• Fotograf: Johan Teiffel
    Fotograf: Johan Teiffel
    Photo: Johan Teiffel

Horsö-Värsnäs, Naturreservat

  • Nature reserve
of 5 stars
Rate this place!

Actions

  • Directions

Description

Horsö-Värsnäs is an easily accessible nature reserve that offers experiences of various kinds. Here you can jog on the jogging track, swim among the waves or follow the Kalmarsundsleden trail through Horsö's beautiful oak groves. Keep your eyes and ears open during your visit, and you may discover some of the reserve's interesting animals and plants!

Värsnäs oaks

Värsnäs was an open grazing landscape until the early 1900s. Even then, the oaks in the pastures were several hundred years old. Today, most of the peninsula is forested, but some 50 remaining oak giants bear witness to the former grazing landscape.

Life in an oak giant

Horsö's large oak trees are home to an outstanding diversity of many endangered species. Lichens are visible as shades of color on the rough bark, and insects, birds and bats live inside the trees. Mulch forms in the trunk cavities. It is a snuff-like mixture of decaying wood, insect, bird and bat droppings, old bird nests and the remains of fungi, dead animals and other organic material. The mulch is very valuable as it is home to beetle larvae and other bugs. One of the species that has found a haven in Värsnäs oak giants is the large leatherback beetle. It has become a symbol of the diversity of the oaks and the work to protect and manage them for the future.

Flower-rich land

West Horsö has a beautiful landscape with grazed pastures and meadows. In the past, local farmers harvested hay from these fields. Grazing and haymaking have long characterized the vegetation, which is rich in various herbs. You can see maidenhair fern, meadowsweet, chickweed and meadowsweet where the ground is dry, and clover, coastal arum and beach aster grow on the damp coastal meadows.

Visitor and parking information

The reserve has two bathing areas, both on the Värsnäs peninsula. The northern one - at Apelviken - is a naturist bath.

Parking is available both at the reserve boundary, the municipality's outdoor recreation facility and at the bathing area at the end of the road.

The forest is easily accessible and there are many paths in the area. Kalmarsundsleden runs through the reserve. A 2.5 km long exercise trail starts from the leisure facility.

For temporary visitors there is a boat jetty at Söröström.

In the center of the Värsnäs peninsula there is a recreational facility with showers, saunas and toilets.

In winter there are groomed ski trails.

Weather forecast (at 12:00)

Loading…

Get here by public transport

Activities And Facilities

  • Nature reserve

Facts

Year of decision: 1974
Area: 469.5 hectares of which 231.6 hectares is land
Municipality: Kalmar
Landowners: Kalmar municipality and individuals
Administrator: Kalmar County Administrative Board

Directions

At the roundabout at Snurrom, at Kalmar's northern exit/on-ramp to the E22, take the exit towards Värsnäs. The reserve begins after about 3 km.

Regulations

In the nature reserve you are not allowed:

  • Damage or remove fixed natural objects or surface formations.
  • Damage or remove growing trees, bushes or plants.
  • Pick flowers.
  • Hunt, kill, capture or injure wild mammals, amphibians, reptiles or birds.
  • Remove or damage eggs or nests.
  • Deliberately disturbing wildlife.
  • Bringing a dog that is not on a leash.
  • Driving a motorized vehicle off designated roads or trails.
  • Drive a motorboat or other motorized craft in the water area at a speed greater than 5 knots.
  • Park elsewhere than in designated parking lots.
  • Make a fire anywhere other than in specially designated places.
  • Camping, setting up a caravan or houseboat.
  • Disturb the environment with loud sounds such as music, video or radio.

Full regulations

C. Regulations according to Chapter 7, Section 30 of the Environmental Code on the right to travel and stay in the reserve and on order in general.

Within the nature reserve it is not allowed to:

  1. damage or remove fixed natural objects or surface formations
  2. damage or remove growing trees, bushes or plants, including flower picking
  3. hunt, kill, capture or injure wild mammals or birds or their young, remove or damage eggs or nests or otherwise disturb wildlife
  4. carry an unleashed dog
  5. drive vehicles elsewhere than on roads intended for that purpose
  6. operate a motorized vessel at a speed exceeding five knots within the water area belonging to the reserve
  7. park elsewhere than in specially designated parking lots
  8. light a fire anywhere other than in specially designated places
  9. camp, set up a caravan, moor a houseboat or similar, and
  10. use TV, radio, gramophone, tape recorder or similar in a disruptive manner.

Contact

Email address

Per Markus Jönsson

Please be aware that some of these texts have been automatically translated.

I’ve been here 3

I want to go here 3

Reviews

—

0 reviews

of 5 stars

5 :
0.0%
4 :
0.0%
3 :
0.0%
2 :
0.0%
1 :
0.0%

Questions & Answers

Ask a question to other Naturkartan users.

Users images

Share your photos of the place!

Naturkartan

Open this in the app

Open