Knappvreten, örtbacke

Knappvreten is one of around 20 herb hills in Gävle municipality. These are dry grasslands affected by lime that have been managed by haymaking or grazing for a very long time.

This herb hill - in the middle of the Olsbacka residential area - is a small remnant of an old-fashioned agricultural landscape, surrounded by a stone fence. Beyond this are old patches of fields between low hills that were probably once used as hay meadows.

The flowering of the herbs starts early in the year. For some plants often as early as April. Few Swedish habitats are as rich in species as the herbaceous slopes. You can often find 30-40 different plants in one square meter. So if you want to surround yourself with a lot of life, you should sit down for a while in a real herb hill - here for example.