Nybble – Nature Trails and Cultural History

Nybble offers a variety of ways to explore, with nature trails and cultural history side by side. The Värmlands Säby Nature Reserve is known for its birdlife, insects and lichen. The Selanty Nature Trail runs along the Visman River and passes historic landscape features. Rian represents the history of grain drying. When planning your stay, these differences can help you organise your interests: natural diversity, a hiking route of a specific length, or historic construction each offers a different focus.

Värmlands Säby Nature Reserve

Värmlands Säby lies just south of the village of Nybble and is considered one of Värmland’s oldest farms. The nature reserve is home to a rich variety of birdlife as well as numerous species of insects and lichen. Nature here encompasses birds, insects and lichen, while the farm itself can also be viewed in light of its long history.

A marked hiking trail of about 5.5 km runs through the northern part of the reserve. The approximate route length gives you a clear idea of the distance when planning. There is an information board at the car park and at the entrance to the nature reserve.

To reach Värmlands Säby, turn west towards Nybble about 6 kilometres south of Bäckhammar; after about 200 metres, turn south towards Värmlands Säby. As road conditions may change, check the route again before setting off.

Choosing a route on the Selanty Nature Trail

The narrow Selanty Nature Trail runs alongside the Visman River and starts at Selanty Park in the village of Nybble. It is a 3 km circular trail. Compared with the approximately 5.5 km marked hiking trail in the northern part of the reserve, the Selanty loop is the shorter of the two routes listed. This lets you choose a hiking option based on its length; the descriptions also differ: a riverside loop on one hand, and a marked trail in the reserve on the other.

The Selanty Nature Trail passes Värmlands Säby, a manor house dating from the 18th century. Säbyallén is home to an oak avenue and a stone wall. The manor house, avenue and wall add specific historic and landscape points of interest to the route along the Visman River.

History and construction

Värmlands Säby is mentioned as a monastery estate as early as 1216 and is considered one of Värmland’s oldest farms. The manor house on the Selanty Nature Trail, by contrast, dates from the 18th century. These details provide two distinct historical reference points: 1216 for the farm’s mention as a monastery estate, and the 18th century for the manor house.

The culturally significant building Rian was built in 1760 to dry grain. It was one of the first grain-drying facilities to be built of stone. At Rian, stone buildings were constructed with fireplaces outside; the heat was channelled into the building to reduce the risk of fire. This construction method therefore combined grain drying with a technical principle in which the fireplace was outside and the heat was directed indoors.

Discover more destinations: Visnum, Sörgården, Ölme, Kristinehamn.

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