Svaneholm, Hästhagen, Naturreservat

Hästhagen is a wooded hill just east of Svaneholm Castle. It is the estate's former horse paddock that has been transformed into one of the country's finest meadow beech forests. Tall beech trees create a magnificent pillared hall where the ground is covered with wood anemones and musk madras in the spring.

Wooded hill that was once grazed

Just east of Svaneholm Castle is the Hästhagen reserve. It is a wooded hill that stands out in the open pastures. It used to belong to Svaneholm Castle and, as the name suggests, was used as pasture for the estate's animals. In the past, local people cycled here on cuckoo days to celebrate and enjoy the arrival of spring.

Amazing spring flora

A lush spring flora grows under the hundred-year-old beech trees. In April-May, the ground is covered with wood anemones and wild garlic, but there are also patches of Skånsk nunwort and musk madder. In the 1980s, over 260 different plants were found during an inventory, including forest knotweed and several rare heath grasses.

Svaneholm and the enclosure

Hästhagen was once part of Svaneholm Castle, which is best known for its owner Rutger Macklean. The revolutionary agricultural reform, the enskiftet, which Macklean had implemented at his estate in the 1780s came to affect the entire village structure in Sweden. By moving the farms to their own independent farming units, the old villages were split up and a new settlement pattern emerged.

Outdoor life - here and in the surroundings

The Hästhagen nature reserve is part of a larger outdoor area around Svaneholm Castle, as are Norrskog Link to another website., Svaneholm and Vassen Link to another website.. You can get here by bike and bus from Skurup or park at Svaneholm Castle. The castle is the obvious starting point. There is information, a museum and a restaurant. This is also the start of the 3 km long Hunting Trail that runs around Lake Svaneholm. It is accessible and is lined with several rest areas, viewing platforms and information signs. From the trail there is a detour to Hästhagen Nature Reserve just east of the lake. There is also a very large old oak tree here that is protected as a natural monument. In Hästhagen there are few paths and some of them are quite muddy. Remember to take your rubbish home.

In English

Welcome to Svaneholm-Hästhagen Nature Reserve

Just to the south of Svaneholm Castle, a tree-covered hill juts out from the open pasture. This was previously the estate's horse paddock, but has now been transformed into one of the country's finest meadow beach woodlands. Stately beech trees create a magnificent pillared hall, the floor of which is covered with White Anemones and Woodruff in spring.

A Pillared Hall with Shimmering Light

The hill is dominated by trees that are hundreds of years old. They are predominantly beech, but there is also elm, European Hornbeam, oak and ash. At the top of the hill there is a beautiful pillared hall of beech trees. When the leaves emerge at the end of April or beginning of May, it shimmers with light green light and spring flowers sparkle on the ground.

However, the southern slope with trees of varying ages is more valuable from a biological point of view. Here there is also more dead wood. Out towards the open land there are ancient, wide-crowned trees that extend themselves towards the light.

Fantastic Spring Flora

Hästhagen contains a fantastic flora in spring, with large carpets of White Anemones and Wild Garlic, as well as Holewort and Woodruff. An inventory was taken in 1984-85 which recorded more than 260 different species of plants in the nature reserve, among them Broad-Leaved Helleborine and rare woodland grasses.

The area is a popular destination for people who live in Skurup. For many decades, they have cycled out to Hästhagen to have a breakfast picnic while listening to the dawn chorus of birds and to enjoy the spring flowers.

Svaneholm - the birthplace of modern agriculture

Hästhagen is close to Svaneholm Castle which is most well-known as having been owned by Rutger MacLean. He implemented the revolutionary agricultural reform, called enskiftet in Swedish, on his estate in the 1780s and this had an impact on the entire structure of villages in Sweden. By moving the farmers out to their own independent farms, the old villages were divided up and a new pattern of settlement appeared.

The nature reserve lies in an area that has belonged to Svaneholm Castle for a long time and as long ago as the 18th century there was a wooded area that was utilized as summer pasture by the farm's animals.

Outdoor recreation

There are no trails in Hästhagen Nature Reserve. The Jaktstigen Trail (2.6 km) goes around Lake Svaneholmssjön in Svaneholm Nature Reserve. It is adapted for accessibility and equipped with rest areas, lookout platforms and informational signs. The red loop continues into Vassen Nature Reserve (4.2 km). There are two other loops of just over 2 km in Norrskog Nature Reserve. Fishing enthusiasts can buy a fishing license and hire a boat.

Regulations

**The regulations apply for the protection of nature. You'll find a selection of the most important visitor regulations here. They are also posted on a separate sign at each entrance. The full/complete regulations are available in swedish on this web page - below the heading "Föreskrifter / Fullständiga föreskrifter för besökare".

• All dogs must be on a physical lead.
• You are not permitted to ride bicycles here.
• You are not permitted to ride or drive horses in the reserve.