Kullahalvön and Kullaberg nature reserve

Kullahalvön, or Kullen as the peninsula is also called, is located in north-west Skåne. Here you will find Kullaberg Nature Reserve, which offers dramatic cliffs, wonderful viewpoints and exciting caves.

Kullahalvön or Kullen

Kullahalvön or Kullen? Maybe the name "Kullen" is more common, but it feels a bit tricky in writing. Time and time again I stumble over the letters and end up emphasising the word as I would have done with "bullen", even though I know that in terms of emphasis I should rather think of "tullen". No, we use Kullahalvön instead. It feels easier somehow.

The Kulla Peninsula is located in north-west Skåne, just south of the Bjäre Peninsula. At the far end is the Kullaberg Nature Reserve.

Kullaberg Nature Reserve

Kullaberg Nature Reserve is unlike most of Skåne, at least if you think of Skåne as flat. Here Kullaberg rises with its steep cliffs down to the roaring sea.

Keep an eye on the kids! Cliffs and rocks are attractive playgrounds, but dangerous.

Skåne County Administrative Board

A brochure from the County Administrative Board advises people to keep an eye on their children. "Cliffs and rocks are attractive playgrounds, but dangerous". This is not a flat and boring Skåne, far from it!

The prominent ridge, known as a horst, has been formed by two cracks in the earth's crust and the sinking of the bedrock on either side of the middle section. The highest peak, Håkull, rises 187 metres above sea level.

Kullens fyr

At the tip of Kullaberg, at a height of 78.5 metres above sea level, stands the Kullens fyr lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1900 and is the strongest lighthouse in Scandinavia.

We had to check among our trivets in the web shop, and yes, there it was! Kullens fyr together with Helsingborgs fyr. Feel free to check out our products with lighthouses (note, advertising for our own online shop!).

The lighthouse site itself dates back to the 16th century. The very first lighthouse here consisted of a hanging iron basket, a so-called parrot lighthouse, in which firewood or coal was used.

Naturum Kullaberg

Naturum Kullaberg is a visitor centre located right next to the Kullens lighthouse. Naturum is owned by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and managed by the County Administrative Board, and if you come by during opening hours you are welcome to visit.

Inside the Naturum, there are exhibitions about the animals and nature in the area. You can also find maps and tips on hiking trails and excursions.

Caves

There are a number of caves to experience in the nature reserve. Some can only be accessed by boat, while others can be reached from land - albeit sometimes with a little effort. The most popular caves to visit are Silver Cave, Lahibia Cave, Visit Cave and Greater Josephine Cave. We set off to explore the Lahibia Cave!

Going to Lahibia Cave from the Naturum is not a long walk, but at the end it goes steeply downhill. Fortunately, they had set up a rope so you had something to hold on to all the way.

The caves in the Kullaberg nature reserve are not particularly deep, but they are still great to discover, not least because of the wonderful environment around them. Here is a picture looking into the cave ...

And a picture looking out from it ...

Beautiful and dramatic coastline

However, we were most fascinated by the beautiful rocky and wild coastline. This far out, the sea is wild and rebellious, and there is something special about that environment!

We had a simple lunch here, in the form of a cheese and ham sandwich and some water. Imagine how good a simple sandwich can be when you run around in nature!

Some more places to visit on the Kulla Peninsula

Here you will find tips on a few more places on the Kulla Peninsula that you don't want to miss. Some of the places we have written about before, so in some cases there is a bit of repetition.

Höganäs

Höganäs is located on the south-west side of the Kulla peninsula. For many people, the town is associated with ceramics and here you will find the Ceramic Centre, which is located in Höganäs Keramik's old factory, adjacent to the Höganäs Design Outlet. Höganäs is also a pleasant coastal town with a marina and beach.

READ MORE: Höganäs in Skåne - the ceramics town on the west coast

Kullaberg vineyard

At Kullaberg's vineyard is the cosy little wine bar "Skänken", where you can come to taste the farm's wines, possibly together with a cheese plate or a piece of food. It is also possible to book guided tours of the vineyard.

READ MORE: Swedish vineyards - 4 farms with Swedish wine

Krapperup Castle and Castle Park

Krapperup Castle is an estate in Skåne, located about 8 kilometres north of Höganäs. The property dates back to the 14th century and the oldest part of the castle is from the 16th century. Visitors are welcome to stroll around the lovely castle park, and there is also a café and an art gallery. 

