Kinnekulle

The flowering mountain

Kinnekulle – the flowering mountain

Leafy woodland, the wind whispering through the spruce trees, glades, wooded meadows, fields and bare rock. Cherries, bird cherry and crab apples flower at the same time as the wild garlic, which forms large, strong-smelling carpets of flowers in several places. The fields are bright with cowslips and the rare orchid lady’s slipper has found a favourite habitat in places here too.

Fascinating geology

Kinnekulle consists of five layers of rock that bear witness to Sweden’s history going back perhaps 540 million years. That was when the first primitive animals appeared in the sea and many of them were left behind as fossils in the sandstone. If this whets your appetite for more geology, you need to visit the Lake Vänern Museum in Lidköping.

Historic stone working industry

On Kinnekulle you’ll see lots of walls, barns and sheds built from quarried limestone. These are reminders of the mountain’s stone working industry, which was a major feature from the twelfth century until the mid-twentieth century. Today only Råbäcks Mekaniska Stenhuggeri is left, an industrial museum that springs back to life every summer so you can see and hear how limestone was turned into various practical and decorative items in the past.

Churches

Also visit some of Kinnekulle’s many churches, most of which date from the twelfth century. Husaby church and well is the site where Sweden is said to have become Christian with the baptism of Olof Skötkonung in 1008.

Manors and farms

Kinnekulle has historic roots, plenty of ancient monuments and is the site of a number of exciting legends. It is also home to many historic manor houses such as Råbäck, Hellekis, Hönsäter, Blomberg, Hjelmsäter and Trolmen.