Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [212]
Tällberg’s oldest hotel, Åkerblads (508 00; www.akerblads.se; Sjögattu 2; s/d from Skr850/1430, discounted to Skr745/995; ) is an elegant affair, arranged inside a beautiful collection of buildings dating from the 15th century onwards. There’s a relaxation suite and a whole menu of spa treatments, garden tennis and ping-pong for entertainment, and a restaurant that’s considered one of the region’s finest, with a lunch buffet and à la carte main courses nightly (dagens lunch Skr125, fish buffet Skr165 and mains Skr195 to Skr345).
Bus 58 between Rättvik and Leksand stops in the village regularly (two to six times daily). Tällberg is also on the train line that travels around Lake Siljan; the train station is about 2km below the village proper.
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THE DALA HORSE
What do Bill Clinton, Elvis Presley and Bob Hope have in common? They’ve all received a Swedish Dalahäst as a gift. These iconic, carved wooden horses, painted in bright colours and decorated with folk-art flowers, represent to many people the essence of Sweden.
The first written reference to a Dalahäst comes from the 17th century, when the bishop of Västerås denounced such horrors as ‘decks of cards, dice, flutes, dolls, wooden horses, lovers’ ballads, impudent paintings’, but it’s quite likely they were being carved much earlier. Sitting by the fireside and whittling wood was a common pastime, and the horse was a natural subject – a workmate, friend and symbol of strength. The painted form that is so common today appeared at the World Exhibition in New York in 1939 and has been a favourite souvenir for travellers to Sweden ever since.
The best-known Dala horses come from Nusnäs, about10km southeast of Mora. The two biggest workshops are Nils Olsson Hemslöjd (372 00; www.nohemslojd.se; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun mid-Jun–mid-Aug; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat mid-Aug–mid-Jun) and Grannas A Olsson Hemslöjd (372 50; www.grannas.com; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm Sat & Sun mid-Jun–mid-Aug; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat mid-Aug–mid-Jun), where you can watch the carving and painting, then buy up big at the souvenir outlets. Wooden horse sizes stretch from 3cm high (Skr70) to 50cm high (Skr3338).
Public transport to Nusnäs isn’t great: there are three buses from Mora, running Monday to Friday only.
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Rättvik
0248 / pop 10,900
Rättvik is a totally unpretentious town in an area that sometimes borders on the precious. Nonetheess, it’s a very pretty place, stretching up a hillside and along the shores of Lake Siljan. There are things to do year-round, for kids and adults alike, whether you like skiing, cycling, hiking or lolling on beaches.
A full program of special events in summer includes a folklore festival (www.folklore.se) in late July and Classic Car Week (www.classiccarweek.com, in Swedish) in late July or early August.
The tourist office (79 72 10; rattvik@siljan.se; Riksvägen 40; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun mid-Jun–mid-Aug; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri mid-Aug–mid-Jun) is at the train station. Rättvik’s facilities include banks and supermarkets on Storgatan and a library (701 95; Storgatan 2) with internet access.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
The 725m-long SommarRodel (513 00; info@rattviksbacken.nu; 1/3 rides Skr50/125; 11am-6pm or 7pm Jun-Aug, closed when raining), a sort of snowless bobsled chute, is lots of fun. You hurtle downhill at 56km/h, which feels fairly fast so close to the ground.
An enterprising 17-year-old built Vidablick Utsiktstorn (adult/child Skr30/5; 10am-7pm mid-Jun–mid-Aug), a viewing tower about 5km southeast of town, from where there are great panoramas of the lake, a good cafe and a summer-only youth hostel (dorm beds Skr125 to Skr150). On your way up the tower, check out the miniature reconstruction of the village at the turn of the century, done by a local carpenter in the 1930s.
Scandinavia’s longest wooden pier, the impressive 628m Långbryggan, runs out into the lake from just behind the train station. The 13th-century church has 87 well-preserved church