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DestinationHåltebyn
A moose crossing a misty meadow at the edge of the forest

Nature & Wildlife

Pine forest, quiet lakes, open meadows and the animals that share them. Around Håltebyn, nature is not a destination — it is the neighbourhood.

Hiking

Hiking & Forest Walks

Gravel roads wind out of the village between spruce, pine and birch, and forest paths lead to lakes, rocky outcrops and quiet viewpoints. You can walk for an hour without meeting anyone — and that is exactly the point.

For longer marked hikes, the Glaskogen nature reserve offers around 300 km of trails with shelters and campfire sites.

Glaskogen

Our trail directory is being prepared. Each route will be walked, measured and checked before it is published here — we never publish guessed distances.

A small dog on a forest path among tall pines, with a lake glowing in the evening light behind

Berries & Mushrooms

Berries & Mushrooms

Late summer and autumn turn the forest floor into a pantry. Availability always depends on the weather, the habitat and the season — some years are generous, others less so.
A hand holding a cup full of ripe orange cloudberries

  • Blueberries

    Usually the first forest berry of the summer, growing low in the shade of pine and spruce.

  • Lingonberries

    Bright red and tart, picked in late summer and autumn and loved with Swedish meatballs.

  • Cloudberries

    The golden treasure of the bogs. Rare, short-lived and never guaranteed — finding them is a small celebration.

  • Chanterelles

    The best-known Swedish mushroom, appearing where conditions are right from mid-summer into autumn.

Foraging safely

  • Only eat mushrooms you can identify with complete certainty. Several deadly poisonous species grow in Swedish forests.
  • If in doubt, leave it. Ask a local or use a reliable field guide — never an app alone.
  • Berries and mushrooms may be picked under the right of public access, but not in nature reserves where picking is forbidden, such as Håltebyns brandfält.
  • In Sweden, emergencies, including suspected poisoning, are reported on 112.

Nature's small discoveries

Herbs & Wild Plants

Wildlife

Wildlife

Dawn and dusk are the magic hours. Sit quietly at the edge of a meadow and the forest may come to you. Sightings are never guaranteed — that is what makes each one unforgettable.
  • A bull moose with broad antlers standing in a harvested field

    Moose

    The king of the forest. Often seen at the edges of fields early in the morning and late in the evening.

  • A fallow deer buck and a spotted doe grazing on a sunlit meadow

    Fallow deer

    Recognisable by the spotted coat and the broad, flattened antlers of the bucks.

  • Roe deer

    Small, graceful and shy, often glimpsed as a white rump disappearing between the trees.

  • A grey heron among tall reeds at the water's edge

    Grey heron

    Patient fisher of the lake shores and reed beds.

  • Woodpeckers

    The burnt forest of Håltebyns brandfält is valuable habitat for the lesser spotted, three-toed and grey-headed woodpecker.

  • Red squirrels & hares

    Everyday companions on forest walks, all year round.

A moose cow grazing in tall green grass while her calf looks towards the camera
A moose cow grazing in tall green grass while her calf looks towards the camera
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Respect wildlife

  • Keep your distance and use binoculars or a zoom lens.
  • Never feed wild animals.
  • Give moose cows with calves plenty of space, especially in spring and early summer.
  • Keep dogs on a lead during the breeding season — in Sweden, dogs must be kept under such supervision from 1 March to 20 August that they cannot chase game.
  • Drive slowly at dawn and dusk: moose and deer often cross the roads.

Allemansrätten

Allemansrätten — the Right of Public Access

Sweden's right of public access lets everyone walk, cycle, swim, pick berries and mushrooms and camp for a night in the countryside. It comes with a simple promise in return: do not disturb, do not destroy.
  1. 01Respect homes and gardens: keep a good distance and do not cross private plots or growing crops.
  2. 02Camp for a night or two away from houses — ask the landowner if you want to stay longer or are a larger group.
  3. 03Check fire bans before lighting a fire. In dry summers, fires are often completely forbidden — check with Årjäng municipality and the county administrative board.
  4. 04Take all your rubbish home with you.
  5. 05Do not damage living trees or disturb animals, nests and young.
  6. 06Special rules apply in nature reserves. In Håltebyns brandfält, for example, fires, camping and picking plants or mushrooms are forbidden, and dogs must be on a lead.
Official guide to allemansrätten (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency)(Opens an external website)