One of my very favourite things about southern Sweden is all the nature. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you’ll know that there is no shortage of beautiful nature in Skåne – the southernmost part of Sweden that I call home. Sweden is a big county (surface area-wise), but is home to only 1 million people. This means, it is largely uninhabited – and there is tons of space to roam. Throughout the empty diverse landscapes of southern Sweden, the Skåne region has mapped trails for locals to get out and enjoy nature. In fact, there is over 1300 kilometres of hiking trails all over the Skåne region, called the Skåneleden trail.
Now, 1300 kilometeres is a lot of hiking … and it’s safe to say I still have a long way to go to explore all of it. However, I have spent a lot of time on various segments of the Skåneleden trail, and I’m here to share with you a few of my favourite segments of the trail.
My top Skåneleden trail hikes feature everything from rolling hills, forests, unique coastlines – and, my favourite, lots of cute farm animals.
A quick tip for locating the Skåneleden trail markers: Keep an eye out for orange! All Skåneleden trails are marked with orange markers with a photo of a hiker, and the word "Skåneleden."
1. Glumslövs backar (Glumslövs hills)
Difficulty level: Easy
Located just outside the town of Glumslöv along the coastline, you’ll find Glumslövs backar (the area can also be called Hilleshögs dalar). True to its name, it is a region of hills, valleys, and a rocky cliff-lined coastline. The landscape is very similar to the popular tourist island of Ven, which you can see across the distance in the sea. However, it is much more accessible since you can easily get there by train or car.
The hike starts through the valleys of Glumslöv, where you’ll walk through cow pastures surrounded by rolling hills. Once you hit the coastline, you can turn left or right and follow the trails along the water. Here you can see the cascading cliffs, abandoned WWII bunkers, and – my favourite part – the very unique coastline.
What is so unique about the coastline? It’s full of multi-coloured rocks (and bricks)!
Historically, there used to be several brick factories along the coastline between Helsingborg and Landskrona. Many colourful bricks still lay along the coastline, and the residue has changed the colours of the rocks as well to hues or red, orange, and yellow. You can read more about the history here.
How to get to Glumslövs backar
If you have a car, enter “Glumslöv” into your GPS as your destination. Once you have arrived in the small town, head just outside of town, south down Glumslövsvägen. Keep an eye out for the orange trail markers and parking alongside the road. Once you park your car, you can start following the trail markers toward the sea.
If you are travelling to Glumslöv by train, get off at Glumslövs train station and walk south down Glumslövsvägen until you hit the trail head.
Best time of year to visit Glumslövs backar
This hike is worth doing any time of the year, because the unique coastline is beautiful in any season. I’ve been in both the autumn and winter.
Looking for similar landscapes? See also: My guide to visiting Ven island.
2. Brösarps backar (The hills of Brosarp)
Difficulty level: Easy
If you’ve read some of my other Skåne posts, you’ll know how much I love the Brösarps backer area. This region of Skåne, located just outside the town of Brösarp, is very reminiscent of the rolling hills of Tuscany. The hiking trails in this region will take you through pastures and forests, up-and-down hills, and even along some abandoned train tracks.
How to get to Brösarps backar
To do my favourite hike of the region, you’ll actually want to follow two hiking trails: Skåneleden and Backaleden.
You’ll start on the Backaleden trail through Brösarps southern hills. Here you’ll be able to hike to the top of the hills for the very best views. To get here, park in the town of Brösarp and head past Talldungen gårdshotell to the trail head. You’ll want to keep an eye out for yellow markers.
Follow the yellow Backaleden trail markers until you reach the train tracks. From there, you will turn left and walk about five minutes along the abandoned tracks until you see the orange Skåneleden trail markers. You’ll then follow the orange trail markers through the forest trails back to Brösarp.
The best season to visit Brösarps backar
I have been here in both summer and autumn, and the autumn was an easy favourite for me. The colours in this region around late October and early November are stunning. If you’re visiting this area, I can also really recommend spending a night at Talldungens gårdshotell (which just so happens to be my favourite hotel in Sweden – read a blog post about that experience here).
See also: 7 Places to Experience Autumn in Sweden.
3. Söderåsens nationalpark
Difficulty level: Easy
Söderåsens nationalpark is a very popular hiking spot in Skåne, so it has been a bit more commercialized. The trails are likely to be busier than some of my other recommendations, but it is popular for a reason and worth checking out for the beautiful views. The national park is home to dense forests, lakes, and an incredible lookout point over a deep valley of trees. It has been affectionately called “Skåne’s Grand Canyon.”
Which Söderåsens nationalpark hike is the best?
The park has mapped out many trails, so you might be wondering which one you should choose. I haven’t hiked all the trails, so if you want details on all of them, you should check out this link. The most popular Söderåsens nationalpark hike is to Kopparhatten, which is home to the canyon-like views. This is guaranteed to be the busiest trails.
