Pronounced: Harsh-tay-nah/ This is an absolute must-see if you want to truly experience a kanelbulle in a kayak
Naturally, when we rocked up to Hartsena, I bee-lined for the bageri (Swedish for bakery), which always sounds to me like they only sell bagels (alright by me) and had ourselves a feast. Following the meandering trail, you’ll make your way through a paradise of little red homes, big open-plan yards, long picnic tables, and friendly border collies (possibly just the one) that’ll make you wish you were there visiting family. If only . . .
Once arriving at the bakery we learned many fun facts. The first being that the spot with the red water lilies (which we happen to pass-by as we got lost on our way) is actually it’s own contained body of fresh water. Although it may look idyllic to swim in, it actually has loads of leeches :S The second that the two bakers we met that day normally work at bakeries in Norrköping (where we picked you up from) at Finbageriet Kamraterna or Landerholms. If you received a celebration Princess Cake (yup, the green one!) from us on your trip, it came from Landerholms which is a bakery we regularly use. It’s heavenly. The last fact was that Harstena has it’s own signature “bulle”. Much like the texture of a Cadbury Crunchie which has sponge toffee, the Harstenabulle has a dry honeycomb-like inside with rock sugar on top. It is tied in a traditional knot but is entirely unlike any other Swedish pastry. I recommend you try it and if the texture isn’t your thing, dunk it in your coffee or tea whilst enjoying the view.