Discover Sundborn: Carl Larsson, history and nature

Sundborn combines the world of Carl Larsson with historic farmsteads, a distinctive village church and a landscape that can be explored on foot or on the water. If you are planning a trip to Sundborn, you can tailor your stay entirely to your interests: culture enthusiasts can devote their time to the artists’ homes and the church, while walks, hikes and a paddling route reveal further facets of the area. A holiday apartment or holiday home in Sundborn provides a suitable base for days with different focuses.

Carl Larsson and the history of Sundborn

The area’s artistic profile is closely linked to Lilla Hyttnäs, now known as Carl Larsson-gården. The small log house, built in 1837, was granted to Carl and Karin Larsson in 1888. Together, they transformed it into a world-famous artists’ home. Visits to the artists’ home take place as part of guided tours, making it well suited to being included in your stay as a deliberately planned cultural activity.

Stora Hyttnäs also reaches far back into Sundborn’s history. The farmstead is one of the oldest mining farmsteads in Sundborn and has origins dating back to the 16th century. It is open to visitors during the summer season; the preserved residence is presented during guided tours. Around the farmstead, there is also an 1880s garden designed in the German style. One of its distinctive details is the “Gubbäppelträdet”, one of Sweden’s oldest apple trees, which still bears fruit today.

Church and portrait collection

Sundborns kyrka was built at its original location in 1755 and has remained relatively unchanged as a structure. Carl Larsson left his mark on the church during a renovation in 1905, when he designed and decorated the entire interior with colour. For visitors interested in art and ecclesiastical history, the church combines historic architecture with Carl Larsson’s use of colour.

Another connection to Carl Larsson can be found at Sundborns Församlingsgård. It houses a unique portrait collection that Carl Larsson donated to the Sundborn parish. He painted several of the portraits on display himself; they depict residents of the Sundborn parish. Together with the artists’ homes, this creates a multifaceted picture that encompasses not only the work but also the people of the area.

Paths, water and landscape

The Hyttnäs nature reserve is characterised by the Sundbornsån, Sundbornsåsen and the surrounding farmland and meadows. The Carl Larsson Trail runs between Sundborn and Falun; its northern section follows the western boundary of the Hyttnäs nature reserve. Anyone wishing to combine culture and physical activity when planning their trip can consider this trail connection as a separate excursion destination.

A shorter activity on the water is the approximately 6.5-kilometre paddling route on the Sundbornsån. Via Hosjön to Roxnäs udde, it can be extended to a total of 12 kilometres. At Carl Larsson-gården, visitors can rent boats from 1 May to row on the Sundbornsån; booking is possible through the booking system or directly at the site’s shop. This allows a cultural visit to be complemented by another activity with a distinctly different character.

The Kulturstråk Sundborn can also be explored on foot. Paths and locations are marked on maps and along the village roads, while signs describe the various points of interest along the way. This makes it easier to put together your own walking tour, bringing historic buildings, art and the landscape together at a pace of your choosing.

More destinations for planning your trip

You can find more travel destinations on the following pages: Falun, Enviken, Bjursås, Sågmyra, Svärdsjö and Linghed. This allows you to compare different travel ideas and then decide which type of accommodation and which place to stay best suit the experiences you have planned.

To the higher-level travel overview: Falun.