I had a lightbulb moment, thinking it was a great day for checking out elevated paths. This garden design feature is very common in Moorish and Persian gardens, not seen so very often in the West. Which is a bit of a pity – I reckon they are a fun and funky feature. When found they are often used for a reason, such as protecting the ground below. Also for protecting the green space visitors. During my visit to this particular one, I found out the hard way that straying from the path will put you on swampish ground. But never mind.
The path in these pics can be found in Rya Skog (Forest), Gothenburg, Sweden. If you are looking for an oddly located (to say the least!) green space, it’s this one. As can be seen in the photo below, it’s right in the middle of a HIGHLY industrial area. All sorts of refineries can be seen left, right and centre.
But Rya Skog came first. It was founded in 1928 and is as such the oldest nature reserve in Gothenburg. There were no refineries around then. I’m sure if commercial forces could run free, this land would have been used otherwise.
The reason for making it a reserve was because the kind of greenery found here is unusual in Sweden. Where coniferous vegetation rules this is all about deciduous plants, doing just fine in an exposed coastal location. The ocean is just right next door.
Amazingly, in spite of the industry, not only is the greenery thriving, so is wildlife. If you are in the area, let the meandering path lead you straight into an industrial oasis and be in awe. Nature is astonishing.
