Hovs Hallar

The Hallandsas ridge runs out to the sea here and ends in a coast of red-brown cliff, caves and boulder shore where the rock has broken away over time - it is not a smooth cliff line but a jumble, with paths down through it and a sea stack offshore. Ingmar Bergman filmed the opening of The Seventh Seal on this shore in 1956, the knight playing chess with Death on the stones, and the location is still identified. The name Halland is often said to mean the land beyond these hallar, the cliffs. The Skaneleden coastal path runs through and the Bjare route continues in both directions. Steps and paths down from the car park are steep and the shore itself is loose rock.

Background

Hovs Hallar is a nature reserve where the Bjäre Peninsula ends in the north, in Skåne, 7 kilometres northeast of Torekov, a coastal town. Its cliffs are of geological interest and hold a variety of seabirds, and the area is thought to have given the province of Halland its name, the land beyond Hovs Hallar. Ingmar Bergman filmed the opening of The Seventh Seal on its shore, where the knight plays chess with Death for his life, as well as the closing dance of death against a stormy sky.

Source: Wikipedia, "Hovs Hallar"

Highlights

• A broken cliff and boulder shore - caves and fallen rock.
• The Seventh Seal location - filmed here in 1956.
• A sea stack offshore - off the point.
• The Skaneleden coastal path - running through in both directions.

When to go

May to September. Two to three hours.

Practical notes

Paths down are steep and the shore is loose, awkward rock. Parking is charged and fills in summer. There is little shelter. The site is smaller than photographs suggest.

Nearby

Bastad is south-east; Torekov is at the western tip.

Key facts