Mora

Understand

Due to its strategic location on the isthmus between the lakes Siljan and Orsan, with the Dalälv river as a major communication route, the area has been populated as early as the 7th century AD. Several archaeological discoveries from around 1000 AD tells of a rich Viking-era culture built around fur hunting, fishing and iron processing. The name "Mora" is first used in written sources in 1325. The word itself is the plural user of the dialectical word 'mor', meaning "dense forest on damp land". Mora became an important place in Swedish history during the 16th century, when it supported Gustav Vasa in the Swedish war of independence from the Kalmar Union, 1521-1523. Mora became industrialized during the latter part of the 18th century with the production of Mora clocks. During the 19th century Mora instead became a producer of knives, faucets and ice drills.

Tourist office 1 Mora Tourist Center, Köpmannagatan 3A, ☏ +46 248-79 72 00, [email protected]. M–F 12:00–17:00, Sa 10:00–14:00. (updated Sep 2017)

Getting there

By train The easiest way to reach Mora is by road or by train. 1 Mora Central Station is about four hours from the capital Stockholm. Mora is the final station of Dalabanan, which continues towards Stockholm. Railway tickets can be bought at the website of the Swedish railway company SJ. Regional trains are operated by Tåg i Bergslagen. Buses and trains both stop at the railway station which is a short walk from the city centre and the hotels there. Mora is an important stop on Inlandsbanan. Taking the train to 2 Mora Strand Station is also an option. It brings you further into the center and closer to the shore. It does however only have some regional train service due to shorther platforms. Inlandsbanan does also stop here.

By bus Bus is in general the cheapest way of reaching Mora from other cities than Stockholm. The biggest intercity bus company is Swebus Express. MasExpressen service goes from Stockholm to Mora.

By car Highway E45 (also known as Inlandsvägen) from Gothenburg passes by Mora, continuing north towards Karesuando. Mora is connected to E45 via route 26, which meets the E45 by Johannisholm, some 40 km (25 mi) south of Mora. Route 70 leads from Mora to Rättvik, where it is branched into route one route which keeps the name 70, and continues towards Enköping, and route 69 which will take you to Falun. From Enköping you can continue toward Stockholm via the highway E18, and from Falun you can easily continue towards Gävle and Uppsala.

Getting around

Mora is small enough to be explored on foot, however there is a local bus network handled by Dalatrafik. The price for a bus ticket is 35 kr. If you drive a car, parking is free on many streets. Taxis are pricey, as always in Sweden. Mora Taxi is reached on +46 250 15000.

See

The Dalarna province is by many considered to be the very essence of Sweden, and Mora is a strong contributor to that fact. This is the home of the Dala Horse, the most famous Swedish souvenir there is.

Nusnäs (10 km south-east of Mora. To get to Nusnäs from Mora, take bus 108 from the railway station in Mora) The village of Nusnäs is the place where the Dala Horse is made. These small wooden horses have been around since the 17th century. They are normally painted orange or blue with symmetrical decorations known as kurbits painting. The horses are carved and painted in workshops open for tourists, and you can buy a carving kit of your own or even try to paint one yourself. Dala Horse workshops in Nusnäs: 1 Nils Olsson Hemslöjd, Edåkersvägen 17, ☏ +46 250 37200, [email protected]. 2 Grannas A Olsson Hemslöjd, Edåkersvägen 24, ☏ +46 250 37250, [email protected]. 3 Siljansfors Skogsmuseum (By the route E45, some 18 km South-West of central Mora), ☏ +46 70-634 34 63. An open-air museum about forestry and Mora's industrial heritage. 4 Tomteland (Santaworld), Gesundabergsvägen 80 (By "Gesunda" 17 km south of central Mora), ☏ +46 250 28770. Mora is, along with for instance the North Pole and Rovaniemi in Finland, claimed to be the home of Santa Claus. The Santaworld theme park is 17 km south of Mora by the Gesunda Mountain. It is a village of wooden houses with actors dressed as Santa, his helpers, trolls and the like. No Disney-style park based on a lot of rides. During high season, which means summer and the weeks before Christmas, the entrance fee is 395 kr for adults (13+) and 325 kr for children. During low season there are fewer actors present (sometimes none at all) and tickets are cheaper. (updated Nov 2024) 5 Vasaloppsmuséet (The Vasaloppet Museum), Vasagatan 30 (Vasaloppets hus) (next to the goal portal), ☏ +46 250 39225. A museum dedicated to the race. It has exhibitions about great skiers and interesting events during the 80-something years the race has

Do

Ice hockey is popular in Mora. The local team Mora IK remains the arch rival of Leksand, the traditional hockey superpower in the league. The two teams have rollercoasted in and out of the top league, SHL. After failing the 2019 SHL qualifiers, Mora was relegated for play in the second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan. During the hockey season (September-March) you can join the crowds in FM Mattsson Arena. Tickets can be purchased at the tourist agency. If you want to stand with the hardcore fans a ticket is 125 kr, if you prefer sitting down prices range from 180 kr to 295 kr. Vasaloppet. The world's third longest cross-country skiing race, takes place every year on the first Sunday of March. It is a memory of how Swedish king-to-be Gustav Vasa went on skis between Mora and Sälen, where he was talked into staying in Sweden and lead the fight against the Danes. The memorial race goes in the opposite direction and around 16,000 skiers try to make it from Sälen to the goal in Mora, a distance of 90 km. The goal now stands in the middle of Mora (Vasagatan, near the corner with Björnramsgatan) all year round, a portal consisting of two red pillars and a banner with the classical inscription "I fäders spår - för framtids segrar" ("In fathers' tracks - for future victories"). The event has grown into Vasaloppet's Week (Vasaloppsveckan), an entire week in late February filled with ski races and other activities.

Buy

Might as well get that Dala Horse immediately. You can run but you can't hide. A more useful memory of Mora would be a Mora knife, the weapon of choice for Swedes whatever task needs to be fulfilled. You will for instance never see a Swedish soldier or construction worker without a Mora knife in his belt. Old style Mora knives have handles made of wood, but cheaper versions with plastic handles are available as well. The knives are made by two Mora companies: Frosts and Mora of Sweden. Mora of Sweden has an outlet store.

Eat

1 China House, Moragatan 1, ☏ +46 250-152-40. A restaurant with Chinese food. 2 Lilla Krogen Pub och Restaurang, Strandgatan 6, ☏ +46 250-150-20. General Swedish cuisine, along with pizza and a variety of different meals. 3 MC Donald's, Skålmyrsvägen 35 (by the Silja