Nature

When you arrive at your start point, take some to visit the quarry by the alum works at Andrarum. Here, 500-million-year-old shale is exposed along with many fossils, especially trilobites. At that time, Skåne was a sea, and these pea-sized marine arthropods with their hard exoskeleton dominated the seabed until they went extinct around 240 million years ago. Every centimetre of shale represents approximately 2,000 years. 

Shortly after leaving the quarry, you come to Verkasjön Lake, a popular sports fishing destination. If you decide to test your luck, don’t forget to get a fishing license from the automatic dispenser at Christinehof Castle parking lot.

As you head north, you walk along the top of the ridge called Jären, the largest esker in eastern Skåne, formed when glaciers melted leaving ridges of soil, gravel and boulders behind. This boulder ridge varies between 10-15 metres in height and is covered by a mix of deciduous and coniferous forest, and is a part of Verkeåns Nature Reserve. Where there is meadow, the flora is rich, especially in the spring. As you walk, you can look down at the wet forests and small streams that cross them. But sometimes, the path takes you down into the lusher, wet areas, where you stay dry on boardwalks and small bridges.

Pitch your tent at the Agusa campsite amongst tall beech trees. Right next to the campsite is a wildlife enclosure and even from the outside the odds are very good that you will spot red deer or wild boar, or perhaps you will hear them in the night.

Cultural History

The alum works at Andrarum was once the largest industry in Skåne, and in the middle of the 1700s, some 900 people lived here. At the time, the ground was bare and the air would have been filled with thick, yellow smoke. There are many remains from the factory to visit including stables, a hospital, the remains of the boiler house, storage barn and red slag heaps. Lake Verkasjön was originally a bog. It was cleared of peat and a dam created to provide water for the factory for leaching out the burned shale. Water from the lake was led to a smaller pond, which the Skåneleden trail passes over, via wooden channels to the store house.

The factory’s most prosperous period began under the ownership of Christina Piper, and the building of Christinehof Castle began in 1737. Today the castle estate is an ecopark with a wide variety of environments for enjoyment year-round. 

Agusa is a truly antiquated village, nestled in thick forest, with stone walls and several, well-preserved buildings, including Agusastugan, an old half-timbered cottage with a thatched roof – typical for Skåne. Anna Mårtensson lived here until 1944, and she left the cottage in the same condition as wit was when she moved in. It is currently owned and maintained by the Albo Härads Local Historical Society and is open to the public.