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THEBJÄREPENINSULA
TheBjärePeninsulaisfarupinnorth-westSkåne,flankedbythebaysofSkäldervikenand
Laholmsbukten.Ithasscenicroads,leafyforests,wind-beatenheaths,fertileagricultural
landand,bylocalstandards,dizzyingheights.Itisalsopackedwithtouristattractions,
activities,excellentfoodandcomfortableaccommodation,witheverythingconveniently
closeathand.
Dayvisitorscanseeandexperiencemanythings,thankstotheshortdistances.
Båstad
Båstadisreallyworthvisiting.Itsmediaevalchurch,withabricktowerandsteppedgables,isa
reminderthatthetown’shistoryisrootedinatimewhenthisareabelongedtoDenmark.Inside,the
church’sinterioriscathedral-like,revealingthatBåstadwasonceacity.
TheTennisMuseum,besidethetownsquare,isaplacethatalltennisenthusiastswillenjoy.Ithas
photographs,elegantbutperhapsnotsopracticaltennisclothesfrombygonetimes,andtennis
artefacts.
ThestatueofBirgitNilsson,inauguratedinMay2013,isalsocloseby.Thisbluestatuewascreated
byinternationally-renownedartistcoupleUllaandGustavKraitz,long-timeresidentsoftheBjäre
Peninsula.
ThepicturesquestreetofAgardhsgatanislinedwithbeautifulhouseswhere,inthesummer,roses,
hollyhocksandlavenderallcompeteforthetitleofmostflamboyant.Here,youcanstepintoMärta
Måås-Fjetterström,analmosthundred-year-oldweavers'studio.Thesestudioshavebeen,and
indeedstillare,aculturalinstitution,whereartisanweaversproduceuniquehand-wovenrugsin
modernandhistoricpatternscreatedbyartistsanddesigners.Guidedtourscanbebooked.
ThemarinaandtennisfacilitiesaretwoimportantplacesforBåstad,bothpastandpresent.Inthe
summer,theyareplaceswherevisitorsandresidentsthrongincrowdsthatseemunimaginableona
MondayinNovember.Forexample,inthesummerof2013,thetwomajortennistournamentsin
Julyattractedatotalaudienceofnolessthan90,000people.Centrecourtisimpressiveandhasseen
incrediblemomentsinSwedishtennis.Simplysaying“DavisCup,Båstad,September1984”isenough
tomaketruetennisenthusiaststearyeyed.
Naturally,therangeofshops,cafésandrestaurantsisvastinBåstadinthesummer.There’salsoalot
tochoosefromduringtherestoftheyear,bearinginmindBåstad’ssize,whichisusuallyapleasant
surpriseforpeoplewhoarriveoutsidepeakseason.Forexample,severalmajoraccommodation
providersontheBjärePeninsulaareopenallyearround,asaretheirhotelrestaurants.
Torekov
Torekovhasattractedtouristssincethe1800s.Forartists,itwasagoodsubstituteforSkagen,asthe
shimmeringlightprovidedtherightconditionsforpaintingoutdoors.Theinvigoratingseabathing
thathadbecomesofashionableinSwedenwasanotherreasontotraveltoTorekov.Nowadays
visitorsenjoywalkinginthewell-preserved,partlycobbledalleyways.Rowsofhouseswithdoors
thatopenontothestreetgiveTorekovitsspecialcharacter,asdoeseverythingconnectedwith
fishing,theseaandseafaring.Thelittleyellowbuildingontherocks,Lotsutkiken–alookoutcabin
forpilots–IssaidtobeoneofSweden’smostphotographedbuildings.TheMaritimeMuseumand
Skjulet,withalltheships’nameplatesisalsoanattraction,asareSaintThora’srockandtheruined
church.Inthesummer,themarinahasrestaurantsthatarepracticallywalltowall.
Food
Foodisn’tonlyinfocusduringthesummerontheBjärePeninsula.
