A LABYRINTH OF LAKES, ROLLING MOUNTAINS & LICHEN-COVERED DRY FORESTS. A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN THE HOME OF THE MUSK OX.

ROGEN NATURE RESERVE

The Rogen Nature Reserve is a fabulous mountain area shaped by the ice age. The nature is called Rogenmorän, which has become an international concept among geologists thanks to the special landscape of Rogen. If you look at a map of the area, you will see the hundreds of meandering lakes and moraine ridges that form labyrinth-like patterns. Nature is barren with large boulders left behind by the ice sheet and vegetation consists largely of lava-covered silver-grey peat bogs and ancient pines. The pine forest is between 500 and 100 years old. Mountains can be seen in all directions, with Brattriet being the highest at 1 276 metres.

The reserve is about 500km2 and was established in 1976, but it was much earlier that Rogen's stunning nature was used. People have lived here since the Stone Age and have left a lot of traces behind. There are settlements and graves, often near resting places, as well as a number of well-preserved trapping pits used to catch reindeer and other animals during a time when they were wild and hunted by humans.

The nature reserve is important for both wildlife and plants. The beautiful wolf lavender is in danger of extinction, but it thrives in the sun in Rogen's sparse pine forest and you will see the lavender with its intense yellow-green colour where it grows on the twisted turfy branches with its spindly arms. In the past the lavender was said to have been used to poison wolves (hence its name) so we it's not something we recommend you make tea from.

The reserve is rich in wildlife. The wolverine is made for the rocky and rugged mountains and sparse forests. There are also bears, moose, otters, beavers, wolves, foxes and lynxes. They are shy animals and often stay away from humans, but if you are alert and lucky, you might see a bear grazing berries on a mountain slope. The forest is also the domain of reindeer and the area is an important reindeer grazing area. Take care especially in May, when the reindeer are calving, when they are particularly sensitive to disturbance. The great crested loon is one of the birds that gives character to the area and you can hear their desolate and growling calls in the summer evening. You also have a good chance of seeing a golden eagle, buzzard or osprey.

The musk oxen thrived in Scandinavia during the ice ages.

30,000 years ago, large herds of musk oxen still roamed here, along with mammoths and woolly rhinos. 50 below zero is no problem for a musk ox, but as the climate warmed, the musk oxen died out. In the 1940s, some musk oxen from Greenland were placed in Norway and in 1972, 5 of them set out on a migration to the northern part of the Rogen area. Here, in the harsh climate of the Rogen, they thrived and settled down. At its peak in the mid-1980s, the herd numbered more than 30 animals. The entire Swedish wild musk ox population is found here today and consists of 9 animals. If you see the musk oxen, stay at least 100 metres away. For their sake and yours!

The roe area is a fishing paradise for many. There are plenty of trout, grayling, char, perch, pike and salmon. Käringsjön is famous for its large grayling, which are fished in summer and autumn. In winter, the lake Rogen and Bredåsjön are particularly attractive for char fishing. Because of the special character of Rogen, some lakes can have completely different pH values and have completely different plant and animal life, even though they are only a few hundred metres apart.

An exciting way to explore the Rogen Nature Reserve is by canoe.

For example, set out from Lake Käring, where you can hire a boat or canoe and paddle straight out into the Rogen Moraine and its labyrinths. You can also explore the Rogen Nature Reserve on foot or by bicycle, and there are excellent hiking and cycling trails to follow. In winter, it's a magical feeling to go out on skates when the first ice has settled and then when the snow comes, the skates are replaced by cross-country skis. There are also marked snowmobile trails to the reserve.

Exploring the Rogen Nature Reserve is a memory for life!