Styggforsen, Waterfall in Boda, Sweden

Styggforsen is a waterfall that cascades 36 meters through limestone formations at the eastern edge of the Siljan Ring crater. Water flows in multiple stages over the rock face, while surrounding stone layers display different colors and textures.

The waterfall formed through erosion over millennia, but its geological setting was shaped about 377 million years ago by a meteorite impact that created the Siljan Ring basin. This event during the Devonian period shaped the stone layers visible today.

Ingmar Bergman shot scenes for his 1960 film The Virgin Spring at Styggforsen. The waterfall and its rock walls stand in for the film's outdoor locations. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

A circular path of about one kilometer leads to viewing areas and the Troll Hole cave with safety barriers on steep sections. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes as pathways can become wet and slippery in places.

At the base of the waterfall sits a quartz rock mass that predates the meteorite impact, creating a rare geological junction point. This material reveals layers from different periods of Earth's history in one location.