Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Skr20. Another way to enjoy the lake is by boat: in summer
M/S Gustaf Wasa
(
070-542 10 25;
www.wasanet.nu
; tickets Skr125-150, with meal Skr300-400)
runs a complex range
of lunch, dinner and sightseeing cruises from the towns of Mora, Rättvik and Leksand.
Ask at any tourist office or go online for a schedule.
around the lakeside towns in early July; look for schedules at tourist offices.
Check out the Siljan area website (
www.siljan.se
)
for lots of good information.
VIKING BURIAL MOUNDS AT SOLLERÖN
Just 15km from Mora is the small island settlement of Sollerön, where you'll find the
largest and best-preserved Viking burial ground in Dalarna. The site includes grave fields
from the Iron Age with an estimated 50 to 140 graves, plus other evidence of habitation
from the Stone Age (and, naturally, a cafe serving coffee and sandwiches).
Grab a pamphlet for a self-guided tour and follow the 3km walking trail (most of it
wheelchair-accessible) among the burial mounds and other features. Points of interest in-
clude the Sacrificial Well, where ancient Vikings allegedly made sacrifices to the likes of
Odin and Thor. Rumour has it that the well never runs dry in summer or freezes in winter.
Though it's well off the main drag now, and about as quiet as they come, this northern
section of Lake Siljan was once an important part of the iron industry and home to a vi-
brant farming community. Initially, everyone assumed the grave mounds were left over
from the island's days as farming country. But in 1928 a grave was discovered in one of
the mounds, leading to another 10 graves being excavated, at which point locals under-
stood the significance of their lumpy fields. Three of the swords found in the graves are
now preserved at Stockholm's Museum of National Antiquities.
It's a scenic area even if you're not all that jazzed about ancient burial grounds: the cafe
occupies one building in the old homestead museum, alongside a wooden Viking longship
and some antique farm equipment. To get here, take bus 107 from Mora bus station
(Skr26, 40 minutes, frequent departures Monday to Saturday).
Leksand
0247 / Pop 15,289 (municipality), 5900 (town)
Leksand's main claim to fame is its
Midsummer Festival
, the most popular in Sweden, in
which around 20,000 spectators fill the bowl-shaped green park on Midsummer Eve (al-
