Skåneleden's Österlen section in Region Skåne's eleven stages, from Ystad along the beaches and fishing villages of the south-east coast to Simrishamn and Kivik, then inland through Brösarp's hills and the beech woods to Snogeholm. It is no longer a loop back to Ystad.
Best season: All year; easiest April to October. The trail can be walked all year. The coast campsites close in September (in 2026 Borrbystrand on 20 September, Nybrostrand on 27 September and Löderup after 3 October), and many taps at the camp sites run only from April to October. The moose hunt in Skåne runs from 8 October to 31 January: wear bright clothes, keep dogs on a lead and sleep only at the trail's own camp sites. Before you go
Loading your plan…
Checking the seasons, closures and current conditions for today…
Eleven stages, Region Skåne's own, each of about 6 to 20 km. The coast stages end at beaches and towns; inland the nights from Alunbruket to Snogeholm are Skåneleden shelters, first come, with no village. The trail ends at Snogeholm, not back in Ystad. Choose a plan, or pick your own start, finish and nights below.
Changing where you stay suggests a new number of days: the fewest that keep each day under 8 h of walking and in daylight, where a place to stay allows.
Days end where the route has a stay, a camp or a village.
Stage 1: From Ystad station along the coast to Nybrostrand: 8.1 km, 2 to 3 hours, Region Skåne says. Nybrostrands Camping at the stage end has been closed for 2026 since 27 September.
Overnight
Camping spot · Nybrostrands Camping
Pick a date to check the season.
The stage ends at Nybrostrands Camping, by the beach, the only place to stay within 3 km. It has been closed since 27 September 2026: out of season there is nowhere to stay here.
Stage 2: Along the beaches to Löderups strandbad: 18 km and 5 to 6 hours by the stage page; Region Skåne's own track measures about 17.5 km and ours 17.1 km. The campsite at the end took its last guests on 3 October 2026.
Overnight
Camping spot · Löderups strandbads camping
Pick a date to check the season.
The stage ends at the beach by Löderups strandbads camping, which has closed for 2026 (last check-in 3 October).
Stage 3: To Borrby strandbad: 11 km, 3 to 4 hours. Borrbystrands Camping has been closed since 20 September 2026; the Borrby Strandbad shelter is about 0.5 km into stage 4.
Overnight
Camping spot · Region Skåne (Skåneleden)
Pick a date to check the season.
Overnight
Camping spot · Borrbystrands Camping
Pick a date to check the season.
A beach hamlet. The Borrby Strandbad shelter is about 0.5 km on along the trail, by the sea; Borrbystrands Camping is closed for 2026.
Stage 4: Along the coast to Tobisviks Camping on the north edge of Simrishamn: 20 km, 4 to 5 hours, one of the two longest stages. The town centre and station are about 2 km south.
Overnight
Camping spot · Tobisviks Camping
Pick a date to check the season.
The stage ends at Tobisviks Camping on the north edge of Simrishamn; the town centre, its hotels and the railway station are about 2 km south.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 5: Along the coast to Kivik: 20 km, 5 to 6 hours. The Kivik shelter is south of the harbour, about 1.4 km before the stage end, and has no firewood.
Overnight
Camping spot · Region Skåne (Skåneleden)
Pick a date to check the season.
A fishing village; SkåneExpress 3 stops at Kivik torget. The Kivik shelter is south of the harbour, on the trail about 1.4 km before the stage end.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 6: Inland from Kivik to Brösarp: 11.2 km; Region Skåne publishes no walking time for this stage. Our line follows the official route into the village, where OpenStreetMap's route still passes north of it.
Overnight
Hotel · Brösarps Gästgifveri
Pick a date to check the season.
A village with an inn and a bus station, 0.3 km from the stage end by the official link path.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 7: Through Brösarp's hills to Alunbruket: 12.9 km by the stage page (12.3 km on our line), with no published time. The Vantalängan shelter is about 5.6 km in. Instead of stage 7 you can walk the 7A and 7B variant loop by Agusa: 9 km (3 to 4 hours) and 15.6 km (4 to 5 hours).
Overnight
Camping spot · Region Skåne (Skåneleden)
Pick a date to check the season.
Overnight
Hostel or bunkhouse · Kuskahusen (a Swedish Tourist Association hostel)
Pick a date to check the season.
The old alum works in the forest, where the 7A variant loop starts. The Alunbruket shelter is about 0.25 km off our line; STF Kuskahusen, a hostel open all year, is about 1.4 km off.
Stage 8: Through the forest to the Heinge shelter: 8 km, 2 to 3 hours.
Overnight
Camping spot · Region Skåne (Skåneleden)
Pick a date to check the season.
A Skåneleden shelter in broadleaf forest by a stream, at the stage end. There is no village.
