Balkalyngen

Balkalyngen is Northern Europe's easternmost heathland area. And Denmark's only sandstone heathland.

The entire area was previously part of the Bornholm outback. That is, a place where everyone could send their animals to graze. This has over time exhausted the soil and made it a lean heathland.

To maintain the area as a heathland, the municipality carries out nature conservation, consisting of burning the heather, grazing and removing birch growth.

In order for the heather to rejuvenate and small new seedlings to sprout, it is important that the animals trample the turf to pieces, so that bare mineral soil emerges.

Along the northern border of Balkalyngen is a beautiful stone fence, which was erected in the 1850s to mark the boundary between the town of Nexø and the parish of Bodilsker.

In the fence you can see an older boundary stone from 1825 - with the Nexø town coat of arms (a boathouse) and the year on one side and the letter "B" for Bodilsker on the other. The boundary between the parishes was important for grazing and beaching rights.

In the spring, you can see large numbers of beach toads in the waterholes, which are unfortunately a rarity in Denmark and are completely protected.