Saturday, December the 21, I take the train from Copenhagen Central station to Lund, where I change to the local train towards Kristiansstad and get off at Sösdala around 10:22.
My plan is to walk Skåneleden 2, route 5, to a hotel at Nösdala, and then the next day continue along route 4a and 4b, stay overnight at a pension near Skyrup, and then monday continue along route 4c to Hässleholm.
It is my first time walking from hotel to hotel. I made this choice considering the short daylight span. I dont feel it would be fun to stay in a tent from 4pm in the afternoon to 8am in the morning.
At the trainstation at Sösdala I see the typical Skåneleden signs, and start my walk without looking at the map.
My expectations for the trip was a gray boring landscape, but when I from Søsdale join the Skåneleden track I am met with beautiful green and red brownish colors.
The first part is an easy walk. No steep climbs and an easy track. Inside the forest I cannot feel the wind.
After maybe 1½ hours walk I come out in open territory, walking along fields and through a farm. Here the wind is chilling cold, but im sure it is a beautiful walk in the summer.
When I reach the farm I am puzzled, there is no clear markings after the orange square on the concrete. Can it be true I have to go through the farm? Well yes. On a note: I can see that the markings from the other side of the route is more clear.
I walk in open landscape and small farm roads for maybe 1 hour, until I pass the small village Lunnahöja, after which I again reach forest.
According to Skåneledens map my hotel is at Nösdala, and I feel I am in good time.
When I reach Nösdala I realize Skåneledens map marker for my hotel is wrong. The hotel is not where its suppose to be.
I decide to follow google maps, and continue south on the road until I reach a bigger road going under the railroad. But my hotel is on this side of the railroad, so I cannot follow that road.
According to google maps my hotel should not be more than 1 kilometer from where I am, so I decide to hike through the forest even though theres no visible roads or paths.
Im getting a bit anxious since its getting dark, and the forest is dense, filled with small trees and bush which is hard to walk through. At some point I realize I have dropped my mobile out of the pocket I didnt zip, probably while bowing to walk under some trees. As this afternoon couldnt get worse. I walk 150 meters back, but without a clear path its hard to know where I could have dropped it. Finally I reach the point where I had stopped to return and walk up higher, and bingo, I see my phone.
Rest of the walk I try stick to pinetree areas which is easier to walk through, and finally some 200 meters to my left I see lights, and find the hotel.
Rallarhustruns hotel is like some barracks style buildings with rooms with a door out to a lawn. And then a bungalow style wooden house which serves as reception and restaurant.
The decour at my room is simple, not bad, though it could use an armchair and a small table, and a radiator, I sleep too cold through the night. I suspect the hotel aint made for guests during the winter, and I do seem to be the only guest staying there, and then some restaurant visitors.
The owners are very welcoming. I have a pizza at my room and next morning the male owner, and the chef, is waiting for me in the restaurant to serve me breakfast.
The next morning I walk back to Skåneleden on the road I should have taken to the hotel, a turn away from Skåneleden just after the small Lunnahöja village (see map at the end of the article).
Before I reach Nösdala I turn left toward Hovdala and route 4A.
Again I am struck by the amazing winter colors. I walk to I reach a creek which I follow until the path turns upwards, its somewhat hilly here, not the most easy walk, then turns down to a lake where I walk next to it on a narrow path full of bare roots.
Before I reach Hovdala castle the path turns out on a big open moor in the middle of the forest. As I cross it I see big areas full of withered heather. I imagine it must be amazing to walk here when they are blooming.
I reach Hovdala castle which I dont find very interesting, and I continue after taking a short look.
After the castle there is some steep path up into beech forest. At first the forest is wide and open with tall trees, but as I continue on the small path the forest change character and become more diverse and later wetland like forest which seems like it have a life of its own.
I am particular puzzled when I pass a rock with moss where water is dripping down the rock and moss, even it hadnt rained all day.
At some point the track leads out of the forest to a farmside road, which I follow until my next hotel, Tostarps Pension. The Skåneleden track do continue back into the forest I have just been through, but its getting dark and my legs are tired.
Tostarps pension is much easier to find and both Skåneledens map and google marks it at the right spot.
The next morning I continue 100 meters down the road, then turn right down through the camping area, then a small left turn down a smaller road, until I reach the Skåneleden track which crosses the road.
I walk through Skyrup and passes the golf course, into forest until I reach meadows to the left of the track, and wooden wetlands to the right towards the lake.
At some point the track goes through wooden wetlands which reminds me of some dystopian zombie movie.
At some point the track splits, you can continue through the wetland, but a sign says its not recommended at this time of year, or turn left out of the forest and follow the Skåneleden route. I walk out, to a small village where I continue along the road as a Danish guy out walking with 2 dogs is passing me. We start talk, about my walk, and my plan to cross through the forest near Hassleholm instead of following the Skåneleden route down to the lake, since I already walked that path.
– Then you will pass the ruins of Christian the 4th residence, he says.
After I turn back toward the lake I soon split from the route, and not long after I do find the old burned down castle.
The rest of my walk towards Hassleholm is an easy and very beautiful walk with lots of tall and old pinetries filled with moss beneath them. I see a lot of small paths going into the forests, and feel it might be worth exploring on a 1-2 day trip to Hassleholm.
Notes
I was skeptical about walking this time of year, had expected a boring gray landscape, but was pleasently suprised by all the amazing winter colors. I particular loved the forest near Hovdala and would like to return one day to explore it more.
I choosed this route coz of the hotels on the path, since I didnt fancy lying in a tent from 4pm to 8am.
I used Skånetrafikkens App to buy all my tickets. I can highly recommend this app, very convinient and actually the only way to buy tickets for a bus ride.
As mentioned Rallarhustruns location on Skåneledens online map is wrong:
I marked the correct location with a blue circle, while the white round one is the wrong one. As visible, to reach the hotel you can take a turn around Lunnahøja (the grey line).
It should also be possible, according to the hotel owner, to walk through the forest towards Skåneleden track to the vest, which I marked with a blue line.