Nature

Your starting point is at the southern end of the Linderödåsen Ridge, where deciduous forest and spruce woodlands alternate one after the other. Take some time to explore at the Andrarum alum works quarry. 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.

At Djurröd, the pastures have been grazed and cut for hay for centuries. On the dry slopes, early-purple orchid and cowslip grow, and in the wet fens bog stars, with their star-shaped white flowers, thrive. At the southern and last part of this section of trail, you come to the Heinge Recreation Area. This is a beautiful area to explore: a valley with a stream at the bottom, a small lake and dam, and a marsh await you here. Follow the Skåneleden Trail through the juniper pasture or take some detours along the other paths, at times sharing your experience with cows peacefully chewing their cud. The Heinge campsite could not be better placed, and you have a view over the beech woodland and the valley below.

Cultural History

Almost as soon as you head out, you come to Andrarum, where you find the remains of the alum works that was once the largest industry in Skåne. By the mid-1700s, some 900 people lived here. The trail takes you past factory-related buildings such as the stables, a hospital, the remains of the boiler house, storage barn and red slag heaps, and the quarry. Keep an eye out for Verkaklockan, a bell which rang to announce when it was time for work, time for prayer, or time for a trial. On the grazed hill to the northeast was a court house with a flogging post and prison cells. The most common crime was wood poaching from within the 20-kilometre radius where the factory owner had exclusive rights. But more serious crimes were also dealt with, and execution by beheading was carried out here.

The word allé in Swedish doesn’t just refer to a road, but rather to a road that has been adorned along the sides with regularly-spaced trees, often with spreading crowns that create almost a tunnel feeling when you walk (or drive) through them. These allés were planted during the Baroque period in the 1600s and 1700s, and are often part of old estates, in this case the Christinehof estate. These tree-lined avenues were intended to demonstrate mankind’s dominance over nature.

At the end of this section of trail, you find the Heinge Recreation Area, an ancient agricultural landscape with mixed nature, including deciduous forests, juniper fields, and oak pastures around the Djurrödsbäck Valley. There are stones wherever you look. Large rocks protrude from the grazed pastures, and there are many stone walls and clearance cairns by the abandoned fields, indicating the land was cultivated for centuries. Long ago the Djurrödsbäck Creek was dammed, creating a small lake and swamp in part of the valley. You can explore this area along small paths, some with white markings, some not marked at all, and sometimes in the company of grazing cows or sheep. Remember to keep a respectful distance from the animals.