La Collina by Club Hare
Address: 615-1 Kitanoshocho, Omihachiman, Shiga 523-8533
Tel #: 0748-33-6666
Following our strawberry binge, me and the rest of the group headed to La Collina, a fun cafe/garden. I had been here before in the summer, but it still amazes me how the living vegetation becomes one with the buildings, literally. In the summer everything was super green, but now that it’s winter there’s a certain elegance to the dead grass and moss. It gives me house on the prairie vibes.
This place is located in the neighboring Shiga prefecture, and, though named La Collina, is actually a branch of the dessert company Club Hare. Known for their Baumkuchen, the first building is completely dedicated to showcasing the massive cylinder on which the batter is poured in layers to create the classic rings. The best part is that the outside is coated in a thin layer of simple icing creating a little crust of sugar!
The other side of the front building was dedicated to the Wagashi, or Japanese sweets, that they produced. My favorite part of the display was an entire wall decorated with traditional wooden moulds that artisans would use to create the detailed designs in their Wagashi.
At the center was a simple black staircase that led up to the 2nd floor housing a cafe to enjoy some freshly baked Baumkuchen! Unfortunately I was too full to eat their, but it lead right up to the highlight of the building: The Ceiling!!
La Collina is HUGE, and this is just the 1st building of many. They had a super cute map that looked like a hand drawn picture colored with crayons and colored pencils. It also showed some of the insects you might see on your walk around the garden!
Once we exited the building, the large open field was exposed with a curving hallway that surrounds the grassy area. The ceiling was made with Black and White alternating pieces making a cool illusion as you walked through. To the left there was an open plaza with a number of small vendors offering different food options to enjoy in the outdoor seating. Given the freezing temperatures and snow it was pretty empty, but the overall look was very rustic and slightly industrial.
The blue staircase is actually connected to the next buidling which was more of a gift shop than a cafe with a very USA theme. There was a ton of vintage cars, bikes, license plates, and even buses that matched that rustic look outside of it!! These cars were definitely a highlight of the entire experience.
Aren’t these cars super cool, may favorite one is actually on the outside and is taken over my vegetation, almost like the manmade object was lost in nature.
Once we exited the building we walked to an open area with colorful beach chairs and a wall covered entirely in murals and paintings. There was also a big yellow school bus and a cute pink Baumkuchen food truck that gave me Valentine’s day vibes. Me and my cousins has a mini photoshoot haha 😂 . There’s even a stage so I highly recommend it for people who like set’s with their photos on Instagrams!!
My favorite part of La Collina is the sculptures found on the right-hand side of the trippy hallway I mentioned earlier. They are organically shaped with little doors at the bottom that give fairycore vibes and make for the cutest photos. It kind of reminds me of Studio Ghibli movies haha! And, yes, the doors actually work, and the door to the farthest right actually leads to a mini room!
After a quick photo shoot and getting my little cousins, who are in 5th and 8th grade, to go thruogh the doors and into the little room, we made our way to the last section of La Collina which is the Castella building. Aside from Baumkuchen, they also serve Castella which is a type of sponge cake with a distinctive flavor that, unless you’ve tried it, is impossible to describe. All I can say is that it’s DELICIOUS!
When you walk, the first thing you notice is all the wooden beams that seam to sprout out of the ground and act as see through walls! There is also a large glass window so you can watch the cooks bake and cut the Castella cakes!
Though we didn’t eat there at the cafe, we bought some for the road, and they were soft and spongy inside with a slightly crispy crust on top. They are usually sliced into think rectangles, but we got the muffin shaped one in the photo above. 10/10 would recommend you guys to try it out for yourselves.
Though we didn’t get to properly sit and eat at any of the spots it’s definitely a unique experience. I recommend coming during the summer since its a little warmer and everything is bright green. I actually made an Instagram post of my first visit on my main Instagram page so you can see just how green it is during the warmer weather. Still, it’s a great place for dates and for kids as well!! Happy Eating!
-Maririn 💕
Tea Time with Maririn 
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