Old heaps of roasted alum shale, open mine shafts, the remains of the last boiler house and several well-preserved buildings are part of the surviving landscape of Andrarum’s alum works. Jochum Beck founded the alum works in 1637. Today, it is protected as an ancient monument and lies within the Verkeån Nature Reserve. Andrarum is situated in the gently rolling landscape of Albo district, at the southernmost foothills of Linderödsåsen.
Church Village, Avenue and Estate History
The historic church village of Andrarum also preserves older buildings: the rectory, the sexton’s house and several homes with the character of the early 19th century have survived. A long avenue connects Christinehof with the village. It reflects Andrarum’s close historical ties with the area’s prominent estate. The village and estate thus offer different starting points for exploring the history of the place.
Christinehof was built between 1737 and 1741 in the German Baroque style, with Carolean elements. The ground floor of the castle houses an exhibition about Christinehof and its history. The architecture and exhibition complement the surviving buildings of the church village with the history of the castle itself.
Comparing Two Hiking Trails
The two hiking trails described differ significantly in length. Backaleden is 19 kilometres long and runs from Andrarum’s alum works via Brösarp to Haväng on the coast. Hallamöllaleden is 8.5 kilometres long. It runs from Christinehof via Andrarum’s alum works and along the Verkeån to Hallamölla, Verkafuret and Verkasjön; the route then returns to the alum works and Christinehof. You can take the distance and the respective routes into account when planning your time. Check local trail conditions before setting out.
River Landscape and Watermill
The Verkeån Nature Reserve follows the course of a relatively clean river with low nutrient levels. Its diverse fish fauna includes trout, bullhead, minnow, brook lamprey, pike and eel. Bird species include the dipper, grey wagtail and kingfisher. This biodiversity adds another dimension to the river landscape alongside the traces of the historic alum works.
A few kilometres downstream from Andrarum’s alum works lies Hallamölla. There, the water plunges a total of 23 metres through five rapids. Hallamölla watermill has been in existence since the 15th century and is put back into operation every year on Möllornas dag. Here, a historic mill building, the river and the rapids come together; the annual demonstration is also one of the area’s special events.
The main attractions are easy to distinguish when making your choice: the church village and Christinehof focus on historic buildings and their history, while the trails and the Verkeån offer different perspectives on the landscape and nature. Backaleden leads all the way to the coast, while Hallamöllaleden connects Christinehof, the alum works and several stops along the Verkeån. Which route is right for you also depends on the distances and places you want to include in your trip.
For the broader travel overview: Brösarp.
