Garphyttan National Park
Garphyttan National Park consists of woods and meadows, originally established by humans, that are now spreading over the southern slope of Kilsbergen ridge and down to the Närke Plain. Previously the site of a hill farm, the most valuable features of the park are its human history and its flowery meadows.
Sights: Old cultivated areas displaying a wealth of flowers. Varied avifauna. The view from Svensbodaberget mountain.
Area: 111 hectares.
Established: 1909.
Location: Just over 15 kilometres west of Örebro close to the slopes of the Kilsbergen mountains in Lekebergs Municipality, Örebro County.
Visiting Garphyttan: A turn-off from Highway E18 west of Örebro leads to Svenshyttan at the park boundary, where there is a parking area. There are two loop-trails, one through the meadow area, the other passing over the crest of Svensbodaberget which offers a suberb view of the surrounding area. The regional hiking trail, Bergslagsleden, also runs through the park.
Photo: Jan-Peter Lahall
Garphyttan national park consists of ancient cultural landscape – land which has been formed by people through agriculture and forestry. It consists of flower-rich meadows and deciduous forest, surrounded by Kilsbergen's coniferous forest.
When the national park was founded in 1909, the land was first allowed to develop freely. It was part of the philosophy of national parks that the land was to be "protected" from human influence. The consequence was that the open land became overgrown, and it was realised that the agricultural landscape must be managed according to old methods if it was to remain.
Management was therefore begun again in the form of e.g. scything of the meadows. The landscape of the park is now reminiscent of how it was originally.
In the spring, the deciduous forest is carpeted with blue anemones, wood anemones, cowslips and lily-of-the-valley, and the song of the thrush is intense. The jewel of the area is the otherwise rare dormouse, which is found here in great numbers.
The foremost sights of Garphyttan are the flower-rich old farmlands, the rich bird life and the view from Svensbodaberget mountain.
For further information:
Illustration: Liberkartor, Stockholm
Photo: Jan-Peter Lahall