Nature

Gentle footpaths carry you through beech forest, and then mixed woodlands as you travel along the Söderåsen Ridge. At Klövamölla the landscape opens a bit, offering views of peaceful pastures. At the bottom of a ravine, you follow along the Klövabäcken Creek. Exciting species live in this cool environment, in the water and the air. Along the gravel road between Gålarp and Magleröd, you pass the highest point in Skåne, 212.2 metres above sea level. Then it is just to wander through the woodlands, deep valleys and creeks of Klåveröd Recreation Area, a little piece of wilderness right in the middle of Skåne. Here you find many treasures.

Once upon a time wolves roamed throughout Skåne, and this was undoubtedly true for Vargadalen – or Wolf Valley. Snuvehallar is an unusual rock formation where it looks as though slabs of stone have been stacked neatly on top of each other. In theory, glacial ice should have wiped this formation out, but somehow it was protected. Or perhaps this is the magic of giants. At the bottom of this strange stack is a little rock cave called Snuvestuan. There are more uniquely strange rock formations at Skorstensdalen (or Chimney Valley). 

A detour to Tranerödsmossen is highly recommended. The bog is virtually undisturbed by humans, gets a lot of precipitation, and has a unique collection of plants, including cloudberries. At Grindhus and Lilla Klåveröd, on the other hand, you can get a feel for the pasturelands that once covered much of Söderåsen Ridge. 

Cultural History

Klövamölla Mill with its dam dates to the 1600s, but the current building is from 1887. The mill is driven by a turbine and is just as efficient today as it was then. At the crossroads in Gålarp there is an old flax processing house used for drying and beating flax. 

During the 1500s, Klåveröd belonged to Herrevadskloster Monastery and a pilgrimage route went past the Klåveröd farm. A few hundred years later it was divided up into four homesteads. Many of the associated crofts lay spread out across the landscape, and in 1880, 180 people lived here. At Lilla Klåveröd you can read the crofting history in the landscape – stone walls, small fields, meadows and pastures.

Enjoy the meadow at Grindhus and while doing so, imagine how this type of pastureland once covered much of Söderåsen Ridge. The pasture here is unique in that it has escaped artificial fertilisation, and has been kept open by grazers for centuries.

The stranger areas along this stretch of trail are not without their legends. For instance, in Snuvestuan Cave under the strange stack of rock slabs at Snuvehallar lived a girl, beautiful from the front but deformed from the back. In some stories, she had a tail and cast spells. For instance, she could “shame” guns into missing their targets, and make any young man fall in love with her, so much so that they could never love anyone else ever again. But you can protect yourself from her spells. Turn your clothing inside out and wear your hat backwards – better safe than sorry!