And so the other day, Hanna took me on a true ‘Discover Dalarna’ excursion. With so much forest and so many lakes, the scenery was beautiful!

In an earlier comment, Joy mentioned something about being able to be a good tourist in your own country, but in this part of the country, so far from where my own roots are, it’s easy. Dalarna is a beautiful place that has contributed to some of the deepest roots in Swedish history, and I love history, especially when there are remnants to be seen than can be placed in one’s own imagination…

Passing through one village after another, you quickly notice that most of the houses in Dalarna are red. This is thanks to the Falu Mine that we visited earlier this week, and yet again, history has its place.

Falu Rödfärg paint

Apart from Dalahästen, the decorative wooden horse, wooden houses painted in Falu Rödfärg red paint are perhaps the most familiar symbols of Dalarna Province and Sweden. The first mention of the paint dates back to the 16th century, when red-painted timber buildings were a sign of wealth and status, but manufacture didn’t flourish until the 18th century. Eventually ordinary citizens also used Falu Rödfärg – largely thanks to its protective qualities.

The raw material for the paint comes from the mine’s waste products. “Red dust” is created from ore with a low copper content. It is then treated and boiled into paint. The paint is not just beautiful to look at: it also has documented low environmental impact and, in normal weather conditions, has a protective effect on wood.

The paint is still produced on the mine site today.

Source: http://www.visitfalun.se/

Hanna & I enjoying the lovely little villages…

Red & red… Dalarna simply equals red!

Mmm… Beautiful landscape under a late summer sunshine!

Me as a tourist?

Have to think about that!

In the meantime, I give you the Ishtar pose!

More from Dalarna… 

No wonder Hanna loves Dalarna!