The old porcelain factory houses the Rörstrand Museum, telling the story of one of Europe’s oldest porcelain factories and the crown jewel of Swedish porcelain: Rörstrand. The collections span almost three centuries and feature everything from chamber pots to well-loved tableware. Today the Rörstrand district is once again a centre for ceramic production and various ceramic embellishments can be found throughout the town. Don’t miss the old town, dating back to the Middle Ages, with picturesque Limtorget, the oldest part of Lidköping. The artisans who were always to be found here have now been joined by artists and a range of cafés. Take a stroll around and enjoy the charming atmosphere. Take a historical tour through the app Läckö Kinnekulle. CURIOUS ABOUT RUNES? The Sparlösa Runestone is one of Sweden’s most note- worthy runestones. The stone probably origi- nates from the 9th century and is unique in its image NEW AND OLD TOWN IN LIDKÖPING depiction. Sweden’s tallest Lidköping is a small-town idyll with an inspiring sense of runestone can also be found life and drive. In the square stands the characteristic Old very nearby. You will find it at Town Hall (Gamla Rådhuset), which is also the symbol of Levene Church. the town. It once belonged to Swedish statesman Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie. SKARA CATHEDRAL AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN SKARABORG It’s not for nothing that Skara has been named the most beautiful city in Skaraborg. From far outside the city you can see the two spires that are the symbol of Skara. The first known cathedral on this site was consecrated around 1150, but new finds indicate that there was already a church here in the 11th century. Bo Beskow’s 43 stained glass windows alone make Skara worth a visit. However, you will find much more that is also beautiful about the city, including the architecture in the city centre. VARNHEM ABBEY AND KATA GÅRD – DISCOVER TRACES OF CHRISTIAN VIKINGS The magical and atmospheric setting around the abbey church and ruins provides some fantastic history to uncover. Behind the abbey ruins archaeologists have unearthed some sensational finds that provide informa- tion about the site from the time before the monks came here in the 12th century. At Kata Gård modern architecture meets 1000-year-old walls. Here you will find the ruins of one of Sweden’s oldest churches, a private farm church from the Viking era. The church crypt is presumed to be one of Sweden’s oldest preserved rooms. The building is named after the woman who was in charge of the large farmstead here during the latter part of the Viking era. NATURE EXPERIENCES Between Lake Vänern and Lake Vättern you will find many different types of lands- cape. Geology and the ice age have shaped a varied habitat for humans, plants and animals in this unique plateau mountain region. Limestone clefts with orchids, areas of plain, thousands of flowering cherry trees, bogs, kame topography, boulder ridges, peninsulas and fantastic lakes of all sizes. THE VALLE REGION Between Skara and Billingen the inland ice has left behind a gentle, rolling landscape dotted with lakes. The area boasts numerous nature reserves with a wealth of unique flora and fauna. If you want to go hiking, there are 60 km of marked trails to explore. The section from Timmersdala to Varnhem is known as Vallevägen and is a picturesque route to ramble along, especially in May when the cherry trees are laden with blossom in shades of white and pink. Download the app Kulturväg Skara- borg for more tips. OUT AND ABOUT Our Out And About guide features a collection of thirty fascinating and picturesque locations you can visit in the Skara district. It is available from Skara Tourist Office and can also be downloaded from skara.se. Unique plateau mountains KINNEKULLE – THE FLOWERING MOUNTAIN Once you have visited Kinnekulle, you will want to return. For this is not only one of Sweden’s most picturesque spots, it is also a region filled with culture and vibrant history.