Nature

After leaving the little town of Rydebäck you come to the Glumslöv Nature Reserve with beautiful views over the Öresund Sound and the island of Ven. Unlike other nearby islands which are flat and low, Ven’s cliffs match the abrasion cliffs of the mainland where you hike. The soil is more than 100 metres deep here – the deepest in Sweden. Hidden in the hills and sometimes exposed by erosion are boulders which have journeyed far, carried to this place from Norway, Småland, and Bornholm and then abandoned by retreating glaciers. Plant and wildlife on the steep slopes and the grazed pastures are unique, and you might spot such rare species as the sand lizard. The rare dotted border wave moth, and even rarer Morris’s Wainscot moth need sun, dry sand and a very special flora to survive. Butterflies, such as the colourful small tortoiseshell and meadow brown, also enjoy the many meadow flowers.

At Hilleshögs Dalar Valley, there are grazed areas covered in cowslips, and bank swallows nest in the steep cliffs at Sandbergen. Backafall on Ven is an example of the same type of sea abrasion cliff as you see here. And near the end of the trail, you come to Lill-Olas, a beach and pine forest habitat where many protected, endangered plants, animals and insects live, for example, the rare European green toad. With its many diverse habitats, Lill-Olas is important for maintaining biological diversity.

At the Citadel in Landskrona there are exotic types of grass and trees, imported during the 1700 and 1800s and now naturalised – some 400 species.

Cultural History

Around 1900, there were several brick factories along the coast between Helsingborg and Landskrona, including one at Rustningshamn Harbour. Hence all the brick remains along the trail, and some of the ponds you see today were once clay pits.

According to local folklore, Glumslöv is named after Glum, a peasant leader said to be buried in one of the grave mounds outside the village. This entire area is rich with antiquities, including prehistoric passage graves dating from the Late Stone Age and burial mounds from the Bronze Age. The surroundings are strikingly beautiful, and it’s easy to understand why these coastal dwellers chose to place their loved ones just here. The most well conserved chambered tumulus in Sweden is at the authentic fishing village of Ålabodarna. Nearby Örenäs Castle, built in the German Baroque style, was finished during WW1 and cost a scandalous one million Swedish kronor. During WW2 Danish and Estonian refugees were hosted here. It is the youngest castle in Sweden.

Along this stretch of trail, and indeed along Skåne’s entire coastline, the Swedish military built concrete bunkers to protect Sweden during World War II. Swedish soldiers never had to rush out and defend Sweden’s shores, but the bunkers remain as a strong reminder of recent history. Near Landskrona is another defensive fortification from another time – the earthworks built by King Charles XII of Sweden in the early 1700s to stop the Danes should they once again try to take back Skåne. Today, the earthworks are covered in grass, and in the spring common cowslips bloom everywhere. Your end point is the medieval town of Landskrona. Do not miss Landskrona Citadel, with its well-preserved moat system, castle and park. Once again, the seaside location contributes to the beauty of the town experience.