Central Sweden - The Rough Guide to Sweden - page 279

Central Sweden
In many ways, the long wedge of land that comprises central Sweden - the
sparsely populated provinces of Dalarna, Härjedalen and Jämtland -
encompasses all that is most typical of the country. This vast area of land is
really one great forest, broken only by the odd village or town. Rural and
underpopulated, it epitomizes the image most people have of Sweden:
lakes, log cabins, pine forests and wide, open skies. Until just one or two
generations ago, Swedes across the country lived in this sort of setting,
taking their cue from the people of these central lands and forest, who were
the first to rise against the Danes in the sixteenth century.

Dalarna , centred around Lake Siljan , is an intensely picturesque - and touristy - region,
its inhabitants maintaining a cultural heritage (echoed in contemporary handicrafts
and traditions) that goes back to the Middle Ages. You won't need to brave the crowds
of visitors for too long, as even a quick tour around one or two of the more accessible
places here gives an impression of the whole: red cottages with a white door and
window frames, sweeping green countryside, water that's bluer than blue and a riot of
summer festivals. Dalarna is the place to spend midsummer, particularly Midsummer's
Eve , when the whole region erupts in a frenzy of celebration.
The privately owned Inlandsbanan , the great Inland Railway, cuts right through
central Sweden and links many of the towns and villages covered in this chapter.
Running from Mora in Dalarna to Gällivare, above the Arctic Circle, it ranks with the
best of European train journeys, covering an enthralling 1067km in two days; the
second half of the journey, north of Östersund (where you have to change trains), is
covered in the Swedish Lapland chapter; see p.310. Buses connect the rail line with the
mountain villages that lie alongside the Norwegian border, where the surrounding
Swedish jäll , or mountains, offer some spectacular and compelling hiking, notably
around Ljungdalen in the remote province of Härjedalen . Marking the halfway point of
the line, Östersund , the only town of any size along it and the capital of the province of
Jämtland , is situated by the side of Storsjön, the great lake that's reputed to be home to
the country's own Loch Ness monster, Storsjöodjuret. From here trains head in all
directions: west into Norway through Sweden's premier ski resort, Åre , south to
Dalarna and Stockholm, east to Sundsvall on the Bothnian coast and north into the
wild terrain of Swedish Lapland.

8

Dalarna
A sizeable province, DALARNA takes in not only the area around Lake Siljan but also the
ski resorts of Sälen and Idre , close to the Norwegian border. The area holds a special
misty-eyed place in the Swedish psyche and should certainly be seen, although not to

Sweden's red houses p.285
Musik vid Siljan p.288
The Dala horse p.290
The Inlandsbanan p.291
Hiking around Sälen p.293
Day-hikes from Grövelsjön p.295

Sweden's brown bears p.298
Nude male fiddlers: Årets Näck p.302
Storsjöodjuret - the “Great Lake
Monster” p.305
Go west: pilgrims and Vikings p.307
Hiking and biking around Åre p.309