Review #876 2025-049 For some reason, my husband & his BFF thought it would be nice to take a hike here & experience one of Sweden's beautiful nature reserves (Kullaleden SL 5 Kullen - Arild) & a unique "sculpture park" (Nimis). Let me preface with most of the residents -- old & young -- are used to walking the terrains, mostly rocky & gravelly, especially near the coast (Baltic Sea). My husband is fit, but his friend, Anna is super fit & conditioned, & takes the descent & ascent with ease while I'm huffing & puffing away like I'm on my last breath. Not only that, I'm in physical therapy from a car accident last winter & still in rehab working on my frozen shoulder injury... ouch! ＼(｀0´)／ When we reached the pinnacle, I was looking at Nimis (more info below) & gulped, thinking what in hell was my husband thinking. He tells me that I don't have to go down this bridge to the sea & can hang out here (for how long!?!) on my own until they're done "bathing" (that's what they say for taking a swim/dip in the ocean). At the entrance, it looks like a hodgepodge of wood & stone half-heartedly slapped together. Swallowing my fear & anxiety, & feeling the onset of claustrophobia, I fought my way down on this rickety labyrinth contraption that would be the death of me, figuratively & literally. My family, except for me, & his friend's family bounded down with relative ease while I'm holding back tears & clawing my way down. Some spaces were very tight, & if I didn't lose the weight prior vacation, I imagined that I could get stuck/trapped on that bridge; I had to contort myself to squeeze through a couple of transition points. If you didn't pay attention to where you place/grab your hands on the railing, you might stab yourself with a nail or two. Equally, if you weren't careful with your foothold, there were several unstable spots that could cause you to fall. There's an opening about 1/3 way down where the space narrows, but the exterior climb down looked scary (falling off the mountain didn't look appealing to me) so I stayed in. There was another opening about 2/3 down & that's the exit that I took because our friends settled/headed in that direction. It probably took me an extra 20-mins. or so to reach the beach. I breathed a huge sigh of relief & shakily braced myself at the exit to catch my breath & calm my nerves. We sat & enjoyed a nice picnic of kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) made by my MIL & crepes made by Anna with saft (juice). TJ & Anna went for a swim, while our kids peruse the beach; mine were looking at the tide pools & M went to fish for baby shrimps. Anna showed us a live starfish & some crabs feasting on another crab carcass. After an hour by the beach, I had to return to that makeshift bridge & crawl my way back up; I've got bruises to prove this treacherous climb. It was slightly easier on my knees going up. The round trip hike was probably 2-mi. or so but it felt wayyy longer. Whew! I would probably never do this again, given my age & lack of physical conditioning. But the reserve is gorgeous, the air is fresh & sweet, & the views are serene & amazing!! Background: Lars Vilks began building a series of driftwood & stone structures in the nature reserve Kullaberg, NW corner of county Skåne, on 07/31/1980; it later became known as 'Nimis' to the community. Vilks worked on this structure for 2 years before it was discovered by the local authorities in 1982. Once it was discovered, a series of legal battles began that went on & off until 2004. While there were ongoing court cases against Vilks, he continued to work & expand Nimis until there were multiple towers that connected to a huge wooden & stone labyrinth that allows visitors to trek along the mountain to the coast. Nimis Directions: There's a well-worn path with yellow "N"s painted on trees & fences; some also had a directional arrow. Ladonia Seek & Find (https://www.ladonia.org/nimis/): * "Nelson" plaque: final resting place marker for baby white rhino, Nelson, that was born in a Swedish zoo in the 90s & only lived about 1-1/2 weeks; his ashes were brought to Ladonia to be buried * Ladonian Pear Tree: it really bears fruit! * Ladonian Library * Queen's Throne * Seal Bones: seal washed ashore in the summer of 2014 (we didn't explore the area too much so not sure if the bones were still there) The path starts as an easy stroll past Himmelstorp, a well-preserved 18th century farmstead before turning into a steep, rocky climb down to the coast. Good hiking or sturdy shoes is recommended if you're planning to visit Nimis & Ladonia, though Anna wore these foot-hugging barefoot sneakers & seemed unaffected on the hike. I felt going down was harder than up, especially on my knees & ankles due to the uneven terrain. Kullaleden SL 5 Kullen - Arild is definitely worth a stop for its beauty, but I can't recommend Nimis (you've been warned!) to the casual hiker. read more

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After visiting the Kullens Fyr (Lighthouse) we needed a good walk. The Kullaleden SL5 section starts right after the public parking lot. It's well marked and easy to spot (and also marked on the big map at the parking lot). The first few kilometers (we did about 6-7) are through the lovely forest here. There are some nice vista points of the rocky shore along the way. Some parts go along the golf court and through some picturesque fields. A really nice walk/hike. Some parts are quite narrow and slippery (even on dry days). My wife and I did fine (with some good hiking boots) and also our late and great English Bulldog had fun doing the trail. I would say it's a medium difficulty. Just at some points it gets steeper and some fallen trees might be in the way. Besides that it's a really fine trail and for me a must-do when in this area (or at least another section of it). read more

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