Mora sits on the western shore of Lake Siljan and is the practical anchor of the whole Siljan area — the biggest of its lakeside towns, and the one with an airport, a real high street, and a name known well beyond Dalarna thanks to a ski race. Every first Sunday in March, the finish line of the Vasaloppet — the world's largest cross-country ski race, 90 km from Sälen — draws around 15,000 skiers into town, and the finish portal stands year-round as a quiet local landmark the rest of the year. The Vasaloppet Museum covers the race's century of history.
Mora's other claim to fame is painterly rather than athletic. Anders Zorn, one of the most sought-after portraitists of the late 19th century — he painted three American presidents — was born here in 1860 and chose to spend his life here rather than in Stockholm or abroad. The Zorn Museum holds the largest collection of his work, alongside his preserved home, studio, and a small open-air farmstead of untouched 18th-century log buildings.
The lakeside Mora Church, a red stone building dating to the 13th century, anchors the waterfront. Beyond the sights, Mora works well as a base for the wider Siljan area — Rättvik, Leksand, and the Dala horse workshops at Nusnäs are all a short drive away.