The season has come to enjoy cycling as the days lengthen with beautiful new greenery. We went on a ride to Nasu Town, a popular spot for cyclists, to enjoy activities and sweets.

Departing from Roadside Station Nasu Kogen Yuai-no-Mori

Located at an elevation of 470m, Roadside Station Nasu Kogen Yuai-no-Mori is a place overflowing with greenery, with a direct sales shop, restaurant, tourist exchange center, crafts museum, and other buildings. There were also bike racks and rental bikes for sightseeing.

The place was crowded with many people.

The tourist information center also had a cycling map. We set off for a cycling tour around Nasu Town, starting and ending at the roadside station.

After departing from the roadside station, we cycled gently uphill.
The scenery of the plateau was beautiful and pleasant.

Nasukogen Seiryu-no-Sato

The first place we visited was Seiryu-no-Sato. You can catch char or rainbow trout in a fishing pond with a waterfall.
The fish you catch are grilled over charcoal on the spot. The area was crowded with many tourists.

There is also a bike rack.

We borrowed a fishing rod and tried my hand at fishing.
You can borrow a pole for 200 yen (with bait).

There were many fish swimming in the clear water.

I was able to catch two rainbow trout.
Take the caught fish to the reception, weigh them, pay the fee, and they will cook them for you.

The rainbow trout were cooked slowly over a charcoal fire, and the meat was plump, tender, and very tasty.
After the fishing experience, we headed to the next location.

We enjoyed riding uphill while admiring the surrounding scenery and stylish buildings.

Nasukogen Minamigaoka Farm

We came to Minamigaoka Farm.

The farm is open year-round and admission is free, and there is even a bike rack.

The farm has kept its natural appearance and is said to have preserved the traditional pastoral atmosphere.

There are various activities such as horseback riding, petting rabbits and goats, and putting golf.
There is also a restaurant and a souvenir shop where visitors can relax and enjoy themselves.

One of my favorite things to eat at the farm was soft serve ice cream at “Milk Chaya” (milk teahouse). Vanilla soft serve ice cream and premium vanilla ice cream.
The standard soft serve ice cream was quite rich compared to the soft serve ice cream I usually eat, but the premium vanilla ice cream was even richer. The richness of the milk and the luxurious taste were unmatched.

Minamigaoka Farm raises “Guernsey cows” , which are raised only about 200 in Japan, and they are highly regarded for the quality of their milk. Please try it.

After relaxing, we departed for our next destination.

We rode along Royal Road, which bordered Nasu Imperial Villa. Trees with beautiful fresh greenery formed a tunnel.
The road continues downhill for about 3km, so please ride carefully.

Rossi

We stopped by Rossi, a gelato and genral store.

There was a line at the entrance.

There were 34 different tastes of gelato, so it was hard to choose waiting in line.
You can choose from one to three tastes.

There were many we wanted to try, so we decided to choose three.

Chocolate Orange, Black Sesame Milk, and Maple Nut.
All of them had a strong ingredient taste, and we could feel their attention to detail in their gelato.
Black Sesame Milk contains black sesame seeds as they are, and you can also enjoy the crunchy texture.
They also have a seasonal menu, so there are various flavors depending on the season.

After finishing the gelato, I went to the nearby cafe “Majo no Mori,” (Forest of Witch) but it was not open because the gelato was sold out. We would like to revisit the place next time.

We headed for our next destination. Away from the center of sightseeing, we enjoyed the peaceful scenery.

On the way, we came across a beautiful flower.

“Nasuhiogi iris” is a very precious iris that grows only in parts of Nasu Town and Nasushiobara City and is listed as an endangered species by Tochigi Prefecture.
It is a flower associated with Emperor Showa, and its elegant blue-purple color is very beautiful. Please look for it when you go cycling in Nasu Town.

Cheesecake Factory MANIWA FARM

A cheesecake factory. MANIWA FARM offers cheesecakes and soft-serve ice cream made from raw milk from its own farm. There is a farm right in front of the shop.

There is also a bike rack.The cheesecake was only available for takeout, so we had the soft serve ice cream.The milkiness was refreshing. It tasted sweet but refreshing.The time passed leisurely as we watched the cows in the pasture.
After relaxing, we returned to the roadside station.

Course Introduction

▼ Roadside Station Nasu Kogen Yuai-no-Mori
https://www.yuainomori.com/

▼Nasukogen Seiryu-no-Sato
https://www.seiryunosato.com/multilingual2.html

▼Minamigaoka Farm
https://www.minamigaoka.co.jp/

▼Rossi
https://www.rossi-nasu.com/

Summary

It was a 28km cycling tour in Nasu Town where the early summer breeze was blowing gently. There were many delicious foods, so we were able to our my best on the gentle uphill slopes. Above all, it was very pleasant to ride in the midst of nature surrounded by greenery.You can enjoy sweets while relaxing at a farm or enjoy fishing as an activity, so we hope you will enjoy it along with cycling.