Kinnekulle-“Flowering mountain”

•   A trip is made to the “Flowering mountain” nearby where three different sigths are visited – Munkängarna with Stenbrottet, Högkullen and Österplana. This is a biological and geological very interesting place, the mountain is in different layers of rock so the nature are very diversed. A lot of rare plants can be spotted and most of the area is a national park. Here Carl von Linné did a lot of his famous work. At the different sigths the students are asign to examine the plants and animals and describe the biotope in gruops. At the end they should discuss why there is so big differences between the there places. At Stenbrottet they had a small task about geology.

     

The ‘flowering mountain’ Kinnekulle (306m), 18km northeast of Lidköping, features unusually diverse geology and plant life, including mighty ancient oaks. It’s also home to rare creatures, including the greater crested newt and short-horned grasshopper. There are numerous short nature trails, or you could explore it on the 45km-long Kinnekulle vandringsled (walking trail).

There is no other place in Sweden where there are as many biotopes in so small area as at Kinnekulle- Flourishing deciduous, copses, forest meadows, pastures and limestone flats. At times the bird song is overwhelming and if you walk quietly you might see both roe and fallow deer, moose and maybe even magnificent red deer.

Kinnekulle consists of five rock types in layers on top of the primeval rock. They tell the history of the earth some 540 million years, which is when the first primitive animals crawled up on the land from the seas and stayed till now as fossils.

Following the mountain trail is a popular way of exploring Kinnekulle. You can choose to backpack its entire 45 km length or just to walk sections. The nature trail takes you close to many of the attractions on the mountain. A detailed map of the trail is sold at the Tourist offices.

Alvar is the Swedish name for bare limestone soil. The most famous such is the Öland island, but the Österplana heath nature reserve is a worthy cousin. Only one of the biotope types on Kinnekulle, you´ll find a betony named King Karl´s Spire? (Pedicularis), a deep-purple Pulsatilla and an extremely rare sandworth (Arenaria gothica). To the east the heath stops at a twenty metres high, red limestone cliff over which three small waterfalls cascade – Prästfallet, Big an Small Bratteforsen.