Borlänge

Borlänge is a town in the Dalarna province in Sweden. It has a population of roughly 51,000, slightly less than its close neighbor Falun.

Understand
Until the end of the 19th century, Borlänge was a small village. In the 1870s, the village became a stop on the new railway connecting Falun and Ludvika, and around the train station a service and industry city emerged. The most notable among the Borlänge industries were Kvarnveden paper mill and Domnarvets Jernverk steel mill. In 1900 Borlänge had grown to some 4,000 inhabitants. The city remained heavily industrialized until the 1970s, but today the majority of Borlänge's population work in the service sector. Borlänge's modernist city centre was voted the ugliest in Sweden in a 2018 popular poll.

Get in
The town is easy to reach. The road network is excellent and the only time to expect traffic jams is at 16:00 when most people head home from their work. There is also a railway station and an airport.

By train
Regional trains run hourly from Gävle on the coast via Sandviken, Storvik, Hofors and Falun. They continue from Borlänge to Kopparberg, change for Örebro. Others run from Mora. Buy tickets online from the Swedish railway company SJ.



By bus
Bus is in general the cheapest way of reaching Borlänge from other cities. Tickets can be found at the website of Swebus Express (Available in English).

Dalatrafik operate the regional bus network.

By car
Route 70 connects Borlänge with Mora and Enköping; route 50 with Söderhamn and Örebro; and route 71 with Sälen; and route 293 with Falun.

Get around
Getting around by car is easy and parking not too hard to find. The bus network covers the entire town and the villages outside. A ride inside the towns borders costs 30 kr for adults.

See




Do

 * Go skiing in the Romme Alpin. Modern ski facility some kilometres from Borlänge downtown.

Drink
Younger people go to S2, located opposite of Stationsgatan 1, or Flamingo for dancing. If you want a pub with the real local feel you should check out Engelska. It's kind of a dive bar and populated by a diverse bunch of people. Bolanche, above Stationsgatan 1, is the place for people in the ages 25-30 while Liljan, in the Liljan "galleria" on the park side, is the place for the more mature. If you like rock you may want to head to The Rock House, opposite Flamingo, although it's usually kind of deserted. And as always it's easiest to ask the locals were to find these places.

Stay safe
In an emergency always call 112.

Go next

 * Falun, the white-collar sibling and friendly rival of Borlänge, has a UNESCO-listed old copper mine and is 20 minutes away by car.
 * Siljansbygden, the area around beautiful Lake Siljan, is a very attractive part of Dalarna and well worth a visit.