Dalby söderskog - Europas minsta nationalpark

Dalby Söderskog National Park is Europe's smallest national park. Located outside Lund in Skåne, the nature area is beautiful - and very small. Nearby are Skrylle Nature Reserve, Dalby Church, Sweden's oldest building, and the popular swimming spot at Dalby Quarry.

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Dalby Söderskog National Park

Dalby Söderskog National Park is a beautiful and intensely green national park with deciduous forest. When the national park was established in 1918, it was to preserve an original deciduous forest in southern Sweden. It was later realised that the area had been both forest and pasture. When grazing was banned, conditions changed and the forest began to live its own life.

Dalby Söderskog National Park is located on the outskirts of Dalby, one kilometre east of Lund in Skåne. Together with the nature reserve Dalby Norreskog, it forms an area called Dalby hage.

Hiking in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Dalby Söderskog National Park offers beautiful deciduous forest, including oak, beech, elm and ash. However, due to Dutch elm disease, the elms are dying and the forest is gradually changing. The fallen trees are left standing and become habitats for fungi and insects, such as the beech ox, which is a smaller relative of the oak ox.

The national park is surrounded by a strange earthwork. We don't really know what this is, but it could be the remains of an ancient fortress or perhaps the remains of the enclosure of a medieval royal hunting park.

The nature of the national park is intensely green, and the rich vegetation is due to the abundance of calcium in the soil. In spring, you can also see many flowers here, such as the hollow-nutwort and the St Peter's keys orchid.

Peter i Dalby Söderskog nationalpark - Europas minsta nationalpark

Dalby Söderskog National Park is a great place to hike, but because it is Europe's smallest national park (36 hectares), the hiking trails are not very long. These trails are available to choose from:

The ladder of mystery (3,5 km), goes to Skrylle
Bökebackeslingan (600 m), accessible by wheelchair/baby carriage
Kroppekärrsrundan (2.3 km)
The straight road (600 m)

We walked both Kroppekärrsrundan and Bökebackeslingan. We did not go over to Skrylle, because we wanted to get the campervan there, and then continue the journey from there. Both trails we walked offered nice nature experiences, and there were plenty of informative signs telling about animals and nature in the area.

If you want to hike a slightly longer distance, you can combine the hike with the neighbouring nature reserve Dalby Norreskog, or continue towards Skrylle nature reserve.

Dalby Söderskog nationalpark - Europas minsta nationalpark, nära dalby Norreskog och Skrylle

Skrylle nature reserve

Skrylle nature reserve is a large nature area located right next to Dalby Söderskog, and here you will find many hiking trails, a playground, Naturum and also a restaurant and café. I (Helena), who grew up in Lund, remember being here many times during my school days.

We started at Naturum, which was currently closed inside. Here you could still enjoy the outdoor exhibitions and learn about leaves and animal tracks, for example.

We then decided to start by following the Vilsestigen, which is an 800 metre long path that teaches children what to do if they get lost. We read all the signs and said over and over again that this trail was a great idea. Then we started talking about other things, forgot how to walk and ... got lost!

But how is that possible? We wandered around in circles for a while, before we finally found the right direction back to Naturum. Meanwhile, we checked out a small water-filled quarry and Skrylle's "nature play". In the tree trunk in the small picture below there was a bird's nest, and from there came an intense chirping from the little kids.

Dalby church - Sweden's oldest building

There's more to see in the area, so take advantage of your visit! Dalby Church, or Heligkorskyrkan, is located in Dalby southeast of Lund. The church was built around 1060 and is therefore Sweden's oldest building and the oldest preserved stone church in the Nordic region. Impressive, isn't it?

veriges äldsta byggnad — Sweden's oldest building

Why was a church built so early here? One can read that Dalby became the seat of Bishop Egino from Germany when the diocese was divided in 1059/1060, and that was probably the reason why the church was built. There was a large farm nearby, which may have belonged to the Danish king Sven Estridsson.

The church has been rebuilt several times and was originally about twice as big as today. The nave and side aisles of the current nave are preserved from the original building.

Inside, the church is very beautiful. When we arrived we were greeted by two musicians playing. Very atmospheric!

Dalby quarry

In Dalby you will also find the Dalby quarry, or Knivsåsen quarry as it is also called. The quarry is located in the Knivsås-Borelund nature reserve. Knivsåsen is one of several pebble ridges in the area, and here nature meets lush beech forest and, in the right season, fields with backsips or orchids.

