Tällberg is a small village in Dalarna, in Leksand municipality. It is well known for its traditional midsummer (midsommar) celebration, which is listed as one of the "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" in the famous travel book of the same name.

Understand

A typical Falu red-colored cabin, with a view of Lake Siljan.

As the rest of Siljansbygden, Tällberg is considered an archetype of Swedish folk culture.

Tällberg traces its historical roots to the middle ages, and is mentioned in written sources as early as 1320. The name comes from the Swedish words "Tall", which means pine tree, and "Berg", which means mountain, and translates into "the pine covered mountain".

In the early 20th century it became a summer residence of several notable Swedish cultural figures, including the artists Gustaf Ankarcrona, Ivar Nyberg and Gabriel Burmeister, the mathematician Gösta Mittag-Leffler, as well as the composer and director Hugo Alfvén. In 1914 Tällberg Train Station was constructed, facilitating communications and thereby consolidating Tällbergs status as a tourist destination. In the 1920s the village consisted of some 50 farms, and a dozen typical Dalcarlian villas.

Today the village has some 200 permanent residents, plus another 400 holiday cottage owners. The village has remained a popular tourist destination with eight hotels and guesthouses, offering a total of about 1500 beds, and servicing a quarter million visitors annually. It is one of few places in Sweden which only consists of traditional wood buildings, most of them painted in the classical Falu red color. Between 2005 and 2013 it hosted the annual international conference Tällberg Forum.

Get in

1 Tällberg Station (Tällberg järnvägsstation) (2 km (1.2 mi) east of central Tällberg). Constructed in 1914. From the nearby railway hub Borlänge numerous trains head for Tällberg. Trains connecting Mora with Stockholm and Uppsala also stops in Tällberg, making it possible to travel to and from the Swedish capital without any transfers. Trips from Mora and Borlänge lasts 30 to 40 minutes, while a train journey to Stockholm takes some 3 hours and 20 minutes. Tickets can be purchased from the national train operator SJ. (updated May 2019)

Dalatrafik is the regional traffic company, and operate bus 274 between Tällberg Station and Leksand. The trip lasts some 20 minutes and costs 33 kr.

By car route 70 carries traffic south towards Leksand, Borlänge and Västerås, and north toward Rättvik and Mora. Just north of Tällberg it intersects with route 69, which continues east towards Falun.

Get around

The village is tiny and you can easily get around on foot.

Do

Events

A Midsummer maypole.

• Midsommar (Midsummer). On the Saturday occurring between June 20 and June 26. Midsummer is the biggest event of the year in Tällberg. During the celebrations two major midsummer poles are decorated with wildflowers, pine tree and grass. One of them is erected at Majstångsplatsen in the center of town during Midsummer eve, while the other is erected att Holens Gammelgård during the following day. Throughout the day there is plenty of entertainment with games, dancing and traditional Swedish folk music. (updated May 2019)

• Tällberg Halvmarathon. Early August. A half marathon, or "21 km" running competition. (updated May 2019)

• Lissjul. On the second Sunday of the Nativity Feast, i.e. the Sunday occurring between December 4 and December 10. A major winter celebration with Christmas Fairs, traditional Swedish Christmas food and folk dancing. (updated May 2019)

Eat and drink

The best place to get a meal or a drink in Tällberg is probably one of its hotel restaurants. All of the village hotels, listed below, offer dining in their respective hotel restaurants. The restaurants at Tällbergsgården Hotell and Åkerblads Hotell och Gästgiveri are mentioned in the national restaurant guide White Guide. Aside from these hotel restaurants, your options are limited to lunch open cafés.

• 1 Dalmål Kafé & Kök, Siljansvägen 479, ☏ +46 247 502 65. Open all year around. A café and lunch restaurant, located in the same building as the Tällbergs Hemslöjd craft store. While their specialty is waffles, they also offer pies, sandwiches and heavier meals like pizza. (updated May 2019)
• 2 Holens Kaffestuga, Holgattu 32, ☏ +46 76-76 77 800, info@holenskaffestuga.se. Open weekends May and June: 10:00-16:00; and daily from the end of main season from the latter part of June until the late August: W-M 10:00-19:00, Tu 10:00-21:00. One of Sweden's oldest coffee houses, established in 1935. They offer several types of lighter meals including pies, sandwiches and waffles. (updated May 2019)

Sleep

Holens Gammelgård.

