Hjällen

Welcome to Hjällen Nature Reserves

Hjällen offers tree-covered hills, damp wetland forest and old pasture. Large parts of the beech forest have remained untouched since the 19th century. The combination of fallen tree trunks, dead wood and ancient trees provides an exciting environment for both the visitor and the forest inhabitants. Rare lichens grow here, such as bacidia rosella, bacidia incompta and pyrenula nitida. Many wood-inhabiting insects make their home in the dead wood.

The forested high ground at the western end has given its name to the nature reserve. “Hjälle” means something that is raised up. The ground is bare in places and shows the bedrock which is an unusual type called amphibolite.

In the forest to the west of the road is a bog surrounded by marsh and wetland forest. If you are wearing boots you can walk in the wet areas and look for different types of bog moss. It can be green, yellow, pink or red – especially in late summer. Feathery bog moss, red bog moss and rusty bog moss are some of the species found in the reserve. To the east of the road lies an area of old pasture covered in flowers, a haven for butterflies such as the purple-edged copper and the New Forest burnet.

In the forest you will see evidence of man’s efforts in the past to cultivate the soil. Look for mounds of stones among the trees. These are clearance cairns, some of which are so old that they date back to Viking times. However, the soil here has been poor and stony and never properly cultivated.

The area has no marked out paths. But do go off and explore among the trees and stones, enjoy the peace and quiet and visit the top of Hjällen. The Skåneleden hiking trail passes just outside the reserve’s southern boundary, and the Fulltofta walking area lies southwest of the reserve.

Regulations

Within Hjällen Nature Reserve it is forbidden to:

• dig or in any other way damage boulders, stones, slabs of rock, terrain or stone walls,
  
• remove dead wood, break twigs, cut down or in any other way damage living or dead trees and bushes,
  
• pick, dig up or in any other way damage plants, moss, lichen or woodinhabiting fungi,
  
• deliberately disturb or affect the fauna,
  
• bring dogs or other pets not on a lead,
  
• light a fire,
  
• take your bicycle anywhere other than the parking area and the road to and from the parking area,
  
• put up a tent for longer than one night, or park a caravan, camper van or similar,
  
• put up a structure or objects that do not belong in a nature reserve,
  
• organise competitions that could have a negative impact on the natural values in the area,
  
• put up posters, signs, plaques, notices, tape or other equivalent items.
  
  Without permission from the Country Administrative Board it is also forbidden to:
  
• collect invertebrates such as beetles and molluscs. However, you may collect a few examples on condition that this does not violate the environment protection regulations and that traps are not used.