9 minute read
Outdoor & Adventure
14 | LANDSKRONA&VEN
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PHOTO: MICKAEL TANNUS
BIKE AROUND VEN AND TASTE ITS DELIGHTS
by petra olander
With its own whisky distillery, durum wheat flour and canola oil, cycling around Ven offers the gastronomic tastes worthy of Tuscany – and a chance to learn more about the island’s forgotten crop heritage.
The sun rises from a clear blue sky as we get off the ferry. The island of Ven is shaped like a top hat, and our trip begins with exercise as we walk up to the bike rental place. Once we’ve rented our bikes and we’re on the plateau, cycling is comfortable, and the wind is pleasant. The island is small and cycling wherever we want to is quick. “Ven Runt”, the circular path of the island that is part of the Skåneleden trail is only twelve kilometres long.
we look forward to discovering the island’s gastronomical and geographic highlights. On the ferry to Ven we are fascinated by the island's nature with its soaring cliffs and wooden houses, like small colourful pearls on the brim of Ven’s top hat.
The scent of Ven is like a taste of everything culinary. The canola, the mallows and the meadows offer the taste of summer and the beautiful houses with their colourful gardens fill your senses. Ven, located in the middle of the Öresund, is one of the country’s best areas for
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Spirit of Hven. Bread on wine.
18 | LANDSKRONA&VEN Pausa hos oss.
PHOTO: WOYTEK MARCZYNSKI, JANUS LANGHORN
cultivation. It’s where you find Europe's northernmost crop of durum wheat, used for Ven pasta.
The island has its own canola oil and ice cream production – and whisky.
cycling on ven is easy and pleasant as bicycles and pedestrians own the roads. Cars have to wait their turn. An hour’s biking on cycle paths at a leisurely pace takes you from Bäckviken to the small harbour in Kyrkbacken. Just above Kyrkbacken harbour is St. Ibb's medieval church. Stop and enjoy the fantastic view. Blue sky, blue sea and Denmark oh so close.
bread on wine, one of the restaurants in Kyrkbacken, uses bread as its base. Organic sourdough baked without yeast. The focus is on genuine ingredients: simple, locally grown, organic, wholesome, tasty food. Sitting in the harbour watching the boats and eating roast Ven plaice with potatoes, browned butter and forest mushrooms is as good as life gets.
Content in body and soul, we walk along the quay to the bikes, parked along with 100 others. The queues at the port's kiosk are so long that we guess they offer something extra. But we go in a different direction: towards the centre of the island and the Spirit of Hven whisky distillery.
The maize fields spread on both sides of the Norreborgsvägen road, which leads to Backafallsbyn and Spirit of Hven, a family-owned company that runs a hotel, restaurant, shop and one of Sweden’s foremost whisky bars with its own distillery.
A distillery that has become famous as it is one of the smallest in the world, where everything from mashing to fermentation, distillation, oak barrel storage and bottling takes place under one roof. A tour here takes about 45 minutes among pipes, scents and boilers. Here is a boiler that looks like a chest of lots of drawers made of wood. We learn that it is a kind of perpetual motion machine for producing spirits.
In the evening we take a seat in the facility's dining room and enjoy locally produced food with a wine package. Outside the window the corn grows close to the yard, something we now know is turned into whisky, along with barley and rye.
the next morning we cycle to the northeast side of Ven and the Norreborg bathing area for a cooling dip. Then we follow Skåneleden along the coast to the south and turn back towards the central parts of the island, where Pumpans Café is the next stop. Swimming and cycling have made us very hungry and the pizzas are irresistible.
The food is made from organic ingredients, the apple juice is homemade and the coffee, which comes from their own roastery, is ground when we order. Flour is ground from their own stone mill – raw materials used with love.
other people who appreciate the local ingredients are the restaurateur couple Wojtek Marczynski and Liselott Marklund. They have been running Pausa in Kyrkbacken harbour on Ven since 2020. Everything they serve is from Ven or Skåne and the wine selection mostly consists of natural wines.
Their small restaurant consists of two red fishing huts built together and you can enjoy wonderful views of the harbour on one side and the sea on the other from the glazed veranda. The menu is all about a genuine Skåne love of ingredients without additives.
The restaurant is small, there isn’t really room for families with children. But for us adults, the evening becomes magical when the sun slowly begins to set and we enjoy cod and mussels, fished by Ola the local fisherman; and try natural wine while the sea and sky explode in tones of yellow, orange and red. We let go of the thought that we will soon have to leave Ven.
ven.se
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EXPERIENCE VEN FROM THE SEA
by sara ströberg photo oskar fäldt
Karl Hertting had always dreamed of living on an island. So when a plot of land with a sea view appeared on Ven, he went for it. Now he’s started Venkajak where he rents out kayaks so that more people have the chance to enjoy the beautiful nature around the island.
