Degeberga backar, besöksplats i Vattenriket

Behind the residential areas of Degeberga awaits a fairytale landscape. So fabulous that parts of The Brothers Lionheart were filmed here. When the ice sheet melted thousands of years ago, gravel and sand formed the gentle rolling hills of Degeberga. Huge blocks of ice calved and left large rocks in the hollows. Today the area is a popular destination for excursions. A walk up Söndreklack provides a breathtaking view of the rolling, grazed slopes.

The sunny slopes of the soft hills with exposed sand and sparse vegetation are among the warmest environments in the country. They are home to a range of special species that thrive in the calcareous, dry and grazed soils.

Common thyme creeps closely along the ground. This allows them to escape the cows' rough tongues. Other species need the cows' grazing and trampling to move the sand around. In the exposed sandy terraces of the hills, fragrant sand cloves flourish.

Solitary bees and wasps build their nests in the warm sand of the slopes. Many dung beetles thrive in the cows' poop, not least the rare moonhorn beetle. Perhaps an emerald sand lizard is sunning itself on a stone fence.

If you choose to walk on the lower path of the slopes, you will move along the winding waters of Forsakarsbäck. With a little luck, you may see a shimmering kingfisher dart past.

The slopes are grazed by cows - keep your dog on a leash!