Other attractions
Dalarnas Museum
Has several exhibits about the province and its history. Its main attraction is the reconstructed 1910 library and study room of famous writer Selma Lagerlöf, portrayed on the Swedish 20 crown bill.
Church of the Great Copper Mountain
The oldest building in Falun. It was most likely built during the 12th and 13th centuries. In the cemetery outside rests Fet-Mats Israelsson, a miner who was killed in a cave-in at the mine in 1677. He was discovered 42 years later, and since the conditions in the mine had preserved his body, his former fiancée immediately recognized him. Fet-Mats' corpse was put on display as an attraction for visitors - it wasn't until 1930 that he was finally laid to rest.
Tourist Office
This office can help with almost anything tourist-related.
copper mine
The mine, known as the Great Copper Mountain (http://www.falugruva.se/en/), and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in December 2001 - a must-see when in Falun. The mine was an important source of copper for an entire millennium until mining ended December 8, 1992. Part of it is still open for visitors with a guide. The interesting tour, with English translation available upon request, takes about an hour and visitors are taken 65 meters underground.
Tours of the mine | |
May - September except July | Daily, 10AM - 5PM |
July | Daily, 10AM - 6PM |
October - April | Weekends, 12.30PM and 2.30PM |
Tickets are bought in the souvenir shop, and the price for adults is 100 SEK. Helmets and raincoats are handed out before the tour. Do not wear your best shoes or trousers, since the red, copper-rich mud in the mine causes stains. Shoe protection is available in the souvenir shop for 5 SEK.
There is also a mining museum in the area. It has exhibitions about the history of coins in Sweden including the largest coins in the world, and scale models of mining inventions by medieval tech genius Christoffer Polhem. Entry fee 20 SEK.
The Great Pit Stora Stöten can be seen from the surface for free. It's the result of an enormous collapse in the mine in 1687, and with a depth of 95 meters and a diameter of 400 meters it's an impressive sight. Miraculously nobody was killed in the collapse since it occurred on Midsummer's Day when the miners were free from work!