Stage 9: To the shelter at Lövestads åsar: 6 km, 1.5 to 2 hours.
Overnight
Camping spot · Region Skåne (Skåneleden)
Pick a date to check the season.
A Skåneleden shelter in the forest between the ridges, at the stage end.
Stage 10: To the Vitabäck shelter: 14 km and 4 to 5 hours by the stage page; Region Skåne's own track measures about 12.9 km and ours 12.8 km.
Overnight
Camping spot · Region Skåne (Skåneleden)
Pick a date to check the season.
A Skåneleden shelter on the trail, about 0.1 km from the stage end.
Stage 11: To the Snogeholm shelters: 10 km, 3 to 4 hours. This is now the end of SL4: stage 12 back to Ystad was removed in March 2026, and no public transport is published from Snogeholm.
Longest day: day 2, 5 h–6 h.
Days end at a stage end with a refuge or a village, or in a village the route passes through. Walking times are the times published by skaneleden.se where a stage has one, with the time measured on the mapped line beside it; a day that walks part of a stage gets a share of the stage's time by distance and climb.Outside Switzerland our walking times often run short of the times route operators publish; treat them as optimistic. Running times use 7.5 km/h plus one hour per 700 m of climb: a steady reference, not a prediction. Daylight is sunrise to sunset where the day starts; the time left is for breaks, meals and delays.Refuge dates come from the operator's own pages; when they are not published, we say so. For villages we count the places to stay OpenStreetMap lists; we have not checked which are open. A plan is not a booking: reserve every night before you commit to these day lengths.
Where each stage ends, the 2026 and 2027 seasons the operator publishes, and how to book. Read from the operators' pages on 13 October 2026; each stage page shows the sources and the grade profile.
| Stage | Night at | 2026 | 2027 | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ystad to Nybrostrand | Nybrostrands Camping | 4 April 2026 to 27 September 2026 | not published | Booking method not published |
| 2. Nybrostrand to Löderups strandbad | Löderups strandbads camping | 1 April 2026 to 3 October 2026 | not published | Booking method not published |
| 3. Löderups strandbad to Borrby strandbad | Borrby Strandbad shelter | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
| 4. Borrby strandbad to Simrishamn | Tobisviks Camping | no exact dates published | not published | Booking method not published |
| 5. Simrishamn to Kivik | Kivik shelter | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
| 6. Kivik to Brösarp | Brösarps Gästgifveri & SPA | 2026 dates not published | not published | Booking method not published |
| 7. Brösarp to Alunbruket | Alunbruket shelter | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
| 8. Alunbruket to Heinge | Heinge | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
| 9. Heinge to Lövestads åsar | Lövestads åsar | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
| 10. Lövestads åsar to Vitabäck | Vitabäck | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
| 11. Vitabäck to Snogeholm | Snogeholm | 2026 dates not published | not published | No booking |
Loading the forecast for on the trail (64 m)…
Typical weather on this trail, around -6–133 m. Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Poor | Mixed | Mixed | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed | Mixed |
| Stages rated good on typical weather | 0/11 | 0/11 | 0/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 0/11 | 0/11 |
| Day / night | 2°/-2° | 3°/-2° | 5°/-1° | 11°/2° | 16°/6° | 19°/9° | 21°/12° | 21°/12° | 16°/9° | 11°/6° | 7°/2° | 3°/-1° |
| Rain, mm | 66 | 54 | 51 | 40 | 45 | 65 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 89 | 74 | 79 |
| Snow at high point | Possible | Possible | Possible | Frost | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Possible |
| Daylight | 7 h 38 | 9 h 36 | 11 h 43 | 14 h 05 | 16 h 11 | 17 h 28 | 16 h 59 | 15 h 08 | 12 h 51 | 10 h 35 | 8 h 23 | 7 h 06 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Before you go
Arrange your stays, food and travel first, then check conditions again near departure.
Skåneleden's shelters cannot be booked: you share them, first come, so carry a tent in case one is full. Campsites, hostels and hotels are booked with each of them. Outside the summer most coast campsites are shut, so plan on the shelters and the hotels in Ystad, Simrishamn, Kivik and Brösarp. During the moose hunt, from 8 October to 31 January, sleep only at the trail's own camp sites.
In March 2026 Region Skåne removed stage 12, Snogeholm to Ystad: the landowners ended their agreements, and the proposed new route had too much asphalt and roads with traffic at up to 70 km/h to meet the trail's standard. There is no replacement and no official detour, so SL4 is no longer a loop. Older maps and signs may still show stage 12; do not follow them. Region Skåne says it will keep looking for a route to close the loop again.
Skåneleden: stage 12 removedThe campsites at Nybrostrand (stage 1), Löderups strandbad (stage 2) and Borrby strandbad (stage 3) have closed for the 2026 season. Until they reopen, sleep at the Borrby Strandbad and Kivik shelters or in Ystad and Simrishamn.
