Dala Horse of Nusnas

The Dala horse, a stout wooden horse painted red with a bright flowered harness, began as a toy carved by Dalarna woodcutters and grew into a symbol of Sweden known worldwide. In the village of Nusnas the workshops that still make them by hand welcome visitors to watch the carving and painting. The pattern on the harness is kurbits, a decorative style Dalarna painters used on furniture and walls long before it went onto horses, and each painter lays it on freehand, so no two are identical. The horses reached a wide audience at the 1939 New York World Fair, where a large one stood outside the Swedish pavilion, and the association with the country dates from about then.

What to look for

• The workshop - watching the horses carved and hand-painted at Nusnas.
• The kurbits painting - the traditional flowered harness pattern.
• The range of sizes - from tiny to giant Dala horses.
• The story - how a woodcutter's toy became a national emblem.

When to go

Year-round; the workshops are open for visits and buying, busiest in summer. It is a short stop, easily combined with a Lake Siljan tour.

Good to know

It is a workshop-and-shop visit rather than a grand attraction, worth about an hour. It is unashamedly a place to buy the souvenir, though watching the craft is genuinely interesting. It is in Dalarna, a detour for most.

Nearby

Lake Siljan and Mora are alongside; the Dalhalla quarry stage is nearby.