“BåstadBjäreGourmetisaprojectthataimstomakeBåstadandtheBjärePeninsulafamousasa
regionthatcelebrateslocally-producedfood,gastronomyandwellbeing.Theprojectaimstobring
togetherlocalgrowers,producers,restaurantsandhoteltohighlightanumberofactivitiesthatfocus
ontheculinaryexperienceandtherebyalsocontributetoalongertouristseasonwithmorevisitors,
allyearround.”www.bastadbjaregourmet.se
ManyBjärerestaurantsworktogetherinthespring,offeringtwo-coursemenusatasetprice.The
autumnoffersaharvestfestivalandharvestmenus.Laterintheyear,thefocusisofcourseon
Skåne’straditionalSt.Marten’sEvecelebrationswithgoose,andthenChristmasbuffets.
Italsomeansthatmanyrestaurantsthatwerepreviouslyonlyopeninthesummerarenowopenat
othertimesoftheyear.
FoodanditsrawingredientsareimportantontheBjärePeninsula.TheBjärepotatoisperhapsthe
biggestcelebrity,ingreatdemandandeatenwithreverencewhenthepotatoseasonstarts.Bjäre
nowhaslocallyproducedcrispsthatcomefromTorekowsLillaChipsfabrik.
Cafés
TheBjärePeninsulaofferscafésthatwouldmakeacityproud.Duringthesummerthere’snoneedto
spendtoolonglookingwhentheurgeforacoffeeappears.Therearecaféseverywhere,manyof
themhighup.Theviewispartofthewholeexperience,buteffortisalsoputintoofferingcakes,
biscuitsandpastriesthatmakevisitors’mouthswater.OneofthecafésontheBjärePeninsula,Café
OrangerietatBäckdalensNursery,isevenintheguidetorenownedrestaurants,theWhiteGuide.
http://www.bastad.comhasuptodateinformationaboutwheretofindagoodcupofcoffee.
Nature
TheBjärePeninsula’ssceneryisbothdramaticandinviting.Amazingviewsisaphrasethatiseasyto
usewhentravellingontheBjärePeninsula,astheyarealmosteverywhereyougo.Itcouldbethe
viewtothenorthandthesoftcurvesofLaholmsbukten,edgedbymilesandmilesofsandybeach.It
couldbetheviewtothesouth–towardsSkåne’splains,Kullaberg,andSkälderviken,orwest–
whereDenmarkcanbeseeninclearweather.Itcouldbetheviewofthemagicalrollinghillsat
GrevieBackar,orfromDrottninghallinVästraKarup,anancientmonumentwithafantasticlocation
lookingoutacrosstheplainsdowntowardsSkälderviken.ItcouldbetheislandofHallandsVäderö,a
wonderfulbackdropinmanyplacesontheBjärePeninsula.
HallandsVäderö
Thisisageminthesea,fifteenminutesbyboatjustoffTorekov.Theislandoffersfantasticbathing
andscenery.Walkingaroundittakesacoupleofhoursandiswell-investedtime.Manygroupsprefer
tohaveaguidewiththemduringtheirvisit.Inthesummeryoucantakeadipincrystalclearwater
fromrocksandbeaches,thoughit’safewdegreescoolerthanonthecoast.There’sasmallmuseum
ontheisland,aswellasacaféthat’sopenduringpeakseason.
Anotheroptionistogoonasealsafari.HallandsVäderöhasasealsanctuary,wherealargeseal
colonylivesinaprotectedarea.Itisstillpossibletogetfairlyclosetotheseals,whichlieingroupson
thelargerocksorbalancealone,seeminglywithoutacare,onsmallerslipperyones.
HovsHallar
FaroutontheBjärePeninsulayoucometoHovsHallar,thebreath-takingmeetingbetweentheridge
andthesea.Rauks,cavesandshingleareremindersoftheforceofnature.Thereareexpansiveviews
fromthetop.Windingpathsleadtothebeachandaspecial,suggestive,rockylandscape.Thiswas
thelocationofthelegendarychessmatchbetweendeathandtheknightinIngmarBergman’sclassic
film“TheSeventhSeal”,fromthe1950s.Stretchesonthepathtoseacanbedemanding,butthere
aeeasiersectionsthatstillofferamazingviewsofHovsHallar.TherenownedHotell&Restaurang
HovsHallarisbesidethecarpark,andispopularwithmanyvisitorstoHovsHallarandtheBjäre
Peninsula.
