Falun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabitants.
Falun was originally famous for its copper mine, and is today an important service and industrial city even though the mine is closed (since 1992).
Faluån is a river, flowing through the city, separating it into two sides. Falu copper mine is located on one of the sides which during many centuries was one of Sweden’s main business. This side of the river was usually called “the mining side”, where not many plants grew due to the toxic smoke which contaminated the soil. On the other side of the river, where the smoke did not reach, set many large villas, which made this side to be called “the delightful side”. The centre of Falun consists of classical pedestrian streets with small shops. in 1998, the city reclaimed the award of “the city centre of the year” in Sweden.
The year 2001, the city, the copper mine and mining areas of Falun were added to the list of world heritage sites by the United Nations, which means that the city is worth preserving, as it is considered to be of interest for all of humanity. Dalarna University, with its 18 000 students, has a campus located in Falun – close to the national ski stadium where the ski world championship has taken place a number of times, including the last one in 2015.
The name of Falun has influenced the names of some Swedish items associated with the town, such as Falu red, Falu rågrut (a snack), Falu ättika (a type of vinegar) and Falukorv.
Education
There is a number of elementary schools in Falun, as well as a number of gymnasiums.
For education, the city holds part of the University College of Dalarna (Högskolan Dalarna).
Today
In sports, Falun hosts the annual Swedish Ski Games at its skiing arena Lugnet, Falun. The city’s most successful sports team is the bandy team Falu BS which has played in the Swedish top division for many years. Also, IBF Falun, the floorball male and female teams, have been very successful. Falu FK play in Division 2 Norra Svealand.
Lugnet, Falun Stadium has also hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships four times: 1954, 1974, 1993 and most recently in 2015.
The city lost out to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in 1981 for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Again, Falun applied for the 1992 Winter Olympics but lost out to Albertville, France, in 1986. The city lost despite the best efforts of one of ABBA‘s singers who recorded a single in support of the bid.
Falun is the hometown of ‘The Battle’, one of the world’s most famous snowboard competitions.
Iron and Copper byproducts from the mine are still used as a paint ingredient, in the production of the nationally well known and culturally important Falu Red paint, particularly used on wooden houses
