Paradisbakkerne ("hills of paradise"), also Helvedesbakkerne ("hills of hell"), is a group of hills in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, located in the east of the island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a List of islands of Denmark, Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. I ...

. It is situated approximately northwest of Nexø. The privately owned area consists of hilly, rocky landscapes with narrow

rift valley A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges produced by the action of a geologic rift. Rifts are formed as a result of the pulling apart of the lithosphere due to extensional tectonics. The linear ...

s lined by almost vertical cliffs, making it popular for nature walks. Typically, the hills rise to a height of above the surroundings in a forested area which also has a number of small lakes and marshes. Midterpilt, above sea level, is one of the highest points. Although much of the area is now wooded, it was once covered with heather and low shrubs, making it suitable for grazing."Paradisbakkerne"
''Den Store Danske''. Retrieved 21 October 2012."Paradisbakkerne"
''Naturstryrelsen''. . Retrieved 21 October 2012. Paradisbakkerne has a long cultural history, attested by numerous place names with their own legends and stories. These include Slingestenen, Linkisten, Ligstenen, Dybedal, Ravnedal, Majdal, and Gamle Dam.

Geography

Bornholm has varied natural features, such as

Almindingen Almindingen ("the common") is one of the List of forests in Denmark, largest forests in Denmark. It is located in the centre of the island of Bornholm. The forest covers , making it Denmark's third largest. Though it was at one time common grazi ...

Hammeren Hammeren (also Hammerknuden; meaning, "hammerhead-shaped crag of granite") is a protected area and promontory in Denmark on the northernmost point of Bornholm island. It projects into Sæne Bugt bay in the Baltic Sea. The area includes Hammers� ...

Jons Kapel Jons Kapel ("John's Chapel") is a rock bluff in Denmark on Bornholm's west coast, about north of Hasle. The formations are the result of the waves beating against the rock at a time when the sea level was considerably higher than it is today. Th ...

Rytterknægten Rytterknægten is the highest point on the Denmark, Danish island of Bornholm at above sea level. The bierg is situated on a wooded bedrock of gaiter formations in the middle of Almindingen forest. Aakirkeby is located about to the southeast. E ...

, and Dueodde. Paradisbakkerne rises within the eastern part of Bornholm's forest. It stretches across approximately in the eastern-central area of the island. The forest area of Paradisbakkerne is ecologically diverse, and contains a rich flora and fauna, including a number of rare

amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

s and

reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

s. There are many valleys from the north through the south, which give the whole area a hilly character. In addition to

s, there is also evidence of the last

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

with glacial boulders and glacial striae. Rock piles, which previously served as landmarks and were visible from afar are now surrounded by forest. The geological formation in the area is

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

. The landscape was once covered with heather,

shrubs A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

and other low vegetation before the twentieth century, but it has been forested and conserved since the 1930s.

Fauna, flora, and funga

The fauna reported by the European Environment Agency in the area, as well as in

and Ølene, include the

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

s ''

Dytiscus latissimus ''Dytiscus latissimus'' is a large species of aquatic beetle in family Dytiscidae. It is native to Europe and considered threatened. Description One of the largest representatives of the predaceous diving beetles of the family Dytiscidae (its ma ...

'' (a species of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

), and '' Graphoderus bilineatus'' (a species of beetle in family

Dytiscidae The Dytiscidae, from the Ancient Greek word δυτικός (''dystikos''), meaning "able to dive", are the predaceous diving beetles, a family of water beetles. They occur in virtually any freshwater habitat around the world, but a few species l ...

). The bird species recorded are

Tengmalm's owl The boreal owl (''Aegolius funereus'') or Tengmalm's owl is a small owl in the "true owl" family Strigidae. It is known as the boreal owl in North America and as Tengmalm's owl in Europe after Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm or, more ra ...

('' Aegolius funereus''),

Eurasian bittern The Eurasian bittern or great bittern (''Botaurus stellaris'') is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily (Botaurinae) of the heron family Ardeidae. There are two subspecies, the northern race (''B. s. stellaris'') breeding in parts of Europe and ...

