Dear friends, during our visit to Sweden I had the chance to explore the Dalarna region, which was my favorite area. Dalarna is famously known as the home of the iconic Dalarna horses and other cultural symbols. We only stayed for a day, but we also wanted to check out the newly discovered town of Rättvik.
I studied the map of the Dalarna region and its main towns. I'd been to some of them before, while others were new discoveries. Rättvik was a new stop for me. We walked around the city center, looking for a place to grab a bite. Interestingly the symbol of the town is the gray Dalarna horse. These horses are everywhere in the town — as large statues, in playgrounds and even on various souvenirs.
While searching for a restaurant in the center, one thing that caught my attention was the colorful trash bins. Even throwing away trash felt appealing. It was such a creative idea. Eventually, we found a restaurant, though there weren’t many options. To be honest, the food at the restaurant was decent. Everything was fried and quite filling. It’s a matter of preference, but since there weren’t other choices, we ate there and then headed back to our hotel.
Our hotel was located on a hill overlooking the city center. On the first night, we were so tired that we settled into our hotel room to rest and prepared for the next day. After breakfast the following morning, we set out to explore the town. Rättvik is a small town with a population of about 5000 people. The entire town can be seen from the hilltop. Our plan was to visit the old church and walk along the pier, but it was very windy that day, making it uncomfortable. Nevertheless, we explored the town in daylight and examined the central area.
We concluded our trip by visiting the giant Dalarna horses, a symbol of the Dalarna region. It was the perfect ending to our winter journey. In the summer months, this region celebrates the famous Midsummer festival, called Midsommar. If you get the chance, I highly recommend visiting Dalarna during the summer.
By the way aside from Rättvik, one of the most important natural beauties in the Dalarna region is Lake Siljan. This lake was formed as a result of a meteor impact and covers an area of approximately 290 km², with a depth of 134 meters. The geology of the region, particularly around the lake, is the result of a meteor strike that occurred 370 million years ago. We learned more about this in detail at the museum we visited.
Over time the meteor crater filled with young sedimentary rocks and the current lake emerged during the last Ice Age. Here's another interesting fact: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, steamboats operated heavily on this lake. Nowadays there are tourist cruise boats and every year at the end of June or the beginning of July, traditional rowing competitions take place using church boats.
Due to the windy weather, we were quite cold, so we took refuge in the church. There was a service going on, with a small number of people attending. We observed and listened for a short while. Inside, there was also a historical model of the church on display. And the collection process after the service was quite intriguing.
After leaving the church, we visited another significant monument nearby, the Runic Stone. This stone was erected in memory of the former Swedish King Gustav Vasa. According to legend, Gustav Vasa came to this region and called on the people to rise against the Danish occupation. However, historians debate this, as some sources claim Vasa never actually visited Rättvik. Whether true or not, this monument is definitely worth seeing because the view of Lake Siljan is breathtaking.
When we returned to the town, it was already daytime and we could see the center more clearly. Remnants of Christmas decorations were still up. Near the town hall, there was a giant Dalarna horse statue.
Later we visited the Cultural House, an entertaining complex that includes a history museum, modern art gallery, library and relaxation areas. What particularly caught my interest was an interactive section about the meteor impact. Everything was hands-on and there were educational activities for children.
For our return journey, we stopped by a local market where you could buy products from local producers. For example, we found knäckebröd, Swedish crackers. There were also seafood items and a unique drink called glögg.
Finally we went to a place called American Dinner 45, where we could grab a meal. It was a rather distinctive spot, well-known beyond Rättvik. The restaurant also offered hotel services. Although the decor was nice, the food didn't appeal to everyone. However, the atmosphere was pleasant and I picked up a notebook, the notebooks there were quite interesting.
At the entrance of the restaurant, I encountered a surprise: a Tomte collection. Tomte are Swedish Christmas gnomes and there were all kinds of Tomte figurines. It was astonishing.
Well, friends, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed my post. Thanks for reading, commenting and liking. See you in my next post, take care.