Nature areas in Kristinehamn

Nature areas close to KristinehamnA9 skogen. Once the training grounds of the A9 regiment, this13large woodland area south of Jutviken and Björkvallen has manysmall gravel roads, paths and ruins of old homesteads. There are vantagepoints on the waterfront with great views over Lake Vänern that can bereached by foot, bicycle and car.1Kummelön. The island of Kummelön is probably the most popularnature reserve in the whole county. It has impressive linden andoak trees, an abundant spring flora with masses of white wood anemonesand blue hepatica, and a rich bird life. A good stop for bird enthusiasts isthe cabin at the vantage point: it has great views over the Ölmeviken bay,which is one of the best bird sites in the county. There are many geese andducks in this area in the spring when the ice on Lake Vänern melts. Severalspecies of warblers and woodpeckers arrive in May, and a European seaeagle or two may even turn up! Sometimes the authorities place bait inthe bay in the wintertime to attract eagles from Lake Vänern.Islands in Lake VänernVänern’s archipelago is unique and has a varied flora. Some of the islandsand shores are barren and rocky in nature, whilst others are green andlush with many kinds of plants and trees. The fauna is characterized bybirds, including the common tern, seagulls, oystercatchers, osprey and Europeansea eagles. The southbound road out of Kristinehamn provides youwith several opportunities to experience Lake Vänern from the land. Oryou can take a ferry out to one of the islands in the archipelago. Fishing inthe lake is free if you use handheld fishing equipment.234Saxholmen. Ruins of a medieval fort surrounded by greenvegetation.Långön. Lovely flat rocks to bathe from; footpaths in unspoiledcountryside.Alvön. Wooded island with extensive flats rocks to bathe from,and several footpaths.5Vålön - Kalvön - Sibberön. Three islands connected byfootbridges. A good idea is to take the ferry to Vålön and follow themarked path (4 km long) to Kalvön and Sibberön.14Hults hamn. A headland with views over Lake Vänern and one ofits shallow bays. It is a good place for observing seabirds, skua, gullsand waders, especially in the spring. Many of the birds land close to Hult’sharbour, where they rest before continuing their journey northwards.Large flocks of black-throated divers, grebes, scoters, velvet scoters andeiders can be seen here.15Baggerud. A beautiful stretch of shoreline on Lake Vänern, witha bathing area and camp site. It has a sheltered sandy beach, largesand dunes and rocky beaches. There is an ancient oak tree close to thegrove of junipers south west of Baggerud. As a place for birdwatching, thisis best in the spring, when the many seabirds, skua, gulls and waders passoverhead, on their way to more northern latitudes. Great views over LakeVänern. Launching ramp for trolling boats.16Dyrön. (Hike: 5.4 km). A relatively new nature reserve at thesouthernmost point of the municipality, with a fantastic view overLake Vänern. With its 200 hectares of land and the same amount of water,Dyrön has dramatic shorelines, a rich birdlife and small-scale farms thatcan be traced back to the 16th century. You can see osprey and blackthroateddivers here, and maybe even a European sea eagle or two if theyhappen to be visiting. Some more unusual species can also be observedhere, such as Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, long-tailed tits, marsh tits andhawfinches.17Nötön-Åråsviken. (Hike: 3x5.5 km) The Nötön/Åråsviken naturereserve lies in the most south easternly part of Värmland. Levelcountryside crossed by many winding ridges, the reserve is a mosaic ofdifferent kinds of landscape. The area’s terminal moraines are amongstthe best in Sweden. They were formed around 10,000 years ago, at theend of the last Ice Age, when the sheet of ice retreated northwards. Theinsect fauna here is particularly rich: the Nötö reserve is regarded asbeing the prime location for rare insects in the county of Värmland. Manykinds of butterfly can be found here, including the majestic and colourfulswallowtail. The bittern, coot, pochard, tufted duck, crane, grebe, brownharrier, osprey and great reed warbler are all species of birds that can beobserved in the wetland areas.18Kilsvikens inre. (Hike: 1-2 km) The reserve in the inner area ofthe Kilsviken bay is well-known for its rich birdlife, and is rated asa resting area of international importance for wetland birds. The birdlifeis best studied from the observation towers, from which you can see allkinds of birds ranging from large flocks of ducks, geese and waders toEuropean sea eagles. Large parts of the reserve are closed to the public inthe period 1st March -15th September, but the footpaths and observationtowers may be used at all times.3Långön4Alvön1Kummelön2SaxholmenSibberönÖlme5VålönHacklehemsbergetVarnumvikens inreA9-skogen136Kristinehamn7NiklasdammHultetsfritidsområde11Stora Vilången8SättraBjörneborg109Visman / Vismenslingorna(Hikes: 1.5 and 0.5 km)These two trails follow the Visman streamat Björneborg. One walk is along the prepared jogging track onthe western side; the other is along a winding woodland path thattakes you through the key biotope area on the eastern side andback via the bicycle way. There is also a path that runs parallel tothe shoreline of the Vismen lake.The key biotope (habitat) at Visman is a lush deciduous wood. It24has a diverse flora that requires rich soil, such as wild honeysuckle,hazel, bitter-vetch, willow herbs and dog violet.The crowns of the trees create a high roof over this green, lush25biotope on the shoreline of the Vismen lake; areas of herbalvegetation and bushes form airy “rooms” in the woods. Wood avens, wildraspberry and lady’s mantle are common plants that can be found here.Karisäng-spåren(Hike: 2.5 km) Karisäng is a popular recreational area with anetwork of jogging tracks.26Karisäng. Lush fir