Holiday apartment in Falun: World Heritage, nature and culture

In the Mining Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun World Heritage Site, the Great Pit (Stora Stöten) is the most distinctive landscape feature. The World Heritage Site also includes the planned 17th-century town of Falun with its historic buildings, as well as industrial and domestic remains from several settlements. The cultural landscape illustrates copper production in the Dalarna region of central Sweden since at least the 9th century.

Culture and history

Falu Gruva offers guided underground tours year-round through mining areas dating back to the 17th century. The Gruvmuseet at Falu Gruva is an interactive museum that presents the history of the mine from the Viking Age to 2001. In the centre of Falun, Dalarnas museum presents the history, traditions and culture of the entire Dalarna region; it also has an extensive collection of Dala horses.

At Carl Larsson-gården, guided tours take place through the artist’s home, Lilla Hyttnäs. The exhibition at Konsthallen Kvarnen near Carl Larsson-gården can be visited independently rather than as part of the guided tour of the artist’s home. At Kulturhuset tio14, visitors can try pottery on a wheel under instruction in the ceramics workshop. Smedja Metallmorfos offers iron-forging courses on request.

Nature and trails

Vattnets väg till gruvan forms a hiking system in the Falun World Heritage Site extending over a total of just more than 30 kilometres, with shorter and longer circular trails. Along the route are medieval mining settlements, miners’ farms, dams and dam houses set in characteristic Nordic nature; this landscape is an important part of the Falun World Heritage Site.

Lurån is part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network. Lugnet is one of Falun’s 13 municipal nature reserves. Källslätten is designated as a Natura 2000 site because it provides an important habitat for plants and animals that have been displaced by modern forestry and agriculture. In the adjacent nature reserve at Lugnet, there are hiking trails, cycling paths and training tracks, as well as barbecue areas, shelters and rest areas.

The 12-kilometre Puttbo–Kråkmyran–Källslätten circular hike includes a viewpoint at Igeltjärnsberget, as well as a shelter and fire pit at Kråkmyran. The Carl Larsson Trail is approximately 10 kilometres long and runs between Lilla Hyttnäs in Sundborn and Falun. At Lurån, a hiking trail runs along the west side of the river from the car park at its mouth on Lake Rogsjön; the hike described is approximately 2.7 kilometres long.

Experiences

Kayaks and SUP boards can be rented for paddling on the Faluån and between the islands of Lake Runn. In addition to the trails and training tracks, this provides an opportunity to enjoy the water as part of the local and regional offering. The circular hikes mentioned range from the approximately 2.7-kilometre hike at Lurån and the 12-kilometre Puttbo–Kråkmyran–Källslätten circular trail to the Vattnets väg till gruvan hiking system, which extends over a total of just more than 30 kilometres.

Getting around

Falu Gruva is centrally located in Falun, approximately a ten-minute walk from the town centre. Falun Central Station is in the town centre. The Falu Gruva starting point for the Vattnets väg trail can be reached by public transport.

Local traditions

The Christmas market at Falu Gruva includes a food market with local delicacies and has become a tradition for many people. The guided event En smakfull vandring i världsarvsskogen includes traditional forest coffee prepared over an open fire.

More local pages: Enviken, Falun, Svärdsjö, Bjursås, Linghed, Sundborn, Sågmyra.

To the main travel overview: Dalarna County.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Ludvika.