Hallamölla is a waterfall on the Verkeån river in Tomelilla Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden. With a combined drop of across five cascades, it is the highest waterfall in Scania. A watermill at the site was first documented in 1491 and remained in operation until 1949. Hallamölla lies within the Verkeån Agusa-Hallamölla nature reserve, a Natura 2000 site established in 2009.
Geography Hallamölla is situated approximately southwest of Brösarp in the Österlen region of eastern Scania. From its source on the Linderödsåsen ridge, approximately above sea level, the Verkeån flows roughly southeast before reaching the Baltic Sea at Haväng. At Hallamölla, the river drops through a series of five rapids cut into sandstone ledges. No single cascade exceeds about in height; the figure represents the cumulative descent.
Hallamölla and its surroundings form part of the Verkeån Agusa-Hallamölla nature reserve, which covers across Kristianstad, Sjöbo, and Tomelilla municipalities. Designated in 2009, it is one of the largest nature reserves in Scania. A separate eastern section of the Verkeån reserve, stretching from Hallamölla downstream to Haväng, has been protected since 1975.
Geology Bedrock along the Verkeån valley belongs to the Linderödsåsen horst, a raised fault block of Precambrian gneiss. Overlying the gneiss in places are layers of sandstone, along with deposits of black alum shale, clay shale, and limestone. At Hallamölla, the river cascades over exposed sandstone ledges. Nearby Andrarum exposes 500-million-year-old Cambrian shale containing trilobite fossils.
History Watermill Milling at Hallamölla was first recorded in 1491, when the site appeared in an inheritance settlement in Eljaröd after Stig Olsson Galen of Bollerup. At that time, multiple mills operated along the stream. In 1637, Jochum Beck, founder of the Andrarum alum works, purchased "Stora Halla Mölla" from Otte Marsvin. Other water-powered installations along the river included a fulling mill, dyeworks, and several flour mills.
Built in the 1850s, the current mill uses timber-frame construction with blackened wood and brick infill. A wheel house with red-painted panels was added around 1910–1915. At full capacity, the mill could generate . Operations ceased in the winter of 1948–1949, with Erik Engström conducting the last milling.
In 1950, an agreement between the Christinehof estate administration and Albo härads hembygdsförening established the heritage society's stewardship of the mill. Its members maintain the building and its intact machinery, demonstrating the mill in operation each year on Möllornas dag (Mill Day).
2022 vandalism In 2022, vandals broke into the mill and started the machinery, destroying the waterwheel. Restoration costs were estimated at 500,000 SEK. Chimney and roof repairs were completed in summer 2024, and reconstruction of the wheel continued into 2025.
Nature Verkeån water is described as unusually clean and species-rich for a Scanian river, fed by substantial groundwater input. Hallamölla's cascades form a natural barrier for sea trout migrating upstream to spawn; a resident brown trout population lives above the falls. Other fish in the river include brook lamprey and stone loach.
Common kingfishers, white-throated dippers, and grey wagtails inhabit the stream banks around the waterfall. Surrounding deciduous woodland includes oak, beech, elm, ash, and lime, with old hollow trees supporting populations of fungi, lichens, and deadwood-dependent beetles.
Access Hallamölla is accessible via the Skåneleden SL4 Österlen trail, which follows the northern bank of the Verkeån, and the Bäckaleden trail along the southern bank. Both trails extend roughly downstream to the coast at Haväng. Parking is available at Christinehof Castle and at Lake Verkasjön. A weight-restricted bridge over the Verkeån limits vehicles to a maximum of gross weight.
Wooden walkways and viewing platforms provide access to the falls. Water flow is strongest during spring snowmelt. The mill is open to visitors on Sundays during summer months.
Gallery
See also List of waterfalls Christinehof Castle
References
External links
Hallamölla at Christinehofs Ekopark Verkeån Agusa-Hallamölla nature reserve at Naturkartan