The quarry located here was in use until 1958, when a reddish gneiss was mined. Today, the abandoned quarry is filled with clean and clear water.

A group of young people were jumping off the rocks and swimming when we were here. "Don't you want to swim too?" they said. No, swimming when the water is cold is not our thing. But we liked the view, fantastic!

We stopped for a nice break in the sun, and then it was time to roll on.

See more near Dalby Söderskog National Park

From Dalby Söderskog National Park, it is not far to Lund where you can visit The Culture Open Air Museum, Lundapark, the cathedral, the botanical garden and the city park. It is also nice to make excursions to Skanör-Falsterbo with fantastic sandy beaches, Trelleborg and Ystad.

Kulturen i Lund — The open-air museum Kulturen in Lund

Facts about Dalby Söderskog National Park

Municipality: Lund municipality
County: Skåne County
Landscape: Skåne
Location: You'll find Europe's smallest national park on the outskirts of Dalby, about 10 kilometres east of Lund in Skåne.
Size: 36 hectares
Formation: 1918
Read more: You can find more information at Sweden's national parks.

Animals and nature

Nature: The soil consists of limestone and chalk, which provides rich vegetation.
Trees: Hardwood forest (oak, beech, elm and ash)
Plants: Wood anemone, yellow anemone, spring onion, swallowwort, woodland bells, chervil, water lily, nettle, the orchid Persian keys, fungi, mosses, lichens and more.
Birds: Woodpeckers, starlings, wood pigeons, flycatchers and others.
Other animals: Squirrel, beech ox, various wood-dwelling insects and others.

Services in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Parking: Parking is available in the southern part of the national park.
Toilets: Dry toilets are available at the car park.
Rest area: There are two rest areas.
Information signs: There are plenty of information signs throughout the national park.
Accessibility: Bökebackeslingan is a 600 metre long hiking trail that is accessible by wheelchair or pram. The ground is hard, but because of the slope in some places, you may need help with your wheelchair. Along the trail there are tables where you can get close to a wheelchair.

Activities in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Hiking trails: Skryllestigen (3.5 km), Bökebackeslingan (600 m), Kroppekärrsrundan (2.3 km) and Raka vägen (600 m).
More natural areas: Nearby are Dalby Norreskog nature reserve, Skrylle nature reserve and Dalby quarry in the Knivsås-Borelund nature reserve.
Nature centre in Skrylle: Not far from Europe's smallest national park is Naturum Skrylle with various exhibitions.
Dalby church: Nearby is the church in Dalby, which is the oldest building in Sweden.

Rules in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Special rules apply within the national park. Here are the most important rules for you as a visitor. Full regulations are available at the entrances.

It is forbidden to ride, cycle or drive a motorised vehicle.
You may not build a fire or pitch a tent.
Dogs must be kept on a lead.
You must not break branches or otherwise damage living or dead trees.
It is forbidden to pick flowers, woodland fungi or collect insects.

Finding Dalby Söderskog National Park

Car: Exit from road 102 between Lund and Dalby.
Bicycle: You can cycle to the national park from Lund on the cycle path or via Hardeberga.
Hiking: From the Skrylle area you can hike via the Skryllestigen.
Municipal: The nearest bus stop is Dalby Söderskog. You can also reach the national park from Dalby bus station, a 1.5 kilometre walk away. See the Skånetrafiken website for timetables.

READ MORE: Things to do in Skåne - sights and experiences
READ MORE: Holidays in Sweden - your guide to Sweden's best destinations

2 Comments

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Johanna+in+Scandinavia says:

Dalby quarry is a great place for swimming and diving! Last winter we went for a walk in the area and a group of divers had sawed open a wake and made orientation markings in the snow so that they would know which way the wake was located. I like diving, but under ice feels a bit scary and I have not tried it. I would have liked to try it right there, last winter, well organised and with the sun shining!

10 June 2021 - 21:28

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Amazingly beautiful! And wow! Huh, I think it sounds super scary to dive when there is ice, but yes, I understand that it can be an experience. Many thanks for the tip about Dalby church!!!
  
  12 June 2021 - 21:48

Dalby South Forest - Europe's smallest national park

Dalby Söderskog National Park

Hiking in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Skrylle nature reserve

Dalby church - Sweden's oldest building

Dalby quarry

See more near Dalby Söderskog National Park

Facts about Dalby Söderskog National Park

Animals and nature

Services in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Activities in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Rules in Dalby Söderskog National Park

Finding Dalby Söderskog National Park

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