Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [214]
Restaurang Anna (126 81; Vasagatan 3; dishes Skr75-100; noon-9pm Tue-Sun, until 10pm Fri & Sat) Now a Thai and Chinese restaurant, Anna has a nice outdoor patio next to its cute red building. It offers fixed-price menus (Skr100 to Skr110) and takeaway as well.
Jöns-Andersgården (130 15; www.jons-andersgarden.se; Bygatan 4; mains Skr135-295; Thu-Sun May-Sep) If you can stir your stumps and make it up the hill, you’ll find this rather sweet restaurant tucked at the top. Dishes such as lemony chicken with gremolata potatoes, and tagliatelle with truffle oil, bring a taste of Italy to this very Swedish establishment. Take bus 74.
There’s a Systembolaget (Storgatan), with supermarkets on the same street.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Buses depart from outside the train station. Dalatrafik’s bus 70 runs regularly between Falun, Rättvik and Mora. A couple of direct intercity trains per day from Stockholm (Skr263, 3½ hours) stop at Rättvik (otherwise you have to change at Borlänge). There are local trains every couple of hours between Rättvik and Mora (Skr53, 25 minutes).
Mora
0250 / pop 20,100
Mora is spliced with Sweden’s historic soul. Legend has it that in 1520 Gustav Vasa arrived here in a last-ditch attempt to start a rebellion against the Danish regime. The people of Mora weren’t interested, and Gustav was forced to put on his skis and flee for the border. After he left, the town reconsidered and two yeomen, Engelbrekt and Lars, volunteered to follow Gustav’s tracks, finally overtaking him in Sälen and changing Swedish history.
Today the world’s biggest cross-country ski race, Vasaloppet, which ends in Mora, commemorates this epic chase, and involves 90km of gruelling Nordic skiing. Around 15,000 people take part on the first Sunday in March. In summer, you can walk the route on the 90km Vasaloppsleden.
The tourist office (59 20 20; mora@siljan.se; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat year-round, closed Mon mid-Sep–mid-Nov) is at the train station. Banks, supermarkets and other facilities line Kyrkogatan. The library (267 79; Köpmangatan) has free internet access.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Even if you have no interest in skiing, you may be pleasantly surprised by the excellent Vasaloppsmuseet (392 25; www.vasaloppet.se; Vasagatan; adult/child Skr30/10; 10am-5pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri mid-Sep–mid-Jun), which really communicates the passion behind the world’s largest cross-country skiing event. There’s some fantastic crackly black-and-white film of the first race, a display about nine-times winner and hardy old boy Nils ‘Mora-Nisse’ Karlsson, and an exhibit of prizes. Outside the museum is the race finish line, a favourite place for holiday snaps.
Zornmuseet (59 23 10; www.zorn.se; Vasagatan 36; adult/up to 15yr Skr50/free; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun mid-May–mid-Sep; noon-5pm Mon-Sat, 1-5pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-May) displays many of the best-loved portraits and characteristic nudes of the Mora painter Anders Zorn (1860–1920), one of Sweden’s most renowned artists. His naturalistic depictions of Swedish life and the countryside are on display, as well as the Zorn family silver collection.
Next door, the Zorn family house Zorngården (59 23 10; Vasagatan 36; admission by guided tour adult/7-15yr Skr60/20; 10am-4pm Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm Sun mid-May–mid-Sep; noon-3pm Mon-Sat, 1-4pm Sun mid-Sep–mid-May) is an excellent example of a wealthy artist’s house and reflects Zorn’s National Romantic aspirations (check out the Viking-influenced hall and entryway). Access to the house is by guided tour (every 15 minutes in summer; phone ahead for English tours).
SLEEPING
Moraparken (276 00; moraparken@mora.se; tent & car Skr160, 2-/4-bed cabins from Skr270/400, hotel s/d Skr995/1295, discounted to Skr730/830; ) This camp site and hotel are combined in a great waterside spot, 400m northwest of the church, and both have solid facilities. The hotel rooms (all ground floor) have wooden floors and a sleek modern look. The Vasaloppet track and Siljansleden pass through the grounds,