Lake Siljan and Dalarna

The Lake In The Siljan Meteorite Ring At The Heart Of Dalarna, The Province Most Swedes Call The Most Swedish: Midsummer Poles, Red Farmhouses, Church Boats And The Carved Dala Horse · Rattvik, Dalarna County

Lake Siljan is the large lake at the heart of Dalarna, the province many Swedes regard as the most traditionally Swedish: red wooden farmhouses, Midsummer poles, folk costumes, fiddle music and the carved, painted Dala horse. The lake lies inside the Siljan ring, the eroded remains of a meteorite impact crater roughly 380 million years old and often described as the largest known in Europe, about 50 km across. Around its shore sit Rattvik, with its long wooden pier, the hillside village of Tallberg, Leksand, famous for its Midsummer celebration, and Mora, the finish of the Vasaloppet ski race and home of the painter Anders Zorn. Nearby are the Dala horse workshops at Nusnas and the Dalhalla open-air arena in an old limestone quarry. People come in summer to swim, cycle and see the church boats and Midsummer, and in winter for skiing and skating. The honest caveat: Midsummer and July are crowded and booked out, much closes outside summer, and a car helps a lot, because buses around the lake are sparse.

Lake Siljan and its shore towns - Rattvik, Tallberg, Mora and Leksand - in central Dalarna, with the Dala horse workshops at Nusnas, Rattvik, Dalarna County, Sweden

The lake and shore are open all year. Most attractions run a summer season, roughly late June to mid August, with shorter hours in May, June and September and many closed or open only a few days a week in winter; Midsummer Eve itself closes many shops and museums. The Nusnas Dala horse workshops usually open year-round on weekdays, with longer summer hours. The Zorn museum in Mora is open all year with reduced winter hours, and visits to Zorn's home are guided at set times. Dalhalla is open only for summer concerts and tours. Check the current schedules. Getting there: SJ trains run from Stockholm to Leksand, Rattvik and Mora in roughly 3-4 hours; Dalatrafik runs local buses around the lake. Book beds months ahead for Midsummer, the Vasaloppet week in late February and early March, and July, and buy Dalhalla concert tickets when they go on sale.

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