woodland, with some unspoiled, natural areas.Several small streams make their way across the mossy ground.1914Hults hamn12BlomsterhultmossenKey to the symbolsBird siteTree floraViewBjörneborgKristinehamns’s Guest HarbourBathing areaTravel CentreÄlvbron. Älvbron, on the Varnan stream, was originally a small6foundry that made rod iron. The vegetation around Älvbron’s oldiron hammer is now lush; you enter an outdoor “room” of aspen, alder,birches, bird cherry and dogwood! Stop at the stones and the surgingwaterfall and get a feel of bygone times!Niklasdamm. There was once a rod iron works on the Varnan7watercourse at Niklasdamm. Today, lying in the vegetation, only ruinsremain of a work place that once produced many tons of iron. The oldEnglish park, north of the pond, is well worth a visit.Stora Vilången. A nature reserve. Thick pines trees, several8hundreds of years old, can be found on the islands and headlandsof Lake Vänern. Old gnarly pines in various stages of decompositionsupport many rare species of flora and fauna. The island of Rutön hasthe oldest and most natural woodland; being close to the town, thisnatural woodland is a little gem in countryside that is otherwise used foragriculture. It also has remains of Stone Age dwellings. The old trail in thereserve passes through a mosaic of marshes, dry land, cultivated woodsand natural woods. The reserve is suitable for recreation, e.g. fishing andlong distance ice skating, and has several bonfire and barbeques areas.9Gocko. A stretch of shoreline along Lake Vismen where you canenjoy the morning sun.10Vismen. A woodland lake where you can enjoy the birdlife and gofishing. The road along the western shoreline has great views overthe lake. There is a ramp by the car park where boats can be launchedinto the water. (Fishing permit is required.)Värmlands Säby. (Hike: 5.5 km) Here you can walk in an old landscapeof grazing land with mighty oak trees. This area, which was a part of thearchipelago at one time, has many interesting remnants from both theIce Age and the Iron Age. It also has a rich bird life, and is the habitat ofmany species of insects and lichens. The Värmlands Säby reserve has avaried landscape composed of broad-leaved deciduous woods, meadows,deciduous wetland woods, dry meadows and shore meadows. The veryrich bird life in the reserve includes the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker,hawfinch and spotted nutcracker. The broad-leaved deciduous woods arethe home of many endangered species of insects. Close to the reserve isthe enormous Säbyeken oak tree, which has a circumference of approx. 8metres!Visnumsåsen. In the valley of the Visman stream, just south20of Road 26, there are small gravel ridges that are a part of theVisnumsåsen boulder ridge. Several of them contain Iron Age burialgrounds, a couple of which are accessible from the road. The Pasqueflower (Anemone pulsatilla), which is protected, blooms in April-May inthe dry meadows of Sommersta, the southernmost ridge.Konsteruds domänreservat. This is the site of two old domain21reserves. They both have old fir and pine trees in varying degreesof decomposition, which is beneficial to many rare species of flora andfauna. Mosses, lichens, mushrooms, insects and a large variety of birds allthrive here. Many old trees have lots of hanging lichens growing on them.Although the bad storm in the winter of 2004 resulted in many treesbeing blown down, they provide a welcome habitat for many insects andbirds. Please take extra care in these parts of the reserve.Medhamn15Baggerud17Nötön-Åråsviken2018Kilsvikens inreNybble19Värmlands säbyBäckhammar2123Konsterud242526Trolley bike stationParkingWindbreak/cabin for shelterToiletBarbeque areaTableCaféCafé/FoodBird observation towerInformationContinuation of The Iron TrailSmall/uneven/hilly pathFootpath/bikewayRoad with beautiful sceneryTrolley bike trackNature area11Karabykullarna. A group of small hills that are around 145m above sea level. The bedrock under the hills is composed ofKristinehamn granite, with parallel intrusions of hyperite that run in anorth-south direction. Hyperite is more resistant to erosion than granitewhich, over time, resulted in this line of hills being created. The hills are aninteresting illustration of the geology of Kristinehamn.Blomsterhultsmossen. Just south of Björneborg, this fine wetland12area has a peat bog surrounded by a woodland structure that isunusual in southwest Värmland. The area used to be a domain reservedating back to 1937 and was the site of Stone Age dwellings. It is thehabitat of several kinds of fauna, including some rare species of liverwort,which can only survive in larger areas of undisturbed natural countryside.22Skagern. (Hike: 2.5 km trail around the Skagern lake). The scenicSkagern lake has lovely clear water for bathing and lush bays. A partof the combined hiking and riding trail (“Skagern runt”) that goes aroundthe lake follows the old pilgrim route to Nidaros in Trondheim, Norway.Konsterud. Rent a trolley bike at Konsterud and then pedal23either north towards Degerfors or south towards Gullspång. Beobservant on the way: there’s a good chance of seeing wildlife such as elk,deer, beaver, grouse and nesting cranes. And, if you’re very lucky, maybeeven a wolf or lynx! There’s a place to rest at Mosstorp and, close by, ashort footpath that leads to the Däveln lake where you can bathe and fish(fishing permit is necessary). You also pass very close to the Stormossenpeat bog at Mickelsrud, one of the most valuable bogs in Sweden.Dyrön16Remember the Right of Public Access!www.naturvardsverket.se22© LantmäterietPhotographs: Lars-Peter Jansson and Johanna BengtsonCover photograph: the County Council’s photograph bankText: Johanna Bengtson, Camilla Eriksson & Stefan JohanssonMore information of the nature reserves can be found on thewebsite of the County Administration Board: www.lansstyrelsen.sekristinehamn.se