Sky Cafe Tour in Norikura Kogen

While spending time at Norikura as you please, a relaxing time at a cafe is a blissful moment. You will be able to savor the scenery you saw during your stay and the lingering memories of the extraordinary experiences you had, and experience a pleasant sense of fulfillment. Find your favorite cafe and enjoy some cafe time at Norikura. This moment may add a little something extra to your stay at Norikura.

❶ Norikura BASE Cafe Shillon

The most attractive feature of Cafe Chillon is its location, where you can enjoy a leisurely view of Mt. Norikura. On clear days, you can enjoy a relaxing cafe time on the terrace while gazing at Mt. Norikura across the lake. Popular items include the cafe menu featuring soft homemade bread, fair trade coffee roasted by Norikura Coffee, and goat milk soft serve ice cream. There are also original seasonal menus, so you'll discover something new every time you visit.

Of course, you can enjoy activities before and after activities at Norikura BASE, but Norikura BASE also has athletic facilities that are great for families with children, so we recommend taking the kids and taking a short break when you want to take a break.

❷ Cafe & Bar Spring Bank

This stylish cafe and bar is located in the Bansho district. It's a cafe during the day and a shot bar at night, which makes sense. The interior has an adult atmosphere that makes you want to stay for a while. The owner of SpringBank is well-known locally for his love of the outdoors, including backcountry skiing, climbing, and road biking, along with his wife. His wife's homemade "Today's Homemade Cakes," including apple tarts and chiffon cakes, are exquisite. You can enjoy a sophisticated cafe time with a cup of coffee.

Furthermore, the food menu is extensive both at lunchtime and bar time, so it's recommended for when you want to fill up on something substantial. The bar atmosphere is also casual at night, so anyone can feel welcome. There is a wide variety of alcoholic beverages carefully selected by the bar owner, making it an exciting space for lovers of Western alcohol.

❸ Baumkuchen Workshop Yum Yum Tree

Located along a prefectural road, this is the highest Baumkuchen workshop in Japan. The Baumkuchen baked in the workshop have a soft and fluffy texture, with the fresh air of the highlands trapped in each layer of the baum. The coffee roasted by Norikura Coffee goes perfectly with the Baumkuchen, so why not relax and enjoy it in the cafe space? The interior, with its country-style interior and the sound of the river flowing nearby, is extremely comfortable.

In addition to the soft and fluffy Baumkuchen, there is also a hard Baumkuchen inspired by the birch tree, the symbol of Norikura Highlands. Another fun thing is that different flavors are released with each season. It's also great to buy some as a souvenir and enjoy it at home.

❹ ALICE de cafe

ALICE de Cafe is a bakery cafe attached to Pension Alice, nestled quietly in the forests of Norikura Highlands. In addition to the fluffy bread specially made by the owner, known as "Arijii," you can enjoy daily bread, pizza, seasonal fruit cakes, and more. Alice's bread is made with carefully selected ingredients and baked with Norikura water, resulting in a simple, pure flavor that is truly appealing.

The owners are big motorcycle enthusiasts. They enjoy their own lives and open the shop as much as they can, so the opening hours are irregular. Locals are also looking forward to the opening day of the bakery cafe. You'll be lucky if it's open during your stay. When you visit, please ask for ALICE de cafe'sFacebook pagePlease check our opening hours.

❺ Petit Hotel Alm

This cafe and restaurant is located on the first floor of Petit Hotel Alm, next to the Norikura Tourist Center. The warmth of the wooden building is complemented by the warm sunlight that pours into the interior, creating a comfortable and cozy atmosphere. The handmade cakes, which change daily, are all gentle and delicious, including adzuki bean pudding and chiffon cake made with the local specialty adzuki beans, and tarts made with seasonal fruits. The hand-dripped coffee is also fragrant and perfect for a luxurious cafe time.

Alm is run by a family that values Norikura's traditional lifestyle and food. As a result, they offer a rich lunch menu that makes generous use of home-grown vegetables and wild plants. It's a restaurant you'll want to stop by and relax in during your walk or activities.

There is also a wide variety of other menu items to enjoy before or after your stroll, such as fair trade coffee from Norikura Roast and special toast and sandwiches made with Alice's bread. It's also nice that you can get takeout to accompany your stroll. This is a cafe with a distinctive concept, as it is environmentally conscious and encourages you to bring your own bottle to minimize waste.