Ryssberget, Naturreservat

In the Ryssberget nature reserve you can experience one of the country's largest beech forests. Ryssberget rises more than 150 meters above sea level and dominates the surrounding, relatively flat landscape in southwestern Blekinge.

The nature reserve is located on the southeastern slope of Ryssberget and is dominated by heathy beech forests, which are part of one of Sweden's largest contiguous beech forest areas.

Scenic hiking area

Due to its proximity to the city of Sölvesborg, its natural beauty and its trail systems, the nature reserve is of great value for outdoor life. The Blekingeleden and Skåneleden trails run through the reserve.

In addition to the extensive beech forests, there is also a large element of oak and hornbeam. These are often old and usually stand where the soil is not fertile enough for the beech, such as in the area's fossil embankments. On the leanest, steepest rocky outcrops, pine grows and along the wet areas in the south there is alder-dominated swamp forest. A few springs also run along the slopes.

The forests are home to many rare and endangered lichens, mosses and fungi. Many of these are only found in forests with a long continuity of beech, oak and other deciduous trees. The flora on the poor soil is fairly poor, although in some areas, ragwort and wood anemone grow.

Rich wildlife and unusual flyers

In the forests you can meet species such as deer, elk, hare, fox and badger. There are also a large number of insects, including several unusual wood-dwelling beetles.

The forests have a rich food supply for birds, in the form of insects, small rodents, nuts and acorns, for example. Blekinge's four woodpecker species can be found in the area: great spotted woodpecker, lesser spotted woodpecker, common chough and green wren, the latter three of which are red-listed. There are also birds of prey such as buzzards, goshawks, merlins and bees, as well as the nocturnal barn owl. Other species include green warbler, chaffinch, chaffinch, blue tit, nuthatch, stone curlew and nutcracker.

Old shorelines

The nature reserve extends from just over 90 meters above sea level down to levels of around 20 meters above sea level. When the ice sheet melted away from the area about 14,000 years ago, the Baltic Ice Sea stood significantly higher than today's Baltic Sea level and the highest coastline eventually formed at about 57 meters above sea level. From this level down to about 30 meters above sea level, a large number of shoreline formations, such as shingle fields and sea walls, can be found along the slope.

Oaks, oak forests and pastures

Ryssberget has been an important area for the local population since ancient times. The oldest known traces of people on the mountain are graves from the Bronze Age, around 1,800 to 500 years before present. On the adjacent plains, there are ancient remains dating back to the Mesolithic period. Excavations have shown that animals hunted at that time included red deer, wild boar, aurochs, elk, bear, wolf, wildcat, marten, fox, white-tailed eagle, capercaillie, capercaillie, heron and various types of ducks. They also collected raspberries and hazelnuts, among others.

In historical times, Ryssberget has served as the outskirts of Sölvesborg Castle and town. They gathered firewood and timber, hunted and farmed, let cattle graze and pigs graze. Until the end of the 17th century, the south-eastern slopes of Ryssberget were dominated by oak forests, but through timber extraction and intensive farming, the oak was pushed back and when the use of the area decreased, the more competitive beech spread out instead.

Visible traces of older use of the land on the mountain include cairns and stone fences. Hollow ways were formed when hooves, hooves, feet and wagon wheels wore down softer ground along roads and paths over long periods of time.