2. Hällekis harbour - Lasses cave

The hike begins along Söckeviken, a beautiful passage along Lake Vänern where you walk right by the cliff edge. You then continue into the Djurgården nature reserve, which consists of pastures with old noble deciduous trees, and if you're here in spring, the fields of wood anemones are extensive. Soon, the scenery transitions into deeper forests before becoming steeper as the trail takes you up towards the highest peak of Kinnekulle, which is over 300 meters above ground. Here, apart from beautiful views, you'll find the historic Kinnekulle Lookout Tower dating back to the 1800s. If you're feeling like having a snack or a meal, you'll pass a shelter with a nice view and soon you also reach Kinnekullegården, which also offers equally stunning views as well as food and refreshments.

Afterward, the deep forests continue for a while before gradually transitioning more and more into limestone pavement as you descend towards the Österplana Hed & Vall nature reserve. Despite being flat, there's a variety from bare limestone rocks to moist marshes, providing a rich diversity of species, especially with around ten species of orchids blooming here around mid-May. The limestone pavement that characterizes the reserve is typically found mainly on Öland and Gotland, but it's also present here on Kinnekulle.

You'll also find Martorpfallet, a waterfall that has a lot of water, especially in spring, but trickles year-round from the limestone cliffs. Shortly afterward, the trail transitions into forested areas, and finally, you'll pass through farmland before reaching the end of the stage at Lasses Grotta. This is one of Kinnekulle's most remarkable sights as this preserved cave was inhabited by Lasse and his wife Inga for about thirty years in the early 1900s. If you're camping overnight on your hike, there are shelters right here. If you prefer a bed, there's a B&B in Husaby 1.2 kilometers away.

Start and finish:

Kinnekulle hiking trail goes around the whole mountain. This means that you can start your hiking trip on many different places depending on how you travel to Kinnekulle and how you wish to stay during your hike.  A tip is to use this map tool and plan your trip after your own requests. If you want help, dont hesitate to contact the Tourist office who are happy to assist. This suggestion of dividing the hiking trail assume that you arrive to Trolmen station by train which is situated directly on the walking path. This section ends by the campsite a couple of kilometers from the village of Hällekis.

Length: 24 km

Surface: Forest path and gravel road

Approximate time: 6 h

Don´t miss: 

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