Mora (Sweden)

Mora is a city in the Dalarna province in Sweden. It is on the shore of Lake Siljan, the sixth largest lake in Sweden. The municipality of Mora has about 20,000 inhabitants.

Understand
Due to its strategic location on the isthmus between the lakes Siljan and Orsan, with the Dalälv river as a major communication route, the area has been populated as early as the 7th century AD. Several archaeological discoveries from around 1000 AD tells of a rich Viking-era culture built around fur hunting, fishing and iron processing.

The name "Mora" is first used in written sources in 1325. The word itself is the plural user of the dialectical word 'mor', meaning "dense forest on damp land". Mora became an important place in Swedish history during the 16th century, when it supported Gustav Vasa in the Swedish war of independence from the Kalmar Union, 1521-1523.

Mora became industrialized during the latter part of the 18th century with the production of Mora clocks. During the 19th century Mora instead became a producer of knives, faucets and ice drills.

By train
The easiest way to reach Mora is by road or by train. is about four hours from the capital Stockholm. Mora is the final station of Dalabanan, which continues towards Stockholm. Railway tickets can be bought at the website of the Swedish railway company SJ. Regional trains are operated by Tåg i Bergslagen. Buses and trains both stop at the railway station which is a short walk from the city centre and the hotels there. Mora is an important stop on Inlandsbanan.

Taking the train to is also an option. It brings you further into the center and closer to the shore. It does however only have some regional train service due to shorther platforms. Inlandsbanan does also stop here.

By bus
Bus is in general the cheapest way of reaching Mora from other cities than Stockholm. The biggest intercity bus company is Swebus Express. MasExpressen service goes from Stockholm to Mora.

By car
Highway E45 (also known as Inlandsvägen) from Gothenburg passes by Mora, continuing north towards Karesuando. Mora is connected to E45 via route 26, which meets the E45 by Johannisholm, some south of Mora.

Route 70 leads from Mora to Rättvik, where it is branched into route one route which keeps the name 70, and continues towards Enköping, and route 69 which will take you to Falun. From Enköping you can continue toward Stockholm via the highway E18, and from Falun you can easily continue towards Gävle and Uppsala.

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 kr. 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.


 * Nusnäs (10 km south-east of Mora. To get to Nusnäs from Mora, take bus 108 from the railway station in Mora) The village of Nusnäs 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. Dala Horse workshops in Nusnäs:

Do

 * Ice hockey is popular in Mora. The local team Mora IK remains the arch rival of Leksand, the traditional hockey superpower in the lwague. The two teams have rollercoasted in and out of the top league, SHL. After failing the 2019 SHL qualifiers, Mora has been relegated for play in the second-tier 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 125 kr, if you prefer sitting down prices range from 180 kr to 295 kr.

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.

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.