Falun Copper Mine
The great copper mine that funded a Swedish empire and painted the nation red - a UNESCO site you descend into, deep beneath Dalarna.
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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.
UNESCO World Heritage
For a thousand years the Falun mine produced the copper that made Sweden a great power, and the red pigment from its waste, falu red, that painted the nation's wooden houses. A UNESCO site, it centres on a vast open pit and a mine you descend into on a guided tour, deep beneath the town of Falun.
What you actually see
- The Great Pit - the enormous open crater left by a 17th-century collapse.
- The underground tour - the descent into the historic mine workings.
- Falu red - the story of the red pigment that colours Swedish houses.
- The mining museum - the machinery and history of a thousand years of copper.
When to go
The warm months, when the underground tours run fully; the museum is open more widely but the mine descent is the highlight. Dress warm for underground, cool at any surface temperature.
Honest expectations
The underground tour is a separate ticket and books up, so plan ahead, and it involves stairs and confined spaces. The surface pit and museum are impressive in themselves. It is in Dalarna, a train or drive from the main routes.
Nearby
Lake Siljan and the Dala horse workshops are nearby in Dalarna; Stockholm is a couple of hours south.
What to pack for Falun Copper Mine
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
