Falun is the capital of Dalarna, a Swedish province that prides itself on being the heartland of traditional Swedish culture. The city is best known for the Falun Copper Mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been worked since at least the 10th century — making it one of the oldest industrial sites in the world still open to visitors.
At its peak in the 17th century, the mine supplied two-thirds of Europe's copper and made Sweden a major European power. Tours now take you deep into the cool, orange-tinged tunnels past extraordinary rock formations stained by mineral-rich water. The open-pit crater created by a catastrophic collapse in 1687 is still visible above ground. One side-effect of all that copper extraction: the distinctive dark red paint seen on wooden houses and barns across Sweden — "Falun red" — is made from the mine's waste slag, and has been used since at least the 16th century.
Beyond the mine, Falun has Kristine Church, a fine Baroque parish church in the well-preserved old city centre, and the Dalarnas Museum, which traces the region's folk art traditions including the Dala horse. Just outside the city, Carl Larsson-gården at Sundborn is the beautifully preserved home of Sweden's most beloved painter. In winter, the Lugnet sports complex hosts World Cup cross-country skiing and ski jumping events.