Johannisholm – Canoe Tours, Nature and Glassworks History

Johannisholm combines forests, lakes, hills and mountains with an unusually diverse local history. Those who wish to combine nature experiences, physical activity and culture on a trip will find various starting points here for planning their days. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Johannisholm, you can therefore consider whether canoe tours, cycling routes, historical traces or peaceful exploration should be the focus of your trip.

On the Water and Out in Nature

Johannisholm Adventure offers several canoe tours starting from Johannisholm. Popular tours include Venjanssjön and Orklingen. The Johannisholm–Finnbodarna canoe route can be described particularly precisely: it is 17 kilometres long and begins at the Johannisholm campsite on Lake Örklingen. Approximately 400 metres before the power station, the canoe must be carried around the obstacle; a canoe trolley is required for this. The route is considered a suitable day trip and can therefore be included as a specific focus in your travel planning.

There are also clearly distinct options on land. Johannisholm Adventure offers archery for participants aged 12 and over. For longer cycling tours, the “Venjanssjön runt” mountain-bike route is available; it is just over 50 kilometres long. A path approximately 7 kilometres long runs through the Gnupen nature reserve. This allows you to choose between an extended cycling tour, a canoe tour with a set route length and a path through a protected area, without focusing the trip on just one activity.

Glassworks, Stugby and Historical Traces

Johannisholm also has a distinctive industrial-historical side. Johan Leufqvist founded a glassworks in 1796, which was relocated in 1808 to the place now known as Johannisholm. The glassworks complex included a glass-grinding workshop, a stamping mill, a sawmill and a mill. Glass production ended in 1855. The surviving remains of a glassworks, a glass-grinding workshop and dam embankments now form part of Johannisholm’s industrial-historical cultural landscape.

Further historical details can be found at Johannisholm's Stugby. An original bakery, a chapel, a waterwheel and cellars have been preserved there. Two kilometres west of Johannisholm lie the Kättboåsens fäbodar. Their origins date back to the 17th century; older, unpainted wooden houses still stand there. In addition to water and nature experiences, these places give the trip a second focus that is particularly suitable for days spent exploring cultural history.

Planning Your Journey, Meals and Stay

For travel to and from the area, Johannisholm Adventure offers transfers to and from Mora railway station. At Johannisholms värdshus, the kitchen places an emphasis on locally and sustainably produced products. You can also buy fishing permits for the Södra-Venjan fishing area there. Such fishing permits are also available at the Johannisholm campsite. These two points of sale may be relevant to your planning if fishing is one of your intended activities.

For an active trip, canoe tours, archery, mountain biking and the path through Gnupen are the main options. Anyone wishing to vary the pace can include the history of the glassworks, the preserved parts of the Stugby or the Kättboåsens fäbodar. The existing local and landscape themes thus offer various starting points before you decide on a holiday apartment or holiday home.

For further research, you can also visit the pages on Mora, Våmhus, Gesunda, Venjan, Gopshus and Sollerön.

To the higher-level travel overview: Mora.