As Frederick states below, Falun gives you a real sense of how heavy industry can alter a landscape, and in comparison with nearby Engelsberg you can really get a sense of the huge industrial undertakings here. But there was something about this site that just failed to grab me. I had a walk around the smaller museum on site and to the viewing platforms and shaft head to look down into the mine, it was interesting enough but that was about all for me. The main point of interest was the Falu Rödfärg, it makes the famous Falu Red paint █ which is a by-product of the copper mining. If you have ever travelled in rural Sweden it is the colour that pretty much every building is painted. I will admit I didn't do this site full justice, having toured several mines and mining museums in the past I couldn't muster the enthusiasm for more of the same. So after looking down into the big pit we headed off through the nice looking city centre satisfied with our ticking off of a new site, but not massively enthused.

We had actually visited an outlying part of the WHS quite by accident when we stumbled into Stora Hyttnäs Trädgård, a large miners house with a well planned garden, which showed that this site is larger than just the industrial remains in the city centre. We happened upon it whilst waiting for our tour to start at the excellent Larsson House. It was the home of artists Carl and Karin Larsson, and whilst it does display many of Carl's works its real charm for us was the interior design of Karin that has had a large influence on a lot of Scandinavian style that followed. For us this was the real highlight of the area so if you are in the area it is well worth heading to the house.

Falun certainly shows the effect and influence that heavy industry can have on a landscape, and whilst it didn't really enthral me it was certainly a worthwhile visit. However for us it was two associated sites that I connected with more and could see their wider influence.

[Site 3: Experience 4]