Mölleröds slottsruin
the castle at Finjasjön was built around 1580 and was burned by the Danes and snapphanar during the Scanian War 1678. Today are remains of the wall and a moat.

December 30, 2013 with the oldest known settlementin Sweden, architect-designed bird platform "wiggle" and trenches.
Get off the bus in Finjasjön village. Following the road sign "Finjasöleden" points to. A gravel road. After a short distance is a sign "Mölleröd" and a variety of distance pointer towards the dirt road and a country lane. I take Skåneleden south on the country lane along a forest edge. This has been a military training area (P2), there are still warning signs. Coming to an intersection. A sign informs you that it all started here, the oldest known settlement in Sweden. They have found remains from 12,000 BC when the ice edge lay here. Today one see nothing of it, one must use the imagination to imagine what it looked like and how they lived.

Continuing on the road east towards Almaån. To the south are meadows and Finjasjön. Going over Almaån on a bridge for tanks, I think. If you go to the right you will come to the bird platform "wiggle" (slingra dig). Beautifully soft meandering boardwalk out to the platform. Read more about it on my description of Slingra dig. See swans, no more today. Go north along the river. A path leads along the water through the forest. Coming out on the dirt road at Mölleröds demesne. South of the farm is Mölleröds ruined castle.

The castle was built in gray stone masonry in the late 1500s. In the north, a large hall, with two wings to the south, all surrounded by a moat. The castle was used by Danish King Christian IV, when he traveled between Copenhagen and Kristianstad. It got a short time. It was burned by retreating Danes and snapphanar 1678 during the Scanian War. Then it became a quarry and was used to build Mölleröd estate just north of the castle. What is left? The moat can see remnants of the partly filled with water. Remains of the wall of the building with wings. That must be the entrance from the courtyard, nowadays a tufted meadow. Nooks and crannies, hard to say what they were for. The house was several stories high, it's only the basement left. At the southern edge of the moat can one see the remains of a stone wall. Oak trees stretching towards the sky. I take my lunch sitting on the stone wall by one of the wings. Feel like Christian IV on his journey. It was certainly grand feast there. My lunch is much simpler.

Head north on the other side of the road is today Mölleröds demesne, some from the 1600s. The house is later, from the early 1800s. It is the Home Guard who manages the farm. This has been P2s practice area. When I walk the dirt road back towards Finja I make a visit to a grove south of the road. There one can see the remains of trenches and armor from that time.

Taking the bus to Hässleholm where I have coffee on Madrix, which is in one of the city's oldest houses. Blueberry pie and a cappuccino.

Map