Today we joined a gaggle of Malmöians and drove up to the northern tip of Skåne to visit the occasionally putative independent country of Ladonia. It was a beautiful day: sun shining, temperature around 18 degrees, no bugs, good company.

To get to Ladonia we headed to the Kullaberg Nature Reserve, parked our car in the second of two parking lots, and then followed the unofficial wayfinding — yellow Ns painted on trees — through the forest and then down a steep slope to the boulder-strewn shore.

Once there we found the “village” of Nimis:

And, up the shore a little, the “village” of Arx:

Both are the product of the imagination, resolve and hard labour of artist Lars Vilks and are quite a site to behold (see a map of all my photos here).

If you do go yourself beware that it’s quite a strenuous hike at times, especially the steep parts as you head down to the shore from the main path. There are rocks and roots to trip over and mud to slip on. You need good shoes and good balance.

A silver lining at the beginning or end of your journey to Ladonia is Himmelstorpsgården, a pleasant little café with outdoor seating that serves coffee, cinnamon rolls, and nice pear-flavoured ice cream treats.