READ MORE: Krapperup Castle in Skåne - with castle park and coffee house

Mölle

Mölle dates back to the 17th century and was originally a small fishing village. During the 19th century, the place developed into an exclusive seaside resort, which in the early 20th century became scandalous and known as 'The Sin of Mölle'. Here, people engaged in something as immoral as bathing together, women and men. Imagine!

Today, Mölle feels far from shameful, but possibly a bit small-scale and at the same time exclusive. There is a cosy harbour, charming villas and small hotels, a golf club and opportunities for both wave surfing and mountain biking.

Incidentally, one of the villas is very special. The Villa Italienborg was built between 1909 and 1910 in a fanciful Italian style, possibly inspired by houses in the Liguria.

The artwork Nimis

Nimis is a fascinating artwork created by artist Lars Vilks. The artwork is located near Mölle, but due to its inaccessible location, it requires a relatively strenuous walk to get there. Incidentally, it's not only the artwork itself that is exciting, but also the stories and myths surrounding it. For example, did you know that the 'sovereign state' of Ladonia was declared here?

READ MORE: Artwork Nimis - directions and interesting facts

Arild's vineyard

Not far from Kullaberg's vineyard is Arild's vineyard. You can come here to taste the farm's wines, to eat at the restaurant or to stay over at the hotel or the farm's cosy glamping.

READ MORE: Swedish vineyards - 4 farms with Swedish wine

Even more to do on the Kulla Peninsula

There is of course even more to see and do on the Kulla Peninsula than what we have described. To begin with, you can visit the village of Arild, which is also said to be charming and pleasant. Skäret with the restaurant Flickorna Lundgren is also popular. There are also even more vineyards than the ones mentioned here. Other activities include cycling, hiking, golf, horseback riding and porpoise safaris.

See more in the vicinity of Kulla Peninsula

There is of course much more to see and experience near Kulla Peninsula. Here you will find more tips and reports:

• Things to do in Helsingborg
• Sofiero castle and castle garden
• Things to do in Ängelholm
• Bjäre Peninsula

Have you been to the Kulla Peninsula?

Have you been to the Kulla Peninsula / Kullen? How was your experience? Do you have more tips on what to see and do on the peninsula?

Facts about the Kulla Peninsula

• Landscape: Skåne
• County: Skåne County
• Municipality: The municipality of Höganäs (a small part may also be included in the municipality of Helsingborg, depending on the definition).
• Location: Peninsula in north-west Skåne, between Öresund and Skälderviken.
• Name: Kulla Peninsula or Kullen. In cultural geography, the geographically overlapping term Kullabygden is used.
• Locations: Höganäs, Mölle, Arild and Nyhamnsläge
• Nature reserve: Kullaberg Nature Reserve
• Geology: To the north-west is Kullaberg, a rocky outcrop with cliffs that drop steeply towards Skälderviken.
• Read more: You can find more information on the nature reserve's website.

Facts about Kullaberg Nature Reserve

• Bedrock: Kullaberg consists of bedrock, mainly gneisses that are reddish to reddish grey.
• The highest point of the mountain: Håkull, 187 metres above sea level.
• The second highest point on the mountain: N ljungås, 175 metres above sea level.
• Dalar: Josefinelustdalen, Djupadal and the valley east of Håkull.
• Caves: Visit Grotto, Josefinelust Grotto, Lahibia Grotto, Silver Grotto and Söfting Grotto.
• Landforms: In addition to peaks, valleys and caves, there are bays, gorges, rock tunnels (Porten), rocky islands, skerries, stone pillars, rauks (Sockertoppen) and shingle fields (Rannsvik, Käringmalen, Håkulls mal).
• Vegetation: Mostly sparse and species-poor vegetation due to the poor gneissic bedrock.
• Forests: The forest landscape is varied with oak, lime, ash and alder.
• Wildlife: Along the coast there are fish, crustaceans, sea urchins, shells, mussels, porpoises and harbour seals. In the forest there are badgers, foxes, hares, rabbits, deer, red deer and many birds. The southern slopes are home to the upholstery spider, the only relative of the tarantulas in the Nordic countries.
• Human history: People lived on Kullaberg as early as the Stone Age. Remains have been found in Visitgrottan as well as ancient monuments, burial mounds and judgement rings.