Vallaskogens Naturreservat
Nature reserve in Linköping
The nature reserve Vallaskogens Naturreservat is located in the district Valla, west of the city centre of Linköping. It is both an urban recreation area and part of the museum Gamla Linköping.
The almost 85-hectare Vallaskogens Naturreservat consists of a varied mixed forest with deciduous and coniferous trees, clearings and small wetland biotopes and is home to over 500 species of various plants. It is crossed by several paths running in all directions and contains a number of historico-cultural remains from the past centuries.
A walk through the nature reserve reveals the remains of prehistoric fields and burial grounds as well as ancient hollow ways, which have been used as riding and hiking trails for centuries. In many places there are signs of the former grazing in the forest, which has given rise to a special fauna, including crested cow-wheat (Melampyrum cristatum) and the wild orchid species heath spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata).
On its northern side, the nature reserve borders directly on the historic district of the open-air museum Gamla Linköping and on its western side on the area of the historic estate Valla Gård, the rural part of the open-air museum. The part of the nature reserve located between the two sections of the museum contains a historic torp and a forest that is traditionally used for grazing. The nature reserve, combined with the district and the rural area, completes the picture of a small, historical world of town, country and forest in Linköping.
