Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
brothers, creators of Sweden's much-loved
Dala horses
(see box opposite). Skilled
craftsmen carve the horses out of wood from the pine forests around Lake Siljan and
then hand-paint and varnish them.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
MORA
By train
For the centre of town, you should leave the train
at Mora Strand station (which consists of little more than a
platform), one stop after the main Mora station on trains
coming from the south; the Inlandsbanan (see box below)
begins at Mora Strand before calling at Mora station.
Destinations
Leksand (2 hourly; 40min); Östersund (June
& Aug 1 daily; July 2 daily; 6hr); Stockholm (2 hourly; 3hr
50min); Sveg (June & Aug 1 daily; July 2 daily; 2hr 45min);
Uppsala (2 hourly; 3hr).
By bus
The bus station is at Moragatan, close to Mora
Strand and just off the main Strandgatan.
Destinations
Idre (2 daily; 2hr 30min); Orsa (hourly;
25min); Östersund (2 daily; 5hr 15min); Sälen (1 daily; 2hr)
Sveg (2 daily; 2hr).
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
Opposite Mora Strand station at Strandgatan
14 (mid-June to mid-Aug Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat & Sun
10am-5pm; mid-Aug to mid-June Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat
10am-2pm;
T
0250 59 20 20,
W
siljan.se). Has all the usual
literature, including a map of the Vasaloppsleden hiking route,
which you can follow north from Mora to Sälen (see p.293).
ACCOMMODATION
Although Mora sees a sizeable influx of tourists for the Vasaloppet race and during the summer season, there's a surprising
lack of choice in terms of places to
stay
. Hence, it pays to book ahead from mid-June to mid-August in particular.
Best Western Mora
Strandgatan 12
T
0250 59 26 50,
W
www.morahotell.se.
Mora's biggest and best hotel,
opposite Mora Strand station, with both modern and old-
fashioned rooms hung with Zorn pictures. There's also a first-
class sauna suite and gym with pool and
jacuzzi. Prices a
re
rather steep for such a provincial location.
1128kr/1598kr
Kristineberg
Kristinebergsgatan 1
T
0250 150 70,
W
kunggosta.se.
An annexe of the
Kung Gösta
, this is a
plain and simple B&B-style alternative with dorm beds as
well as rather cramped en-suite double rooms; guests
make their own beds wi
th line
n provide
d. Ther
e's a kitchen
for self-catering. Dorms
180kr
, doubles
795kr
Kung Gösta
Kristinebergsgatan 1
T
0250 150 70,
W
kunggosta.se.
Close to the main train station, this is a
modern hotel with identikit rooms cheaply decorated with
tacky pictures of cherubs here and there. However, there's a
choice between bathrooms wi
th tubs
or showers, and an
excellent swimming pool, too.
1095kr
Målkullan
Fredsgatan 6
T
0250 381 96,
W
malkullan.se.
A comfortable STF hostel in the heart of Mora at the finishing
8
THE INLANDSBANAN
Stretching over 1000km from Mora to Gällivare, north of the Arctic Circle, the privately
operated
Inlandsbanan
, the Inland Railway, is a great way of travelling off the beaten track
through central and northern Sweden; onboard guides provide commentaries and
information about places along the route to ensure you get the most out of the journey.
State-owned until 1992, it's now run as a private venture, supported by the fifteen
municipalities that the route passes through.
INLANDSBANAN INFORMATION
Trains run on the Inlandsbanan between June and August; the latest timings and prices
(Mora-Östersund, for example, is 414kr) are at
W
grandnordic.se and InterRail cards are
valid.
Timetables
are only approximate, and the train will stop whenever the driver feels
like it - perhaps for a spot of wild-strawberry picking or to watch a beaver damming a
stream. Generally in June & August, there's one daily train north from Mora at around
2.35pm, supplemented by a northbound morning departure around 8am in July.
Done in one go, the journey from Mora to Gällivare lasts two days, with an overnight stop
in Östersund. It's a much better idea, though, to take it at a more relaxed pace, with a
couple of stops along the route (you can break your journey as many times as you like on
one ticket).
If you're planning using the Inlandsbanan a lot, consider investing in the
Inland Railway
Card
(Inlandsbanekort; 1595kr), which gives unlimited travel for two weeks.
