Dalarna County: Nature, Culture and Holiday Rentals for Your Trip

Dalarna County combines forests ideal for hiking, large lakes, mountains and flower meadows with a rich cultural heritage. When you choose a holiday rental in Dalarna County, you can tailor your trip around nature experiences, water activities, winter sports, art, crafts or regional cuisine.

Landscape, Water and Special Trails

Dalarna has 540 kilometres of rivers and streams as well as several thousand lakes. In winter, forests, lakes, mountains and flower meadows become a landscape suitable for skiing and ice skating. Canoeing and kayaking are possible on rivers and lakes; various guided tours and equipment rental options complement the range of activities. Fänforsen (F9) is the largest rapid in Dalarna, 900 metres long in total and with a drop of 9 metres.

In Fulufjället National Park, the nature experience includes Njupeskär, one of Sweden’s highest waterfalls. The waterfall is 93 metres high and has a free fall of 70 metres. From its top, there is a view of the gorge and the surrounding landscape. For longer tours, the Romboleden pilgrimage trail runs from Köping to Trondheim through Dalarna, combining nature experiences with history and tranquillity.

Hiking, Cycling and Winter Days

The Siljan Trail is one of the twelve Signature Trails selected by the Swedish Tourist Association. The Siljansleden has starting points in the municipalities of Leksand, Rättvik, Orsa and Mora, is clearly signposted and runs mainly along old summer-farm trails, beside lakes, across marshes and up into the mountains. Opportunities for swimming and fishing are available along the waterways.

Cyclists can also choose from various areas: Biking Dalarna comprises 17 cycling areas with marked cross-country and downhill trails. Bjursås Berg & Sjö offers six well-marked cycling routes classified by difficulty. The cycling section of the Porphyry Trail from Evertsberg to Västäng is 12 kilometres long.

Throughout Dalarna, there are well-maintained and well-marked cross-country ski trails, generally between 2.5 and 15 kilometres long. Idre Fjäll offers marked cross-country ski routes that lead into the mountains. In Sälen, there are almost 250 kilometres of groomed cross-country ski trails. The Vasaloppet start building in Sälen houses a small exhibition for visitors; the start area in Sälen and the finish portal in Mora are among Sweden’s best-known sports venues. Memorials, statues and obelisks can also be found there.

Mining, Art and Crafts

The Great Pit in Falun is the most prominent feature of the mining landscape, which illustrates copper production in this region since at least the 13th century. The mining area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; its cultural landscape illustrates copper production in the Dalarna region since at least the 9th century. Falun Mine offers guided tours of the mine.

The Zorn Collections include the Zorn Museum, Zorn House, an open-air museum, Zorns Gammelgård and the Gopsmor artists’ studio in the wilderness. The Zorn Museum in Mora displays works by Anders Zorn, including portraits and watercolour scenes depicting rural life in Dalarna. Carl Larsson-gården is characterised by art, interior design and Swedish cultural heritage.

Dalarnas Museum is a county museum that collects cultural heritage treasures from Dalarna. This includes an extensive collection of Dala horses; the museum also offers private guided tours. Nils Olsson Hemslöjd in the village of Nusnäs can be traced back to the 1920s and is one of the original Dala horse makers. Visitors can watch craftspeople at work there or paint their own Dala horse.

Traditions and Regional Flavours

In June, you can experience traditional Midsummer celebrations in Tällberg, Rättvik and Leksand. Dalarna also has summer farms, museums, handicrafts and historic environments. Matsäls Fäbod/Summer Farm has been in continuous use since the 1560s and sells dairy products from the farm while supplies last.

Taste of Dalarna takes visitors to farm shops, restaurants, cafés, craft breweries and other food and drink producers who focus on local produce and flavours. The café serves Sami coffee and simple Sami meals, such as reindeer soup with homemade bread. Sami experiences and guided tours with tame reindeer are also available.

Choose the Right Base

When choosing your holiday rental, you can take your trip’s focus into account: Falun and Mora represent mining, art and sports history, while the lake and mountain landscapes are characterised by trails, water activities and winter sports. Trains operated by SJ run regularly to and from Dalarna County’s main transport hubs: Falun, Borlänge, Avesta and Mora. Scandinavian Mountains Airport in Sälen is the region’s local airport.

Subregions in Dalarna County

For further comparison, you can explore the subregions Hedemora, Älvdalen, Rättvik, Smedjebacken, Dala-Järna, Falun, Ludvika, Mora, Borlänge, Leksand, Malung-Sälen, Orsa, Säter, Gagnef, Dala-Husby, Boda Kyrkby, Avesta, Vansbro, Fryksås, Floåsen and Gustafs individually.

For the higher-level travel overview: Sweden.