Nicknamed "Hotellberg", the village features 1,500 beds for hire.

• 1 Dalecarlia (Tällgården), Tällgårdsgattu 21, ☏ +46 247 891 00, info@dalecarlia.se. A spa and hotel. The main building was built in 1910 as a private residence for mathematics professor Gösta Mittag-Leffler, but the adjacent Solleröstugan dates back to the 16th century. It has been used as a hotel since 1944. (updated May 2019)

• 2 Klockargården Hotell, Siljansvägen 456, ☏ +46 247-502 60, hotell@klockargarden.com. Originally a farm, turned into a craft center in 1937, and expanded into a hotel in 1960. It is notable for its many cultural events and activities. Parts of the facility is still used as a craft shop under the name "MittiByn". (updated May 2019)

• 3 First Hotel Gyllene Hornet, Tällbergsvägen 28, ☏ +46 247-512 00, tallberg@firsthotels.se. Built as a private residence in 1934. Between 1951 and 2015 it was owned by "Postpersonalens semesterförening", a vacation organisation for Swedish postmen! Since 2015 it is owned by the international hotel chain First Hotel. Offers a sauna, spa, gym and an indoors pool. (updated May 2019)

• 4 Green Hotel, Ovabacksgattu 17, ☏ +46 247 502 50, mail@greenhotel.se. Built as a private residence for assistance of the mathematician Gösta Mittag-Leffler. During World War II it was used as a children's guest house, and since 1947 it has been used as a hotel. Offer pools, saunas an outdoors gym and a private art collection. 1500 kr. (updated May 2019)

• 5 Hotell Siljanstrand Tällberg (Siljansgården), Sjögattu 36, ☏ +46 247-25 44 44, info@hotellsiljanstrand.se. It was used as a private residence until 1915, when it was rebuilt into lodge for school children who lived to far away from the village school. In 1928 it was turned into a hotel and guest house. Its listed loft sheds has been dendrochronologically dated to 1333 and 1507. The hotel experienced a major renovation 2010-2018. (updated May 2019)

• 6 Tällbergsgården Hotell, Holgattu 1, ☏ +46 247- 508 50, info@tallbergsgarden.se. It has historically been used as the village school, and as a vacation home for employees of the Swedish dairy producer Mjölkcentralen. Their hotel restaurant Johanssons is listed as the best restaurant in Tällberg in the national restaurant guide White guide. (updated May 2019)

• 7 Villa Långbers (Långbersgården), Vår Herres gattu 28, ☏ +46 247-502 90, info@langbers.se. This was a private residence that was turned into a hotel in 1935 by the two sisters Långbers. Offer massage, spa, saunas and a gym. (updated May 2019)

• 8 Åkerblads Hotell och Gästgiveri (Gatugården), Sjögattu 2, ☏ +46 247 508 00, info@akerblads.se. The oldest farm house in the village. It traces its roots back to the 15th century, and has been owned by the same family for at least 22 generations! One notable resident was Gatu Erik Ersson, leader of the 1743 Dalcarlian Rebellion. In 1910 it was rebuilt into a hotel. It has a spa and a hotel restaurant listed in the national restaurant guide White Guide. 1430 kr. (updated May 2019)

Camping

• 9 Tällbergs Camping, Sjögattu 38, ☏ +46 247-513 10, info@tallbergscamping.se. Check-in: 14.00. A camping site on the shores of Lake Siljan. Open from the first week in May until the first week in October. The camping reception offers a small café. Prices vary over the season. Tents are 150-175 kr, camping lots 220-290 kr, and cabins are 450-600 kr. (updated May 2019)

Go next

• Falun — A mining town renowned for its UNESCO listed copper mine.
• Leksand — Known for hard bread and ice hockey.
• Mora — The largest city in Siljansbygden.
• Rättvik — Home of the longest pier in Scandinavia and the famous outdoors theater Dalhalla.