Löderups strandbads camping: opening hoursThe moose hunt in Skåne runs from 8 October to 31 January, with dogs. Wear bright clothes or a high-visibility vest, keep your dog on a lead, stay on the marked trail, and sleep only at the trail's own camp sites.
Skåneleden: walking in the hunting seasonMany taps at the camp sites run only from April to October. Snogeholm has water all year, and Alunbruket a tap all year at the old fire station; the water at Vantalängan comes from a hand pump and must be boiled. Firewood is not guaranteed at the shelters, because wood has been stolen, and the Kivik shelter has none.
Skåneleden: the Snogeholm camp siteRegion Skåne publishes no walking time for stages 6 and 7. Instead of stage 7 (12.9 km) you can walk the variant loop by Agusa: 7A, Alunbruket to Agusa, 9 km and 3 to 4 hours, and 7B, Agusa to Brösarp, 15.6 km and 4 to 5 hours. Our line follows stage 7.
Skåneleden: stage 7Closures and notices last checked 13 October 2026: Borrbystrands Camping: opening dates · Skåneleden: hunting season · Löderups strandbads camping: opening hours · Nybrostrands Camping: season · Skåneleden: SL4 Österlen page · Skåneleden: SL4 stage 12 removed. Check them again before you set out.
Getting there
Choose a stage or journey above to narrow the travel searches.
Google Maps journey searches, not confirmed services. A mountain endpoint may need a booked transfer or an additional walk.
Trains run to Ystad; the trail starts by the station.
Skånetrafiken: journey plannerRegion Skåne names the Pågatåg train or SkåneExpress 3 to Simrishamn station, about 2 km south of the stage 4 end, and SkåneExpress 3 to Kivik torget. Brösarp has a bus station 0.3 km from the stage end by the official link path. Inland, from Alunbruket to Snogeholm, Region Skåne names no public transport.
Skåneleden: stages that work with public transportThe trail ends at the Snogeholm shelters, in a recreation area with no published public transport, and it no longer leads back to Ystad. Arrange how you will leave before you set off, and check Skånetrafiken's journey planner.
Skånetrafiken: journey plannerTake your trip with you
Prepare each stage while you still have a connection: the signal can be weak in the inland forests.
Keep your route and maps on your phone for places without a signal. For multi-day trips, prepare them in the installed TrailSplits app.
Saving a bookmark is not a map download. Storage can be cleared by your device; keep a backup map for remote trips.
Region Skåne gives eleven stages from Ystad to Snogeholm, 139.2 km in all, in 11 sections on our map. The guide's day planner offers an 11-day plan on the overnight stops, and you can choose your own nights.
All year; easiest April to October. The trail can be walked all year.
Trains run to Ystad; the trail starts by the station. The "Connect your journey" section has the travel details, with 2 more travel notes.
Skåneleden's shelters cannot be booked: you share them, first come, so carry a tent in case one is full.
Yes: the whole route and every section, free, for a GPS watch or a phone. The guide also saves your plan for offline use in the app.
Closures we know of are shown on the days and sections they affect, in the day planner and on the stage pages. We watch 6 official notice pages (Borrbystrands Camping: opening dates; Skåneleden: hunting season; Löderups strandbads camping: opening hours; Nybrostrands Camping: season; Skåneleden: SL4 Österlen page; Skåneleden: SL4 stage 12 removed); the date we last read them is shown with the notices on this page. Check them again before you set off.
Route & sources
Region Skåne publishes Skåneleden 4: Österlen (SL4) as eleven stages, 139.2 km from Ystad to Snogeholm, with an official stage time for each except stages 6 and 7, which have none; the times are shown beside ours on every stage. In March 2026 Region Skåne removed stage 12, Snogeholm to Ystad, and named no replacement: the trail now ends at Snogeholm and is no longer a loop. Older maps, guidebooks, signs and OpenStreetMap may still show stage 12. The section page's header still says 14 stages and 188 km; the stage list is the current one. The line here walks OpenStreetMap's stage routes 1 to 11 (from the planet of 11 October 2026): 136.9 km, cut at the eleven stage ends. Through Brösarp it follows Region Skåne's line through the village, matched onto OpenStreetMap, where the mapped route still passes north of it. It leaves out the 7A and 7B variant loop and the 0.3 km link to Brösarp bus station. Region Skåne gives stage 2 as 18 km and stage 10 as 14 km; its own track measures about 17.5 and 12.9 km, and ours 17.1 and 12.8 km. Our climb is measured on terrain heights, so short steep rises are smoothed out.
Official guidance and mapped-source comparison checked 13 October 2026. Map data is a route reference, not confirmation of today's path, weather or accommodation availability.
Skåneleden: SL4 ÖsterlenMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Source relation