Trail section

Ekenabben - Åhus

  • Length

    19 km

  • Degree of difficulty

    Easy

Lisa Wikstrand

A stretch with several stops along the way for visitors who enjoy birdwatching, historical sites and magnificent views. The alternative route on the Ekenabben–Åhus stretch takes you out on Sånnarna (which roughly translates to “the Sands”), with its unique flora that is teeming with life.

Nature

At the rest stop by Ekenabben you will find dry toilets, bench/table, a grill area, a charcoal vending machine and parking. From Ekenabben, you continue southwards on the trail. Along the way, birdwatchers can take a detour to the observation point Håslövs ängar. The trail continues towards observation point Hercules, where you can experience wetlands and rich nature life. You can watch the black tern hunt for food in the air and hear the characteristic song of the great bittern. The bird tower gives you an opportunity to take a break and enjoy the lovely views of the dams and Hammarsjön lake, along with the meadows and the grazing cows. The outdoor museum of the bird tower contains information about nature and culture. 

The route then continues southwards through the sandy fields along the east side of the Hammarsjön lake. Just north of Åhus, the landscape changes into the pine forests that characterises much of the coastal sections of the trail. At Horna Fure, the trail turns eastwards towards the sea, but you can also choose to walk on to Åhus by heading west on an alternative route, via Sånnarna. If you head east along the trail, you will follow the beach along Hanö Bay and then turn south towards central Åhus.

Sånnarna - alternative route/loop (17 km)

At Horna Fure, you can choose to take the western fork via Sånnarna towards Åhus. The trail goes through fields of meagre, sandy soil that has been cultivated over long periods of time. This agriculture has led to a unique flora and a rich insect life with many rare species. 

In high summer, the sparse sandy landscape is lit up by blossoming vegetation shifting in rich yellows, reds and blues. These meagre lands provide the perfect home to immortelle, sheep’s-bit and biting stonecrop, while the typical plant life in the more nutritious fallow lands includes viper’s-bugloss, alkanet, hoary alison and field cow-wheat. Around the sandy landscape, there are plenty of lichens. Many of these are highly specialised and extremely rare, such as Calicium trachylioides, which grows on old fence poles made of oak in the open sands around Ripa.

You can also combine the alternative route with the regular trail to make a loop. You can for example start at Horna Fure, walk along the west alternative route down to Åhus guest harbour, where you can have lunch at one of this cosy city’s many cafés and restaurants. In Åhus, you can choose to walk east and then turn north back towards Horna Fure along the Ekenabben–Åhus stretch. The entire loop is 17 kilometres long.

Cultural history

Along the stretch, there are several opportunities to discover cultural rarities. At Ekenabben, you can read about the dance halls of the past and see the Archimedes’ screw that was used to pump water out of Nosabyviken when this inlet was drained in the 1800s. In the Hercules nature reserve, you can see the remnants of the old brickyard that was used to build the dams that now provide popular breeding grounds for several bird species. The trail section ends in Åhus, a town that draws lots of tourists with its long beautiful beaches and its well-preserved medieval city centre. The history of this town goes all the way back to the Iron Age/Viking Age. At visitor centre Aosehus, there is a castle ruin dating back to the 12th century. The castle was used to charge a toll from anyone travelling on the river.

19 km

Easy

How does the grading work?

  • Sjö
  • Kustnära
  • 15-26 km
  • Lätt
  • Hund
  • Kollektivtrafik
  • Skåneleden

Campsite

Water

Elevation

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Framme i Åhus gästhamn hittar du Aosehus Photographer: Lisa Wikstrand
Vid Horna fure kan du välja den östliga eller västliga rutten Photographer: Lisa Wikstrand
Ta en avstickare till ekhagen vid Ekenabben innan du ger dig av mot Åhus Photographer: Lisa Wikstrand
Leden går via Rinkaby, en av alla pittoreska lantbruksorter längs vägen Photographer: Lisa Wikstrand
På Sånnarna trivs insekter och fjärilar i de sandiga markerna Photographer: Kristianstads kommun/Mattias Roos
Gott om intressanta fågelarter vid Håslövs ängar Photographer: Kristianstads kommun/Mattias Roos
Ta ett dopp vid Täppet innan du rör dig in mot den mysiga stadskärnan för en bit mat Photographer: Apelöga

Highlights along the section

Are you looking for a place to stay or a cozy cafe during your hike? Here are some of the sights and places to visit along the section.

Hiking suggestions

Do you find it difficult to know where to start your hike? Here is some inspiration and a selection of recommended hikes - short and long, with or without accommodation or based on different themes.

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News

Here you will find information about what's new on the trail as well as current redirections and disturbances.

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