Falun is one of Sweden's most famous winter sports centers and a city with centuries of history. There is a historic copper mine, inscribed on the UNESCO list, which dates back to the 11th century.
The city was founded in the 14th century, but a mining settlement had existed here several centuries earlier. The royal copper and gold mines of Falun have long had a significant share of Swedish production of these metals. The mine was closed in 1992 and was intended for museum purposes. Since the 19th century industrial buildings and galleries have been preserved here for several centuries, the entire copper mining area in Falun has been included in the UNESCO list.
Although the copper mine is Falun's biggest attraction, there are also other historic buildings in the city center. The main square of the city, Stora Torget, is surrounded by houses and palaces from the 17th and 18th centuries. In its central part there is a baroque brick church of St. Krystyna with rich interior furnishings. Within the old town there are also buildings from the beginning of the 20th century, built in the Art Nouveau style and decorated with stained glass and bas-reliefs.
Today, however, Falun is associated primarily with winter sports. Several dozen kilometers of cross-country ski runs have been run around the nearby Lake Runn. There is also a ski jump complex in Falun, the largest of which is the HS 134. The city has hosted the Nordic World Ski Championships five times.
