This industrial town in central Sweden has a large science park, the Peace & Love music festival, and houses IKEA's customer service center.
Borlänge, a city of 51,735 residents in central Sweden's Dalarna County, has grown beyond its industrial beginnings. You can ski down the slopes at Romme Alpin, skate on Lake Runn's 20-kilometer ice tracks in winter, or visit the 16th-century Ornässtugan timber house. The city's active music scene has launched several Swedish bands, including Mando Diao and Miss Li.
Getting to Borlänge
You can reach Borlänge through Dala Airport, which runs regular flights to Stockholm, Malmö, and Gothenburg. Trains connect the city with Stockholm and other major Swedish cities throughout the day. For budget travel, take a Swebus Express bus.
Winter Activities
At Romme Alpin ski resort, a 10-minute drive from downtown, you'll find 33 slopes ranging from beginner-friendly green runs to challenging black diamond trails. In winter, Lake Runn freezes over, creating 20 kilometers of maintained skating tracks. You can rent skates at several points along the lake and follow marked paths through the winter landscape.
Museums and Historical Sites
Walk through the rooms of Ornässtugan, a 16th-century timber house where Swedish king Gustaf Vasa hid while escaping Danish forces. At the 2047 Science Center, you can try hands-on experiments and learn about technology. The Museum of Geology explains the area's mining past through mineral collections and mining equipment. Step back in time at Domnarvet open-air museum, where original 16th and 17th-century buildings still stand.
Music and Culture
Students come to Borlänge to study at BoomTown Music Education, a branch of Luleå University of Technology offering degrees in popular music. The city's music scene has produced several successful Swedish bands - Mando Diao, Sugarplum Fairy, and Miss Li all started their careers here.
Shopping and Urban Life
Kupolen, the largest mall in Dalarna County, contains more than 80 shops and restaurants. You'll find additional stores in the Norra Backa area and the traditional town center. The city has earned a reputation for its pizza restaurants - with about one pizzeria per thousand residents, you'll never have trouble finding a slice.
