First published: 12/07/18.

Clyde 3.0

Falun Great Copper Mountain

Falun Great Copper Mountain (Inscribed)

Falun Great Copper Mountain by Clyde

I visited this WHS in June 2018. I slept over in Falun in the miners' neighborhood of Elsborg which allowed me to spend more time not only around the Great Copper Mountain, Kopparberget, but also at the inscribed components around the wooden town of Falun.

My favourite red falun wooden buildings were those housing the waterwheels, the large 'three-tiered' one and the smaller one (photo). Incredibly enough, the former houses the highest bridge in Sweden (till 2012) at 208 metres above the Creutz shaft. To give you an idea of the enormous depth of this shaft, the Millau Viaduct in France at 270 metres is the highest in Europe! The Creutz water wheel was erected in 1845 and has a diameter of 15 metres. The Falun Mine is also part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH).

The slightly uphill hike round the circumference of the Great Pit and slag heaps is worthwhile with several information boards and peeking points. In summer, in the late afternoon and in the evening, birdwatchers should head straight to the viewing platform just opposite the visitor centre. From here, with a bit of luck and if you allow enough time, you should be able to spot a pair of one of the world's biggest and heaviest owls - the Eagle owls - which nest in the Great Pit and love resting on the two mining vehicles at the bottom of the pit.

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