(''

Botaurus stellaris The Eurasian bittern or great bittern (''Botaurus stellaris'') is a wading bird in the bittern subfamily (Botaurinae) of the heron family Ardeidae. There are two subspecies, the northern race (''B. s. stellaris'') breeding in parts of Europe and ...

''),

European nightjar The European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northweste ...

(''

Caprimulgus europaeus The European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar is a crepuscular and nocturnality, nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia ...

''),

western marsh harrier The western marsh harrier (''Circus aeruginosus'') is a large harrier (bird), harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Palearctic, Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian marsh harrier. Formerly, a numb ...

('' Circus aeruginosus''),

hen harrier The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Palearctic, Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It bird migration, migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian ...

('' Circus cyaneus''),

corn crake The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff ...

('' Crex crex''),

black woodpecker The black woodpecker (''Dryocopus martius'') is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region. Its range is expanding. The black woodpecker is easily the ...

('' Dryocopus martius''),

common crane The common crane (''Grus grus''), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the crane (bird), cranes. A medium-sized species, it is the only crane commonly found in Europe besides the demoiselle crane (''Grus virgo'') an ...

(''

Grus grus The common crane (''Grus grus''), also known as the Eurasian crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes. A medium-sized species, it is the only crane commonly found in Europe besides the demoiselle crane (''Grus virgo'') and the Siber ...

''),

white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), sometimes known as the 'sea eagle', is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which also ...

(''

Haliaeetus albicilla The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), sometimes known as the 'sea eagle A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the subfamily Haliaeetina ...

''),

lesser grey shrike The lesser grey shrike (''Lanius minor'') is a member of the shrike family ''Laniidae''. It breeds in South and Central Europe and western Asia in the summer and migrates to winter quarters in southern Africa in the early autumn, returning in sp ...

('' Lanius minor''),

red kite The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other Diurnality, diurnal Bird of prey, raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harrier (bird), harriers. The species currently breeds only i ...

(''

Milvus milvus The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds only in Europe, though it formerly also bred ...

''),

osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It ...

(''

Pandion haliaetus The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a Diurnality, diurnal, piscivore, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor (bird), raptor, reaching more than ...

''), and

European honey buzzard The European honey buzzard (''Pernis apivorus''), also known as the pern or common pern, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Taxonomy The European honey buzzard was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in ...

('' Pernis apivorus''). The

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

species reported are

Bechstein's bat Bechstein's bat (''Myotis bechsteinii'') is a species of vesper bat found in Europe and western Asia, living in extensive areas of woodland. Description Bechstein's bat is a medium-sized and relatively long-eared bat. The adult has a long, fluf ...

('' Myotis bechsteinii'') and pond bat ('' Myotis dasycneme'').

Fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

reported from the area include ''

Amanita muscaria ''Amanita muscaria'', commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita, is a basidiomycete fungus of the genus ''Amanita''. It is a large white-lamella (mycology), gilled, white-spotted mushroom typically featuring a bright red cap covered with ...

'' and '' Sparassis crispa''.

Conservation

Since the beginning of the eighteenth century, much of the island has been afforested. Sheep grazing is permitted by the Regional Municipality of Bornholm in identified areas. Paradisbakkerne contains an extensive network of hiking trails. Tourists are permitted to walk on the roads and trails from sunrise to sunset in accordance with the Nature Protection Act. There is also a restriction on construction of any residential buildings and farmhouses within of the area of the hilly landscape.

Berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone fruit, stone or pit (fruit), pit although many wikt:pip#Etymology 2, pips or seeds may be p ...

mushrooms A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular plant, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic phylum, division Bryophyta (, ) ''sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryo ...

and flowers that grow along the walkways or trials of the conservation area only can be picked for use. Intersecting Paradisbakkerne in an east–west direction is a cycle path that crosses the entire island. There is also a bridle path that winds all the way around the circumference.

References

{{Bornholm Denmark Forests of Denmark Bornholm