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Falun
Overview
Falun (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈfɑ̂ːlɵn]) is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabitants. Falun was originally famous for its copper mine, and is today an important service and industrial city even though the mine is closed (since 1992). Faluån is a river, flowing through the city, separating it into two sides. Falu copper mine is located on one of the sides which during many centuries was one of Sweden's main business. This side of the river was usually called "the mining side", where not many plants grew due to the toxic smoke which contaminated the soil. On the other side of the river, where the smoke did not reach, set many large villas, which made this side to be called "the delightful side". The centre of Falun consists of classical pedestrian streets with small shops. In 1998, the city claimed the award of "the city centre of the year" in Sweden. In 2001, the city, the copper mine, and mining areas of Falun were added to the list of world heritage sites by the United Nations. Dalarna University, with its 18 000 students, has a campus located in Falun ― close to the national ski stadium where the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships has taken place a number of times, most recently in 2015. The name of Falun has influenced the names of some Swedish items associated with the town, such as Falu red (a paint color), Falu rågrut (a type of rye crispbread), Falu ättika (a type of distilled vinegar) and Falukorv.
Facts
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Source
WBP almanac
External sources
Media
From Wikipedia2,543 words
WBP editorial3
Industrial heritage as a living landscape
Beyond the historic mine, Falun’s streets reveal a subtle narrative of Sweden’s shift from heavy industry to knowledge‑based economies. Former workshops have been repurposed as co‑working spaces and design studios, often housed in brick structures that retain their original facades. A walk along the riverbank shows the juxtaposition of rust‑coloured warehouses beside sleek, glass‑fronted cafés where local programmers meet for informal hackathons. This adaptive reuse reflects a broader Scandinavian approach: preserving the material memory of production while fostering a creative ecosystem. Visitors who linger in the old industrial quarter can sense how the city’s identity is being rewritten, rather than abandoned, by a new generation of entrepreneurs.
Seasonal rhythms on Faluån
The river that cleaves Falun is not merely a geographical marker; it dictates the city’s leisure calendar. In late spring, locals take to modest wooden boats for quiet paddling, capitalising on the gentle melt‑water flow. Summer evenings bring impromptu concerts on riverside terraces, where the water’s surface reflects the flickering lights of nearby streetlamps. Autumn sees the banks lined with harvested birch leaves, creating a natural carpet for joggers and photographers. In winter, when the river hardens, it becomes an informal skating rink, a community hub where children and retirees alike trace circles in the cold. Timing a visit to experience at least two of these seasonal moods offers a fuller sense of Falun’s everyday pulse.