Hykjeberget is a nature reserve on top of a mountain. It’s a popular place and is often visited due to the wonderful view. During our trip to the mountain, we were all alone. Well, it was us and thousands of ants. I went from an irrational fear of bears to a “fear” of ants. But it was all worth it in the end. The view is spectacular and what we call a surprise is also pretty cool.

Hykjeberget Nature Reserve

When we arrive, we park our motorhome at the parking. I stop at the sign and read about the nature reserve. I find out that there’s a steep drop of 100 meters at the top. But I also find out that there are no worries because there’s a fence at the top. The walk is about one kilometer (one way) and it’s a pretty easy hike. Sure, you are not walking on a path at all times so comfortable and sturdy shoes are to recommend.

Hykjeberget is located in Älvdalen in Dalarna and the mountain reaches 594 meters above sea-level. It’s hard to imagine that this used to be the bottom of the sea (millions of years ago). Another thing that happened here long ago was that the famous Swedish botanist, Carl Von Linné, walked the same path in 1734. Today, we are walking in his footsteps to the top of the mountain.

There are bears here – but you will not meet them

Mini gets out of the car. During our drive, we have been talking about bears and that we believe that we are in “bear country” now. We are from Skåne in southern Sweden and we have no bears down south. Being in a place where they have bears feels a bit special and even a bit uneasy. I told Mini that I don’t believe that there are any here and after he steps out of the car – he lets me know that there are bears here. No, he has not seen one. But he has seen a trash can and that is specially reinforced so that bears can’t go through the trash.

At this point – we have no idea of how it works with bears in nature. We have not yet been to Orsa Rovdjurspark where they study bears. At this point, I understand that my imagination is a bit too crazy and I connect each sound to the big brown animal. The thought of meeting a bear is freaking me out for about five minutes. After that my focus switches to the ants that are biting my feet.

The bear at the picture is a bear from Orsa Rovdjurspark where they study bears.

A pretty easy walk to the top

So, the truth is that there are bears in the area but you will not see them and there’s no need for you to worry about it. Bears are shy and they avoid people. If you should worry about anything is the ants. My shoes are no problem for the feisty ants and it feels like they are attacking me even if I’m not stopping. Bears are the least of my concern now. Mini is laughing and having the best of time because, for some reason, the ants are leaving him alone.

The walk is pretty easy even if the sign says that it’s challenging. Maybe it becomes more challenging if the ground is wet?! There are some roots that we cross and at times it’s pretty steep but in all – we both classify this walk as pretty easy. A part of that might be that the hike is short. Once we reach the top, we stop and just admire the view.

Hykjeberget has a great view

Once you reach the top it’s pretty breathtaking. And even if it’s steep, the fence makes it safe. One thing that we noticed here (and later on in several other places as well) is that the government is trying hard to make it a pleasant experience for visitors. On the top, there’s a shelter and a grill. It’s awesome enough that they have built a shelter and a grill but what’s even greater is that they have provided firewood too.

This means that you don’t need to carry heavy bags to be able to grill something. The only downside is that there was pretty much trash there. Let’s hope that it was a one-time thing and that people take their trash with them so they don’t close it down.

The prince and princess got a wedding gift from Dalarna

At the top, you can also sit on a very special bench. Special because it was a gift from the people of Dalarna to the Swedish prince and his wife when they got married. It’s made out of Älvdalskvartsit (a stone that is well-known in the area) and it has their names engraved in it and their wedding date. A funny thing is that they share the same wedding date as us, June 13:th.

We ended up spending quite a lot of time here and just relaxed for a while. It’s a nice and quiet place where you can relax and just enjoy life. I told Mini that if we ever write a book, this is the place I will be at while writing a couple of chapters. This is a great place to visit and whats even better is that it’s free of charge! And there’s also a specially made place where you can put your phone and take selfies of you sitting on the bench!

If you are interested in hiking in Dalarna presents  Grovelsjon – Your next hiking adventure in Sweden or Hang with some reindeer you might also be interested in biking. Read our article about Biking in Dalarna during summer here.

Disclaimer: Our visit to Hykjeberget in Dalarna was part of a press trip that was arranged by Visit Dalarna. All the thoughts and opinions are our own!