Café Förlig Wind

More than 20 years ago, Sara and Karin, together with a friend and their mother, started Café Förlig Wind in Pataholm ooutside Ålem in the municipality of Mönsterås. The place was simply too good not to have an old-fashioned café with sandwiches and homebaked pastries. Since, Förlig Wind has been a recurring institution every summer in Pataholm. After a few years, the café was handed over to others to run, and we were occupied with other things in our lives.

Now, the circle is closed! Starting in 2023, we run again Café Förlig Wind, now together with Sara’s daughter Lisa. The business has grown, and there are more visitors, but much has stayed the same. It is still a small-scale operation, homebaking and cozy. Every day we bake pies and cookies. We mix the waffle batter from scratch and have a good time together. We hope that you, as a visitor, will notice that!

The café is located in a fantastic environment, well worth a visit on its own. But if you’re driving on the E22 towards Kalmar or Öland, it’s just a small detour of 5 km for relaxation and great coffee. From the café, you can choose to drive back to the E22 at Ålem or follow the beautiful coastal road for about a mile and join the E22 at Kåremo. In terms of time, it’s about the same, but we highly recommend the coastal road.

Pataholm

Pataholm is an idyllic community by the Kalmarsund, opposite Borgholm Castle ruins. Many of the houses date back to the town’s heyday in the 19th century when a significant portion of trade and timber exports from Kalmar County passed through Pataholm. You can stroll among the houses, visit the café, paddle around the headland, and explore the summer art exhibition.

Ålem

Ålem is the nearest larger community. Here you’ll find a gas station and a grocery store. Nearby attractions include Ålem Church from the 19th century, a prime example of a “Tegnérlada,” the neoclassical church buildings advocated by Bishop Essaias Tegnér of Växjö to accommodate the entire parish population.

Kronobäck Monastery Ruins are well worth a visit. It is a medieval monastery church established by the Knights Hospitaller, with an exhibition about life in the monastery and the surrounding area during the Middle Ages.

Mönsterås

Mönsterås is the main town in the municipality, offering a wide range of services. Just a few kilometers from the center, you’ll find the beautiful Oknö, with swimming opportunities and a diving tower. In Timmernabben, between Mönsterås and Pataholm, there is Råsnäs Confectionery, producing confectionery using old recipes and methods. The Modéerska House, a merchant’s house from the 18th century, sells local crafts.