Allarps bjär, Naturreservat

North of Hallaröd rises the wooded hill Allarps bjär. Allarps bjär is one of several basalt hills in central Skåne, the remains of ancient volcanoes. In spring you will be greeted by a magnificent flora with carpets of wood anemones, yellow anemones and wild garlic. Skogsmulle's map shows you around the reserve and Skåneleden passes through the area on its way to the adjacent Södra Hultarp reserve. Along Skåneleden is the cultural heritage site Karrastenen. In Södra Hultarp there are dry toilets and windbreaks.

Remains of a volcano

What remains of the volcano is the hill that consists of solidified magma called basalt. The magma remained in the crater tube and did not have time to pour out of the crater before the volcano extinguished. Over the millions of years, the volcano's exterior has been eroded away and only the more resistant core from the crater tube, which formed the rock type basalt, remains. The hot lava often broke up into irregular hexagonal columns as it solidified, and these can be seen in a few places where the basalt is exposed.

Nutrient-rich basalt provides lush spring flora

Basalt is a nutrient-rich rock, something that is clearly visible in the rich vegetation. On the top of Allarps bjär, ash, hornbeam, elm, birdberry, maple, lime and elm grow, while the slopes are covered by beech forest with elements of hornbeam and oak.

In spring, wood anemone, yellow anemone, hollow nunwort, wild garlic and, not least, carpets of wood anemone bloom. A little later, the spring flora is replaced by, for example, woodland bengal, musk madder, yellow plister, hop flowers and columbine. If you are interested in ferns, you can botanize in the slopes, where there are many different species.

Valuable beech forest

Allarps bjär has probably been forested for a long time. The slopes in particular have been difficult to utilize for forestry or grazing. The nutrient-rich soils, together with the long forest continuity and good access to dead wood, have led to a rich environment for lichens, mosses and fungi. The reserve is home to many rare species, including small lichen and ash wart lichen, western house moss, mountain mushrooms and cinnabar spiders. The butterfly fauna is also worth protecting, with several red-listed species found.

Karrastenen

With a little luck, you can find a rather inconspicuous and seemingly out of place stone next to the Skåneleden trail. Next to the stone is the inscription "Karrastenen". According to tradition, whoever manages to lift the stone is a real man!

Outdoor life

Skogsmulle's map shows you around Allarps bjär and Skåneleden passes through the area on its way to the neighboring reserve Södra Hultarp Link to another website.. Along the trail in Allarps bjär there is the cultural heritage site Karrastenen and in Södra Hultarp there is a wind shelter and a dry toilet. Parking is available adjacent to both reserves. Remember to take your rubbish home.

In English

Welcome to Allarps bjär Nature Reserve

It's located in the heart of Skåne county.

Remains of a volcano

There was an active volcano here 200 - 80 million years ago, which spread its ash and hot lava across the countryside. It has long been extinct and what remains is the calcium rich volcanic bedrock basalt, which provides nutrients for the rich flora. In the spring, the anemones and liverleaf extend out in a sea of blue, white and yellow, interspersed with bird-in-a-bush and lesser celandine. A little later, woodruff and solomon's seal come into bloom, with their crisp, white flowers.

Old forest

Woodland has covered these slopes for hundreds of years. Many of our broadleaved trees grow alongside one another here - beech, hornbeam, oak, lime and ash. Some have grown very old and provide a home for lichens, mosses, insects and fungi. Birds and bats can find a home in the hollows.

The Karrastenen Stone

If you follow the Skåneleden Trail through the reserve, you pass a huge, black stone called the Karrastenen Stone. It reminds us of times gone by, when there was a dance floor here in the shade of the tree canopies. Anyone that managed to lift the stone was considered to be a real man; a rite of passage for the local men.

Regulations

Within Allarps bjärs Nature Reserve it is forbidden to:

• dig up or in any other way damagenatural formations and structures,
• remove stones,
• pick or dig up plants,
• light a fire,
• camp, park up caravans, camper vansor equivalent,
• drive a motor vehicle,
• bring a dog not on a lead,
• horse ride,
• use radios, tape players or equivalent ina way that is disturbing,
• put up signs, posters, plaques, noticesor any other equivalent items.