Go deep down!
67 meters below ground, you are surrounded by one of the world´s most important sites. Falun Mine is one of our common heritages, worth preserving for all time.  Superstition and legends are alive here.

World Heritage Falun Mine
There are places that are so valuable that they are a concern for all humanity. A World Heritage is a site, location, environment or an object that in a unique way is telling the man or the earth´s history. When a World Heritage Site is included on the UNECSO list, it is guaranteed care and protection in perpetuity. Falun is one such place. The historic industrial landscape around the Great Copper Mountain and Falun has since 2001 considered one of the world´s cultural heritages. And it all started with the mine.

 

The Billy- Goat Kåre
They say it was a Billy-Goat which was initially discovered the copper mountain. The white goat Kåre came repeatedly back to the farm with horns and hair dyed red. When the farmer became curious about the color the shepherd led him to the place where Kåre liked to roll around and rub his horns. There they found a copper deposit.

 

The Falun sausage
If the story is true, the country has much to thank Kåre, the Billy-goat, both the sausage and wealth. The Great copper mountain was a treasure chest of Sweden and the Falun Mine made Falun one of the nation´s first industrial cities. From the Middle Ages, Europe was covered roofs of mansions and castles of copper from Falun. The Falun sausage stopped, however, in Sweden. But it also has its origin here in the mine. In order to transport people and ore up and down in the mine ropes made of strong ox hide was used. To make 125 yards of line 200 oxen were used. That meant much meat to take care of. During the same time, many German technicians were working I Falun. They knew how best to take care of the meat. It would be salted, smoked and made into really good sausage, of course!

 

Among the shafts and galleries
“…Fase as Hell itself”. Like that Linnaeus described the mine during a visit in 1734. It´s hard not to stop thinking of Linnaeus´ words when you dressed in a borrowed raincoat and helmet stand there waiting to go down to visit the mine. What is hidden down there in the depths? But do not worry, it is not so scary. Sure, a little tingle in your stomach when you look down into the deep pit and make your way through the winding passages. It is the right amount of tension for both large and small when the guide starts telling the history of the mine. We are told about Fet-Mats who died in the mine but found preserved by the vitriol water and also about The Lady of the Mine. It was said that she could warn the workers for race but also punish those who did not respect the rules of the mine.

 

When the ground opened up
Many miners died in the mine. But the biggest disaster did not require a single casualty.  In midsummer 1687 collapsed three of the major mining holes and formed the Great Pit – a huge gap with a depth of 95 meters and circumference of 1.5 km. The cave-in happed lucky enough one of the few days during a year when the miners had a day off. Today you can walk around the Great Pit and see the open pit loop shift in brown, yellow and red hues.

 

Falun World Heritage
Falun World Heritage site consists not only of the Falun Mine, but also parts of the town of Falun and the master miner´s country homes. If you want to know more The World Heritage House is a good start.

In the town the street network from 1646 is preserved just as many buildings and whole urban environment.

The tree districts of workers buildings are Elsborg, Gamla Herrgården and Östanfors. Here you can see how the workers lived for more than 300 years ago. Falun´s central parts and Villa City also belong to the world heritage and is best explored on foot. Wherever you walk you will find traces of our history. In Dalarna Museum you also can find a newly opened exhibition of the old town.
The mining district of Kopparbergslagen consisted of the estates of the master miners, who owned shares in the mine and were responsible for the smelting of ore. Their smelting houses were built at the rivers and streams with flowing water. Near them the master miners established their farms and many of them still exist today.

The master miner´s estate of Gamla Staberg is one of the most well-preserved.  If you walk around here you get an impressive picture of how a wealthy mine owner could live in the early 1700´s, with Baroque-inspired garden, fishponds and hop farms.
Linnaeus wedding house and Ornässtugan with its historic significance of Gustav Vasa´s adventures in Dalarna is also worth exploring.
All this is part of our world heritage – why not visit it?

Facts
A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO as of outstanding universal value and witness of man´s or earth´s history. Among today´s World Heritages are both the Egyptian pyramids and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.