Borlänge: the Dala horses of the Dalarna heartland

In the picturesque Dalarna region of Sweden, Borlänge remains an important industrial center near the craft shops of the celebrated painted wooden Dala horses.

A car is very helpful for reaching the various surrounding craft villages.

The Museum of Borlänge chronicles in detail the industrial history of the city, which grew around one of the largest paper mills and steelworks of all central Sweden.

A few minutes away, the traditional artisan villages of Dalarna still carefully produce by hand the celebrated Dala horses, a handicraft symbol recognized throughout the world.

Proceeding along the Dalälven River, one walks the spacious city riverfront, with beautiful views of the historic industrial facilities of the city.

As evening approaches, local restaurants serve traditional Dalarna dishes according to recipes passed down through generations of families.

The Dala horses, carefully hand-painted in craft villages around Borlänge since the eighteenth century, remain the most recognisable and best-selling souvenir from all of Sweden, exported throughout the world.

Borlänge, while situated in the heart of the picturesque and green rural Dalarna region, remains one of the major industrial centres of the entire region thanks to its large iron and paper mills.