Åvarp, Naturreservat

Åvarp nature reserve was established in 1969 to protect the wooded south-western slope of Söderåsen. Here grow tall beech trees and special plants such as white crow and forest fescue. Åvarp has no facilities for outdoor recreation, but there are traces of several ancient roads, known as hollow ways.

High beech trees and white crow

The reserve has a deciduous forest with tall beech trees as the dominant tree species. At one of the streams running down the slope is Sweden's northernmost place for the plant white crow. It blooms with white flowers gathered in clusters as early as March and develops its leaves later in the spring.

Forest grasses and wildflowers

At the end of the forest road leading into the southern part of the reserve (just west of Killehus) you can find the rare grass forest fescue. It grows on the wooded slope together with other forest grasses such as sedge, sedge and sedge meadow. Honeysuckle, hollow helleborine and witch hazel are others that belong to the special grove vegetation, which thrives in the dim light under the trees.

Ancient roads

In the reserve there are ancient remains in the form of hollow ways. These are the remains of ancient roads. Traces of the wagon wheels and the hooves of the draught animals have created furrows in the ground that can still be seen. Often several hollow ways lie next to each other. When the furrows became too deep, people simply started to walk alongside the original road, creating a new road.