Hajstorp – a sustainable meeting place for residents & visitors
A sustainable meeting place
Here in Hajstorp we want everyone to be happy and we want to create the most sustainable meeting place possible.
As little unnecessary environmental impact as possible
The Café
- Hand-thrown ceramics in the Café & Hostel by Marianne Ljungström/owner
- Baking with organic and Fairtrade products
- Recycle sorting in the café
The Hostel
- Organic sheets in the hostel
- Washing and mangling on-site in Hajstorp
- Organic and Fairtrade breakfast
- Minimum plastic - only wooden ladles from local woodworkers
- Recycle sorting
The Surroundings
- Eco-labelled petrol for mower
- Swan-marked cleaning fluids and washing-up liquid
Transport
- Rental cycles
Good for both residents & visitors
Locally produced
- Klings Glass – local producer of ice cream
- Purchase of local bread – Mösseberg’s bakery
Cooperation
- A part of Hajstorp Fredsberg Network, working with local organisation between associations, companies, schools and church, to create a living countryside.
- Warehouse in Hajstorp
Handicrafts around the canal – summer season arts and crafts exhibition. Local handicrafts of high quality. On the upper floor of the warehouse, Fredsberg’s local community association have an exhibition on “En bondefamilj liv för 100 år sedan" (“The life of a farming family 100 years ago”)
The exhibition is targeted at children too, with have-a-go weaving, bark-boat carving, soap-bubble blowing etc. Texts are in Swedish, English and German with an easier text for children.
Culture
- Breakfast with stories about the area and the Göta Canal
- Quiz walk by the Göta Canal, Sweden’s longest tourist attraction
- Smithy with local blacksmith and “have-a-go” evenings
More jobs
- Employing local youth (from age 15) giving the opportunity of summer jobs for several years
- Integration
Our philosophy
We ask you as a guest to be extra patient if there is occasionally a problem with language in the café.
Marianne Ljungström, who runs Hajstorp Lock Café and Hostel, has in mind to employ 1-3 new arrivals every season to help them integrate into Swedish society. This way they get the chance to learn the Swedish language, earn money, get work experience in Sweden, and create contacts for the future. We think that Hajstorp with the Göta Canal is a perfect place to meet Sweden and the Swedes, and very often the rest of the world, here in little Hajstorp!
In 2012 Marianne was the initiative provider for the Swedish Church’s Language Café in Töreboda, which is still run by the Swedish Church every Tuesday in the parish hall. So she has been committed for a long time and during the 12 years that Marianne has been a trader in the catering industry, about 7 people have been launched out into Swedish society.
Marianne likes to say that she need not venture out into the world, as every summer the world comes to her here in Hajstorp! But after working several years with her philosophy we can probably confirm that a variety of cultures are present in her world on a daily basis.
We wish you a lovely visit to Hajstorp and it is hoped that you or perhaps someone you meet learns a new word in Swedish or another language.
