Styggforsen

Styggforsen is a waterfall and a nature reserve in Dalarna County, Sweden. It is part of the European Union-wide Natura 2000 network.

Geography
The waterfall is located in the village of Boda, 20 kilometres north of Rättvik. It lies at the eastern edge of the Siljan Ring, a prehistoric impact crater formed 377 million years ago during the Devonian period when a meteorite struck the Earth's surface. The bolide was estimated to be about 4 kilometres in diameter and travelled at around 100,000 kilometres per hour, causing a vertical realignment of the horizontal rock strata and a bedrock depression upon collision. This profoundly affected the local environment, creating many of the geological features that exist today, such as Lake Siljan to the southwest and Styggforsen.

The river Styggforsån is interrupted by the waterfall, which is 36 meters high and composed of a column of Ordovician limestone. The waterfall's base abuts a dike of brecciated quartz, which is believed to predate the impact event. The site is popular with tourists, and it is encompassed by a circular path of about one kilometre that leads down to a cave called Troll Hole. A cafe is open during the summertime, and an information centre is nearby.

Flora and fauna
In 1979, a nature reserve approximately 12 hectares was established around the waterfall, and in 2005, it was incorporated into the Natura 2000 network. Its moist climate is favoured by many lichens, mosses and plants, such as the rare orchid Epipactis atrorubens, which grows there. It also provides a habitat for many species of insects, including Venusia cambrica, Hyloicus pinastri, and Epirrhoe alternata. Picking flowers and doing anything to affect the environment is forbidden within the confines of the nature reserve.

Trivia
Ingmar Bergman's film, The Virgin Spring, used Styggforsen as one of its locations.