Varggropen i Fastlycke

Welcome to visit the wolf pit in Fastlycke - one of Kalmar County's best preserved wolf pits!

In Magnus Eriksson's law from the 14th century, it was prescribed that every farm should keep wolf nets. In 1864 this obligation ceased to apply and thereafter wolf trapping in pits was also prohibited. Wolf pits were usually located close to farms because the wolf liked to stay near the settlement where there were domestic animals and also because it made it easier to scavenge often.

A wolf pit is usually round and measures about 10-15 meters in diameter. Typical of trapping pits is the embankment formed by the excavated material in order to increase the depth. The walls of the pit can be stone, as they are in this pit, but they could also be lined with standing timber or with some form of enclosure at the top to prevent the wolf from climbing up. The wolf pit had a pole in the middle with a bait with a hen or duck as bait. The pit was covered with lightweight material such as twigs, grass and moss, which the wolf fell through to catch its prey.

The wolf pit in Fastlycke is one of Kalmar County's best preserved wolf pits and is located a bit inside the forest edge (follow the signs). It is special because it is paved with stones. There are also prehistoric needles in connection with the wolf pit.