Mora (Sweden)
Mora is a city in the Dalarna province in Sweden. It is situated by the lake Siljan, the sixth largest lake in Sweden. The municipality of Mora has about 20.000 inhabitants.
Get in
The easiest way to reach Mora is by road or by train. It's about four hours from the capital Stockholm. Bus is in general the cheapest way of reaching Mora from other cities. The biggest intercity bus company is Swebus Express. Railway tickets can be bought at the website of the Swedish railway company SJ [1]. Buses and trains both stop at the railway station which is a short walk from the city centre and the hotels there.
Mora Siljan Airport, six kilometers from Mora, has flights to Arlanda Airport in Stockholm all days except Saturday. Bookings at the airline Nextjet.
Get 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 17 SEK. 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.
- Zorngården. Vasagatan 36, +46 250 592310, is the former home of one of Sweden's most famous painters, Anders Zorn (1860-1920). Together with Carl Larsson (whose home can be visited in Falun) he is the artist who has had the strongest influence on the image of Dalarna and Sweden. The main part of Zorngården consists of Zorn's home and a museum with his art, but there are two other museums that also are part of the Zorn Collection. Gammelgården is in the southern part of Mora and consists of 40-something timber houses that Zorn bought to make sure that the old art of building such houses wasn't forgotten. Gopsmor, Zorn's refuge when the pressure got too high, is in the municipality of Älvdalen and is only open for visitors in July.
- Santaworld (Tomteland), +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 situated 17 kilometers 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 around SEK 140. During low season there are fewer actors present (sometimes none at all) and tickets are cheaper.
- The village of Nusnäs, 10 kilometers south-east of Mora, 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. To get to Nusnäs from Mora, take bus 108 from the railway station in Mora.
Dala Horse workshops in Nusnäs:
- Nils Olsson Hemslöjd, Edåkersvägen 17, +46 250 37200 (info@nohemslojd.se)
- Grannas A Olsson Hemslöjd, Edåkersvägen 24, +46 250 37250 (info@grannas.com)
Do
- Ice hockey is popular in Mora. The local team Mora IK [2] remains the arch rival of Leksand, the traditional hockey superpower in the province. In recent years the two teams have been rollercoasting in and out of the top league, SHL, and as of 2013 Mora plays in the second 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 SEK 125, if you prefer sitting down prices range from SEK 180 to SEK 295.
- 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 kilometers. 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 itself has grown into Vasaloppet's Week (Vasaloppsveckan), an entire week in late February filled with ski races and other activities.
- The Vasaloppet Museum (Vasaloppsmuséet), Vasaloppets hus (next to the goal portal), +46 250 39225, is a museum dedicated to the race. It has exhibitions about great skiers and interesting events during the 80-something years the race has taken place. Entry for adults is SEK 30, and that includes blueberry soup - the energy drink of choice for Vasaloppet racers.
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
- China House, Moragatan 1. A restaurant with Chinese food.
- Lilla Krogen Pub & Restaurang, Strandgatan 6. General Swedish cuisine, along with pizza and a variety of different meals.
- Claras Restaurant, Vasagatan 38. A little classier restaurant with mostly Swedish cuisine.
Drink
Sleep
Go next
The area around Lake Siljan is truly beautiful and well worth exploring. Don't just hang out in Mora; visit Rättvik, Orsa and Tällberg as well.
| Routes through Mora |
| Östersund ← Orsa ← | N  S
|
→ Karlstad → Göteborg |