In between Skara and Skövde you find Varnhem which is a popular destination. The location is part of an ancient cultural area that has been cultivated and inhabited for thousands of years. In the scenic environment around the church and monastery ruins, you can take advantage of a great story. The surrounding area a fairytale meadow flora thrives, and in the garden next to the church, you can find medicinal plants from the medieval times. Close to the monestary church, archeologists have found the ruins from one of Sweden’s oldest churches – built already during the Viking era! The exciting findings that have been made have led to the history of Västergötland being partially rewritten.
Vingängen Nature Reserve was designated by Skara Municipality. Vingängen is characterised by oak and birch-dominated pasture that is grazed by cattle and horses. You will also find several other species of trees such as Swedish whitebeam, maple, small leaved lime-trees and mountain ash in the pastures. Eight of the oaks are so called “giant trees”, which means that the circumference is over six metres.
On the older thicker trees, different kinds of rare lichens grow, such as Arthonia vinosa, Cyphelium inquinans and Arthonia leucopellaea and the mosses ulota and dilated scalewort.
In the shrub layer there are species of particular scientific interest, for example Breckland thyme, mountain arnica, devil's-bit, alpine bistort, doormat grass and mountain everlasting. The western part of the nature reserve holds a mixed coniferous forest with deciduous elements. The forest is clearly affected by forestry, but in time the forest will develop into a natural environment, with an increased proportion of deciduous trees. In the northern part of the nature reserve there are some fields and some open pastures, and in the summer months beef cattle graze in the eastern part.
This part of the reserve is rich in ancient remains and other cultural historical remnants in the form of relict fields, prehistoric graves, house foundations and clearance cairns. They are probably remnants from the prehistoric or mediaeval village of Norra Ving.