Attractive Swedish Mining Centre - Falun

Refreshment in the mine

I am not exactly the biggest fan of museums, but on the outskirts of the city, by the recommendation of the acquaintances, I visited the abandoned copper mine. Copper was a much more important ore in the past and it has been mined here for more than a millennium. Two thirds of European copper was coming from Falun for quite some time. In the 17th century, Sweden became a real economic superpower because of copper. The mining tunnels extend more than two hundred meters deep and in them the constant temperature is lower than 10 degrees Celsius. This was a first-class refreshment in the hot summer! A little more than an hour-long tour ended with a tour of the museum collection at the former mine hospital. There are still several old buildings in the area, which together with the mine represent a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. About one thousand miners worked in the mine. In 1687 there was a big collapse in which a large part of the tunnels collapsed and a huge crater was created, which is still visible today. Fortunately, this happened on the first summer day, which is an important holiday in Sweden, and there were no people in the tunnels. The mine was abandoned in 1992, and remains of the ore are still used today for the production of colours. Particularly typical colour is Falun red, which is the colour of many wooden houses in Sweden.

Comfort of the hostel

A city of about 35,000 inhabitants lies beside the great lake Runn and the smaller river. This way, it is possible to stroll along the well-arranged hills and take a swim in the summer months. At my visit, the water warmed up to 23 degrees Celsius, and even the local people were surprised. The bathing days were very long, since in July, the sun goes down only after ten o'clock in the evening. The lake is large for about 40 Lakes Bled, and boasts about 50 islands. I only admired them from afar. But I spent a nice day on the narrow and long peninsula of Roxnas. It is closed for motor traffic and it works like a small island, with a small but attractive white sandy beach, a meadow on which it is pleasant to lay in the shade of pine trees and even an unofficial nudist beach between the trees at the far end of the peninsula.

I found out about the peninsula near the hostel Falun, "Vandrarhem" in Swedish. I decided to stay in the hostel because of the proximity of the lake. Even the city centre was not far, especially by car. You can also cycle to the centre, as they rent bicycles in the hostel. The hostel has comfortable rooms with up to four beds. Just like in most Swedish hostels, you have to have your own bedding. Sleeping bags are not allowed. If you do not have bedding, an additional fee of a few euros is required in local currency, Swedish crowns. A pleasant surprise was a spacious kitchen with all the household appliances, for example, a water heater, a toaster, a refrigerator and, of course, a stove. In addition to preparing food, this is a great place to meet other travellers, sharing experiences and chatting. In the hostel, you can meet a wide variety of people, from locals, families and even travellers from all over the world who are attracted by Sweden, and in this place, in particular, the former copper mine. The hostel is decorated in two ground-floor buildings. Guests can enjoy a large shady park with barbecue, tables and benches where you can also have a picnic in nature. In the middle of summer, you can also eat red currants directly from the garden. Internet access is available everywhere, and is free of charge.

Attractive also in the winter

The city is also attractive in the winter. Falun is a famous winter sports centre. They have been hosting the World Nordic Ski Championships many times, most recently in 2015. The city has also been running for the Olympic Games on several occasions, but wasn't selected yet. Among young people, snowboarding is also very popular. Perhaps because Falun is a regular venue for high-profile international matches in this sport.