Paddle

Explore Falun’s waterways by paddle and discover lakes and rivers rich in history and natural beauty. From Lake Varpan to Sundbornsån, each route offers unique stories and scenic views.

Lake Varpan

Lake Varpan is a pear-shaped lake north of Falun, about 4 km long and about 3 km wide. The name comes from "Varpa" which means throw. Maybe they cast nets when fishing in the lake in the olden days or maybe it refers to the many piles of slag, so-called mine and slag heaps, that are around the lake. Around Lake Varpan there are several miners' estates, slag heaps and the remains of cabins. The farms are today privately owned but are fine examples of how the miners and their families, who owned shares in the mine, lived. The tour around Varpan is approximately 10 km.

Lake Runn

Lake Runn was formerly used as a transport route for copper and ore. The transports took place in winter with sledges into Falun via Runn and during the rest of the year with the help of the so-called Runnskuts. The barges could load up to 50 tons and were wide with a flat bottom, which worked well in shallow waters. In addition to ore and raw copper, large quantities of wood were also transported with the help of the schooners. The tour around Runn is approximately 17 km.

Sundbornsån

Sundbornsån is the name of the river between the lakes Toftan and Hosjön. In the early 17th century, the Sundbornsån region experienced a boom when the rapids in the area were used for copper mining. About ten smelters were built and more and more farmers became miners.

The Sundbornsån is approximately 6.5 km long, but if you continue to Roxnäs cape via Hosjön, the distance is 12 km in total.