The Hovdala trail (Hovdalaleden) is a double circle (an eight) from and to the train station in the Scania town of Hässleholm, with the Hovdala Castle in the cross section of the eight. The castle is therefore passed twice providing opportunity to visit the restaurant, use the bathrooms and fill water bottles. The trail heads south from Hässleholm over hills and ridges in beautiful forests, then turns west and later north toward the castle. Here the trail first goes onto the hills and forests to the south-west and then returns to the castle only to head north to the shores of lake Finja (Finjasjön). It then follows the shores clockwise for 15 km and then north again and back into Hässleholm. This trail offers spectacular views from the hills and ridges, around 80 % of the path is very nice single trail in forests, sometimes quite technical. The trail can of course be run also counter clockwise, or you can chose the castle with good parking opportunities as your start and finish. The trail is part of the long distance Scania trails system (Skåneleden; https://skaneleden.se/en/#googtrans(sv|en)) of which long distance SL1 (https://fastestknowntime.com/route/skaneleden-sl1-kust-sweden) and SL3 (https://fastestknowntime.com/route/skaneleden-sl3-sweden) are already FKT trails. The double loop is made from sections 4, 4A, 4B and 4C of the trail system.
