Ravinen

The Forest Fire That Made It Special

What gives Ravinen its ecological interest is a dramatic event in 1916, when a wildfire swept through the surrounding woodland. The ravine’s deep, sheltered walls acted as a natural firebreak; inside it, the spruce swamp forest and the birch and pine trees were spared. The contrast is still visible: old, characterful woodland in the gorge floor, while the land outside has regrown over a century.↗↗

Today the bottom of the ravine is a damp spruce swamp with patches of birch, carpeted in white moss and scattered with blueberry and lingonberry bushes — foragers are explicitly allowed to pick berries here. Along the slopes, spruce dominates, while the very top of the rim is crowned with old, handsome Scots pines.↗

Walking the Loop

The main trail is an easy 870-metre loop marked in orange, starting near the road end of the reserve. A forest track leads from the Lenhovda–Älghult road to the southern tip of the ravine, where you can begin walking. A second, longer orange-marked route of 1.4 kilometres extends the outing for those who want more time in the surrounding pine forest.↗↗

Because the reserve is small and the trail is short, most visitors spend between 30 and 60 minutes here — enough to take in the geological drama, listen to the eerie quiet of the sheltered gorge, and collect a handful of berries if the season is right.↗

Getting There and Practical Notes

From Lenhovda, take the road heading northwest toward Älghult. Watch for a white sign reading “Ravinen naturreservat.” Turn onto that road and continue about one kilometre to the southern end of the ravine. Parking is very limited — you park cautiously at the roadside without blocking the track.↗

The reserve is open 24 hours year-round with no entrance fee. Dogs must be kept on a leash. Campfires, camping, and driving motorised vehicles off designated tracks are prohibited. The trail and terrain around the ravine rim involve rocks, roots, and steep edges, so sturdy footwear is advisable.↗↗

Ravinen pairs well with other Uppvidinge nature reserves within a short drive: Skäraskog (2.6 km), Vitthult (3 km), and Singelstorps fly (3.2 km) are the nearest. The small town of Lenhovda itself is known for its distinctive church and location on the border between the forested interior and the agricultural belt of Småland.↗↗