I can also really recommend the Härnsnäsrundan loop, which brings you to beautiful lakes and through dense forests. In the autumn it is a canopy of red, orange and yellow, and you will rarely encounter other hikers around this area.
How to get to Söderåsens nationalpark?
Since this is such a popular spot. Skåneleden has mapped out in detail everything you need to know about getting to this national park. Read it here.
Best time of year to visit Söderåsens nationalpark?
Easily the best time to visit is in the autumn, although it is beautiful all year round. If you plan to go in the busy summer or autumn months, go early. The parking lot has been know to get full (especially on weekends) by late morning.
4. Romeleåsen Ridge
Difficulty level: Medium
Romeleåsen Ridge is a hike located about 20-30 minutes from Malmö, near Dålby. It is most known for it’s beautiful lookouts over the surrounding hills, but the trails are very diverse taking you through pastures, forests, and up-and-down hills.
I have rated this one as medium, because there are a lot of steep, rocky inclines. As a result, make sure you bring some good shoes. We also noticed many hikers bringing along full picnics to cook food at the fire pits in the area, so this could also be a really cozy option for a break.
How to get to Romeleåsen Ridge
Skåneleden shares a 12 km route, but this 12 km hike would be quite difficult. If you’re looking for a shorter 6 km hike, you can instead put “The Lodge Resort” as a starting point, park your car there, and follow the trail markers from the hotel. From here you’ll still be able to experience the best views from the highest points in the region.
Best time of year to visit Romeleåsen Ridge
I may be a bit biased, but this is a fantastic winter hike. Temperatures rarely dip below 0 degrees Celsius in southern Sweden, but if they do, you must visit Romeleklint. The trees were covered in ice and it looked like a winter wonderland. My best advice is to go early, because as the day progressed the ice began to melt. And also make sure to have a waterproof jacket on, too. That being said, I imagine it would be beautiful here in the summer.
5. Kullabergs naturreservat (Kullaberg Nature Reserve)
Difficulty level: Easy-Medium
Kullaberg is another one of the most popular hiking spots in Skåne – and it’s easy to see why. It’s beautiful! Located in the Höganås municipality, Kullaberg is a nature reserve that protrudes out of the western coast of Skåne. The region is full of cutesy villages and beautiful coastlines, which I found to be very reminiscent of the California coast.
The rocky cliffs that line the coastline lead down to grottos and caves that you can explore. But be careful when heading down to these caves, some of the pathways are very steep and slippery. Most people head out to the tip of the peninsula, but I recommend stopping at Josefinelust along the way. This particular grotto was an easy favourite for me.
For a really great hike, park at Josefinelust and explore the grotto, and then head west toward the tip of the peninsula. Once at the tip, make sure you hike along the southern coast for the most beautiful views.
How to get to Kullaberg
Kullaberg is a popular spot, so if you’re arriving by car, I’d recommend getting there early. There are a few parking lots in the region. The most popular spot to park is “Parkingplatz Kullaberg,” which is near the tip of the nature reserve. However, if you want to hike the loop I described above, you can park at “Josfineslust Rastplats.”
Best time of year to visit Romeleåsen Ridge
Kullaberg is a really popular summer spot for swimming and hiking. I haven’t been in the summer, but I can imagine it would be absolutely beautiful to swim there. However, I have also hear that it is very busy in the summer months. I have only visited in the off-season, and it is so quiet and serene. When we visited on a sunny day in March, we had entire popular spots to ourselves. So really, it is always beautiful and depends what you’re looking for.
6. Måkläppen naturreservat (Måkläppen wildlife sanctuary)
Difficulty level: Easy-Medium
Looking for a unique hike in Skåne? Måkläppen is a great choice!
The Falsterbo peninsula off the southern coast of Skåne is home to Måkläppen nature reserve, and the wildlife that calls the nature reserve home. Here visitors are able to hike out to the tip of the peninsula to watch the harbour seals, grey seals, and diverse species of migratory birds in their natural habitat. It is truly a can’t-miss experience.
I have rated this as easy-medium difficulty, because the coastline is comprised of loose sand, which is a bit difficult to walk on. Additionally, even on mild or sunny days, it can get very cold as you hike out on the peninsula. For this reason, make sure you dress very warm, and wear sturdy waterproof shoes. I’d recommend bringing along water and a hot beverage, and a snack too.
The hike is about one hour each way.
Which months is Måkläppen open for visitors?
Måkläppen is only opened for 12 weeks every year in the winter months, between November and January. Otherwise, there are barriers put up at the opening to the peninsula to protect the wildlife.
How to get to Måkläppen
As you can imagine, this unique experience does get quite busy in the winter months. If you are arriving by car, your destination should be “Falsterbo Golfklubb.” I would recommend arriving early in the morning as parking fills up quickly.
Alternatively, you can take the the Bus 100 from Malmö Central Station to Falsterbo.
Check out this map of the best Skåneleden trail hikes
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