It’s a foggy spring-winter day when we visit Karl and Veronica Hertting in their house on Ven. Karl originally comes from Höganäs which is a few miles north on the mainland but has always had a romantic dream of living on an island. One day he got lucky when he found a plot with a sea view on Ven and immediately went for it.
Karl has always been fascinated by the sea. Sailing and boating have been a big part of his life. When he saw a couple paddling a kayak past his jetty in the morning sun, he immediately wanted to try it. He found an old kayak on his neighbour’s land and paddled out onto the water.
“It started with an involuntary Eskimo roll. Me and the kayak ended up upside down,” says Karl with a smile.
He and Veronica bought a kayak each and began exploring Ven. They soon came up with the idea of renting out kayaks.
“We wanted more people to experience what we love to do and we appreciate meeting other people. So we decided to start Venkajak where we rent out kayaks.
The kayak is a smart means of transportation, as it is easy to drag onto the beach. Karl Hertting suggests stopping and swimming at a deserted beach or paddling into Kyrkbacken harbour and buying an ice cream.
“It’s really nice experiencing Ven from the sea. A kayak gets you close to the beaches and the imposing Backafallen cliffs
20 | LANDSKRONA&VEN which slope down to the water,” says Karl.
Kayaking is an excellent combination of nature experience and exercise. You don’t need any previous experience and you don’t have to be well-trained. You must be able to swim to rent kayaks. Öresund is welltrafficked so you should have respect for the water and stay close to the beach.
“We always check the marine forecast” says Karl. “We want to be able to inform customers about where the wind blows from most and where there are currents.”
You get clear instructions on how to go paddling and what to think about before you go out. You can also hire life jackets and waterproof bags where you can store your lunch.
“Today we focus on renting out kayaks, but in the future we hope to offer guided tours, courses and vacation packages of different kinds”, says Karl.
For more info, check out venkajak.se
MOUNTAIN BIKING IN THE SAXTORP FOREST
LANDSKRONA There are plenty of winding paths in the Saxtorp forest south of Landskrona that are perfect for mountain biking for beginners and the more experienced riders. There’s no specific route, so follow the paths where you like. If you want a longer ride, continue to the lakes at Ålstorp, bike via the bridge over the motorway to Järavallen's hiking area and take the mountain bike trail that’s around 7 kilometres. iLandskrona.se
AMAZING VIEWS ALONG THE COAST
LANDSKRONA Sydkustleden is a 260 kilometer long bicycle route that runs through Landskrona. The trail goes from Simrishamn to Helsingborg and is divided into 6 stages. The trail passes Saxån, Skeppsbrokajen, Nyhamn, the Citadel area, Borstahusen and Glumslöv's nature reserve. On route you bike past idyllic harbours and historic, natural places. Refuel at one of the local restaurants. sydkustleden.se
DRIVING AND PUTTING ON GREAT GOLF COURSES
LANDSKRONA & VEN There are six golf courses in Landskrona and Ven. They all offer beautiful views of Öresund and you can play all year round. Landskrona golf club in Borstahusen has two high quality 18-hole courses. Öresund Golf Club in Häljarp south of Landskrona is a beautiful, tricky 18-hole course with lots of water and fantastic greens. There is an 18-hole pay and play course and a 9-hole park course where you need an official handicap in Glumslöv north of Landskrona. St Ibbs Golf Club offers a unique golfing experience on a classic 9-hole park and seaside course. landskronagk.se, oresundsgk.se, glumslovgolf.com, stibb.se
LANDSKRONA & VEN There are eight guest harbours you should visit, five in Landskrona and three on Ven. Nyhamn Marina and Lustbåtshamnen are within walking distance of the city centre and offer shopping and tourist attractions. Ålabodarna and Borstahusen harbour are picturesque fishing villages with restaurants and beaches. iLandskrona.se
Dock at our charming guest harbours
Hike with sea views
LANDSKRONA & VEN Follow the Skåneleden trail which stretches through Landskrona and on the island of Ven. In Landskrona you walk along the coast where you have a wonderful view of Öresund. There are nature and cultural experiences, places to eat and historic places to visit along the trail. Walk along winding paths and experience unique countryside and tranquility on Ven. iLandskrona.se
Try your luck at fishing
LANDSKRONA Sea fishing in Öresund is a great activity for experienced anglers, families with children and groups of friends fishing for the first time. Fishing trips are arranged from Landskrona to Sweden's best sea fishing waters in the deep holes between Landskrona and Ven all year round. Try jig fishing in deep water where you can catch cod, herring and mackerel all year round. In the autumn you can fish cod in shallow water and flatfish while bottom fishing. In winter the large cod gather on the seabed in Öresund and you can catch a fish weighing between 10 and 20 kilos. landskronabaten.se
Read more about the great variety within outdoor and adventure that Landskrona and Ven has to offer at iLandskrona.se
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