Danska fall, Naturreservat

Just south of Simlångsdalen is Danska fall. In the reserve you will find old beech forest, mountain slopes, well-worn footpaths and open land. But it is probably the waterfall that is the biggest draw. A hiking trail runs through the scenic beech forest and the Hallandsleden trail runs through the reserve.

Think about where you park

Is the parking lot we refer to under "Find here" full? Then there is also a parking lot at the restaurant Tallhöjden / Tourist Information Destination Simlångsdalen. From there you walk 300 meters to the bridge over Fylleån from where you take Hallandsleden to Danska Fall. This route is not accessible.

The area is surrounded in three directions by water. In the north by Lake Brearedssjön, in the east by the Assman watercourse and in the west by Lake Skällåsasjön with a stream to Lake Brearedssjön. The most dramatic section along the Assman is the waterfall that gave the reserve its name - Danska fall.

During snowmelt and other periods of high water, the falls offer a roaring spectacle as the water masses make their way down the cracks in the bedrock. The drop from Danska Fall to the river mouth a few hundred meters away is 36 meters. The river forms several beautiful rapids and falls along the way. Large parts of Assman within the reserve form a quill landscape where the water takes different paths between rocks and cliffs and forms lots of small islands, like an archipelago landscape in miniature.

Hilly terrain and marked trail

From the parking lot to Danska Fall, there is a gravel path that is accessible with a stroller but difficult with a wheelchair due to steep slopes. In places it can be damp and wet. If you just want to walk to the falls, the distance is 1 km. For those who want to walk a little further, there is a well-marked trail of 2.3 km that takes the visitor around the reserve. The Hallandsleden trail, which is marked orange on the map and in the terrain, runs through the nature reserve. If you continue south, you come to the Gårdshult nature reserve and if you continue north, you come to Simlångsdalen's community and further up through the valley with further nature reserves to visit. The hiking trails Brearedssjön runt and Gårdshultsleden, prepared by Simlångsdalens samhällsförening, also go through the nature reserve. Accommodation is available in Simlångsdalen.

Interesting forest for many species

The forest has been left untouched for a long time and, thanks to its age, is becoming interesting for bugs, birds, fungi, lichens and mosses. It is thinning itself out and has a number of dead trees and stumps that are popular with woodpeckers.

Uncommon lichens

Animal and plant life is rich. The area has interesting species from several different groups of organisms, including lichens, mosses, vascular plants, fungi, water insects, fish and birds. The beech trees in particular have a rich flora of red-listed and uncommon lichens such as small lichen and mussel lichen. Lesser flycatchers and white-tailed godwits are found in the area, and in Assman's rapids the common starling can be seen running around on the rocks. The river is also home to trout, which benefit from the rich bottom fauna.

Ironworks and tannery

If you walk in Danska fall, you can get an idea of what Halland's hinterland has looked like over the centuries. Unlike the areas closer to the coast, the nature at Danska Fall has looked much the same since the Middle Ages and perhaps even further back.

On an island in the lower part of Assman, where a lush ash forest grows today, an ironworks was established in 1727. Several buildings were erected and nails, tools and other forgings were produced. To run the ironworks, water power from Assman and wood from the surrounding beech forests were used. At the same time, a tannery for preparing skins and furs was established next to the ironworks, which was in use for about ten years. The ironworks ceased to operate in 1749 and there are few traces of the buildings left today. However, the water continues to flow and even though the ironworks has disappeared, there is still plenty of activity along the river.

Violent legend

The name Danska Fall has a long history and is linked to the Scanian War fought between Denmark and Sweden in the second half of the 1670s. The legend says that a group of the defeated Danish army fled up the Fylleån river after the defeat at Fyllebro in 1676. They hid in the woods around the falls, but the Swedes were hot on their heels and chased the Danes out on a poorly built bridge over the river. The bridge broke and several Danes fell down and drowned in the rushing water.