Sträntemölla-Forsemölla Naturreservat
Nature reserve near Rörum
The nature reserve Sträntemölla-Forsemölla Naturreservat is situated about three kilometres from the coast, embedded in a picturesque hilly landscape with pastures, high forest and rushing waterfalls at the edge of the church village Rörum in the northern half of the municipality Simrishamn.
The fact that the landscape in Skåne is not completely flat becomes clear when you visit Sträntemölla-Forsemölla Naturreservat. The nature reserve is located within the hilly landscape of Rörums Backar, which is not as well known as Brösarps Backar about 15 kilometres further northwest, but is no less interesting.
The charm of Sträntemölla-Forsemölla Naturreservat is the variety of the hilly landscape, which consists partly of open pastures with scattered standing bushes and trees and partly of densely wooded areas with large old beech trees. In addition, the river Rörums Södra Å flows through the reserve and has dug deep into the rocky subsoil in some places between the hills.
Along the river Rörums Södra Å
The most spectacular is the river in the north of the nature reserve, where its water plunge over the vertical cliffs of a 15-metre-high waterfall at the ruins of the former water mill Forsamölla. Further downstream you will find the watermill Sträntemölla, one of the oldest watermills in Sweden, whose roots go back to the 14th century. It was in operation until 1969, has been state-owned since 1972 and represents a well-preserved mill site today.
Along the river you can find white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) and grey wagtails (Motacilla cinerea), both of which feed on the aquatic insects or their larvae living in the flowing water of the river. The most striking representatives of the insect population along the river are the colourful dragonflies, represented by the broad-winged damselfly (Calopterygidae) or the rare golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) as the largest European dragonfly species.
On the sandy soils of the open pasture landscape lives the large horned dung beetle (Copris lunaris) which feeds on the dung of the cows grazing there. In addition, numerous species of butterflies glide over the sun-warmed hills, where common cowslip (Primula veris) and meadow saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata) bloom in large numbers.
In the bushes at the edge of the forest in the transition to pastureland the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus) has its territory and in the hollow trees, old walls and cliffs, western barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) have their sleeping and breeding places.
Explore the nature reserve
Starting from the parking lot at the Sträntemölla watermill, a marked and approximately 1.5 km long circular trail winds its way through the nature reserve. The trail runs through the reserve to the northern waterfall at Forsamölla and back again. It meets the river in between, leads through the high forest and along the edge of the forest.
