Lake Hornborga

Hornborgasjon was drained five times between 1802 and 1933 in attempts to win farmland, which nearly destroyed it; a restoration completed in the 1990s raised the water again and it is now one of the most important bird lakes in northern Europe. The cranes are what draw crowds: they stop here on the northward migration in late March and early April, in numbers that have reached the high tens of thousands on peak days, feeding on the fields and performing the leaping display that gives the viewing site its name, Trandansen. The autumn passage is smaller. Outside crane season the lake holds breeding ducks, waders, harriers and geese.

What you actually see

• Cranes in tens of thousands - on the spring passage.
• The dancing display - leaping and calling in the fields.
• A lake drained five times and restored - the water raised in the 1990s.
• Breeding ducks, waders and harriers - the rest of the year.

When to go

Late March to mid April for cranes; peak days vary with the season. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The peak is short and the exact dates move each year. Crane weekends bring heavy traffic and charged parking. Viewing is at distance - bring binoculars. Early spring here is cold and often wet.

Nearby

Falkoping is south; Skara and Varnhem are north.