TheBronzeAge
ThereisBronzeAgeburialmoundatthetopofHovsHallarandisoneofmanytracesfromthe
BronzeAgetobefoundontheBjärePeninsula.Theareaisastoundinglyrichinburialmoundsfrom
thatperiod.Toawell-trainedeye,thecharacteristic“bumps”arevisibleeverywhereinthe
landscape.
Dagshög,acoupleofkilometressouthofTorekov,isSkåne’sbiggestburialmound.Itwasprobably
builtduringtheBronzeAge,andthesitewascarefullychosen.Bythecoastthemoundsareoftenin
rowsalongwhatwasthenthebeach.Theremayhavebeenvariousreasonsforbuildingtheminthis
way,andanimportantonemayhavebeento“own”thelandscape–toshowthatpeoplealready
livedhere,andthatsomeofthemweresopowerfulthattheydeservedlargeburialmounds.
Insomeplaces–suchasGröthögarnabetweenHovsHallarandTorekov–thereareburialgrounds
withnumerousgravesofdifferentsizes.Therearesimilarburialgroundsatothersitesinnorthern
Europe.
Churches
TheBjärePeninsulahasmanychurchesworthvisiting,datingfromawidetimespan.Paintings,
architecture,instrumentsandotherobjectsprovideuswithapictureofhowgenerationafter
generationhavelefttheirimpressionsinthearea’schurches.
VästraKarupChurchhasasteadyflowofvisitors,becauseitwasherethatmostofBirgitNilsson’s
legendarysummerconcertswereheld,foralmostfiftyyears.Hergraveisnearthegates,closetothe
apse.
ThehistoryofÖstraKarupChurchstretchesbacktotheMiddleAges.Itisclosetotheexitfromthe
E6andisapopular“roadchurch”inthesummer.
TorekovChurchwasbuiltinitspresentlocationafterthemajorfireof1858.Thechurchholdssome
oftheitemsthatresidentsofTorekovsucceededinsavingfromtheflames.
GrevieChurchdatesbacktotheMiddleAges.IthasanaltarfrescoofChrist’sSermonontheMount,
wherethesurroundinglandscapehasborrowedthefeaturesofSkäldervikenandKullaberg.
FörslövChurchhasauniquegreystonetowerfromthe18thcentury.Thechurch’ssanctuaryhas
extensivepaintingsbychurchartistPärSiegård.
Forthesenses
ManyartisansandcraftsmenhavesettledontheBjärePeninsulatofindpeaceandinspirationinthe
landscape.Manydesigners,silverandgoldsmiths,glassartisans,ceramicistsandtextileartistswork
here,asdoartistsandgalleryowners–severalofthemwithaninternationalreputation.Theannual
artstourofnorth-westSkånetakesplacearoundEaster,andanumberoftheseartisansparticipate,
openinguptheirworkshopsandstudios.Manygalleriesandworkshopsareopenduringthesummer
anditiseasytodesignyourownartsandcraftstouroftheBjärePeninsula.
AudiencesalsoflocktothenowtraditionalartsandcraftsfaironthelastweekendinJuly.Several
hundredexhibitorsgatherinBrunnsparkeninBåstadtodisplayandselltheirworks.
Severaloftheyear’shighlightsaremusical.BåstadChamberMusicFestivalhasbeenheldtheweek
afterMidsummereveryyearsince1990.Ithasanexcellentprogrammeperformedbyskilled
chambermusiciansfromthroughoutEurope,attractingdedicatedenthusiasts,youngfamiliesand
musicstudents.Thefestival’sartisticleader,clarinettistKarinDornbush,performsatseveralofthe
concerts;theseareheldinchurchesandotherbuildings,butprimarilyinthebeautifulconcerthallin
Apelryd.
Inthemid-1990s,SwedishdirectorBoWiderbergfoundedafilmfestivalinBåstad.Sincethen,the
LillaFilmfestivalenhasbecomeaninstitutionandanannualmeetingplaceforfilmmakersand
cineastes.Itattractionisitsfriendlyatmosphere,interestingfilmsandfascinatingencounterswith
filmmakersandactors.
TheBjärePeninsula–thedestination
Yes,Båstad,TorekovandtherestofBjärehavealarge,variedandeasilyaccessiblerangeof
activities.TheBjärePeninsulasticksout,notjustintothesea,butasadestination.