Wilderness with a Nordic sense

One of the few preserved high bogs

Since 2016, Djurholmamossen has been a nature reserve and also Århultsbäcken since 2022. They are both part of Natura 2000, the EU's network for natural environments worthy of protection. Few plants can survive in the barren and nutrient-poor environment of the bog. Pine, heather, bell heather and tufted wool are some of the exceptions. The lack of nutrition means that the pines here are small and distorted, so-called martal pines. In July and August, the pink bell heather blooms and colors the moss pink. During the same time, the yellow marsh lily blooms, which also thrives in images and moist soil. The moss path goes on slats over parts of the moss. The bog continues into Halland county, where it changes its name to Matkroksmossen.

A bog is formed from a lake

Thousands of years ago, the bog was a lake. Remains of reeds and other plants sank to the bottom, turned into mud and the lake became shallower. Eventually it became a grassy marsh and the white moss could take over. White moss grows upwards and dies from below. It cannot rot in the low-oxygen environment, but formed layers of peat and a bog grew on top. Finally, the white moss lost contact with the groundwater and the moss was born. The white moss creates an acidic environment that few other plants can live in.

Deep gorge created by ice river

Discover Århultsbäcken, which cuts into a deep gorge with old-growth forest and dwarf witch hazel. The crack that runs through Hallandsåsen is teeming with life. There is also a small waterfall here. The ravine in Djurholmen was created by the melting ice sheet about 14,000 years ago, where the ice rivers brought with them tons of stone and gravel. Today, Århultsbäcken has etched itself deeper and deeper into the gorge and goes via Västersjön to Rönne å and further into the sea.

Special lichens and mosses to see

Rare lichens and mosses thrive in the beech forest, such as beech edge lichen, beech wart lichen, large bud lichen and beech spring moss. Downy moss and goldenrod grow closer to the stream. Parts of the Mossestigen go through the gorge and also follow the stream, with its small waterfalls. Take a small detour to Fallet, the largest of the falls.

Stones with a story to tell

Throughout the area, you will find traces in the form of stone piles, ruins and crop heaps of those who once lived here – farmers, jacks, squatters and backcountry dwellers. Life was demanding and the land difficult to cultivate. Nevertheless, they tried to create small fields interspersed in the forest, and the forest was used as pasture for cows and pigs. Along the Gubbalyckestigen and the Källstigen, the sites are close together and information boards tell more about those who lived here. You pass the ruins of the farms Västra Århult and Mellan Århult as well as the hill hut Jordboen. Next to the Århultabäcken there are remains of the svaltmill, which with the power of the water ground the families' grain into flour or was used for sawing. Even the Djurholm bog has been used by the farmers who lived here. The inaccessibility of the bog and the high water content in the soil made it difficult to cultivate. Instead, the peat was used as fuel and for many hundreds of years bog hay was an important addition to the autumn harvest. The men went with scythes, women and children raked and hung up the hay to dry on haystacks. The hay you got from the bog was not always the most nutritious or tasty for the animals, but was often an important supplement to keep the animals alive during the winter.