What can you do in Leksand in Dalarna? This gem by Lake Siljan has a lot to offer, whether you like history, culture, boat trips or nature. Here are all our top tips on things to see and do in Leksand.
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Leksand
Leksand is known, among other things, for organising Sweden's largest Midsummer celebration every summer, with around 30,000 visitors. Absolutely incredible! The town also attracts visitors with hockey, crafts and much more.
![](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_5247-1024x576.jpg.webp)
Leksand is located at the southern end of Lake Siljan, about 20 kilometres south of Rättvik.
What can you do in Leksand?
So what can you do in Leksand? There is a lot to see and discover! Here are our top tips for things to do in Leksand and the surrounding area.
1. Strolling in Leksand - among boats and cafés
First of all, you might want to experience the centre of Leksand, by strolling around. It's very nice at the quay towards Siljan, where you can spot beautiful old boats. There are also a bunch of nice cafés in town where you can stop, such as Café Allé and Siljan's patisserie.
![Att göra i Leksand - Café Allé](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7919-1024x583.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7897-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7892-1024x576.jpg.webp)
If you want to go a little further, you can follow Solvändan seafront promenade, which starts at the Leksand Bridge in the town centre and goes to Leksand Sommarland, a walk of about 4 kilometres. Back you can follow one of the paths in Lugnet-Barkdal nature reserve or follow the cycle path.
![Att göra i Leksand - Peter från FREEDOMtravel](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7928-1024x576.jpg.webp)
2. See Leksand's homesteads
Right next to Leksand church is Leksand's homestead, which is Dalarna's oldest homestead. There are a number of old-fashioned timber buildings that together form an open-air museum.
The church is also one of Sweden's largest rural churches. The oldest parts date from the 13th century, and the current exterior dates from 1715.
![Att göra i Leksand - kyrkan](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_5272-1024x575.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - hembygsgårdar](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7933-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - hembygdsgårdar](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7932-1024x576.jpg.webp)
We also found a nice viewpoint over Lake Siljan near the local farms.
![Att göra i Leksand - Helena från FREEDOMtravel](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7936-1024x576.jpg.webp)
3. Take a look inside Leksand's cultural centre and museum
In the centre of Leksand you will find Leksand cultural centre, where there is a library and museum. The museum houses the world's third largest collection of valley paintings, an interesting costume exhibition and various temporary exhibitions. The museum is completely free to visit. Definitely worth a visit!
![dalahästskinn](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8032-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - kulturhuset](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8039-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - museum](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8038-1024x576.jpg.webp)
4. Experience Sweden's largest Midsummer celebration
Sweden's largest Midsummer celebration is held every year in Sammilsdal (Gropen) in the centre of Leksand, with around 30,000 visitors. First, the fiddlers come in with church boats on the river. Later, the 26-metre-long, 800-kilo midsummer pole is erected. You can also count on singing, dancing and classical ringing. This must be powerful!
![Att göra i Leksand - Gropen](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7958-1024x576.jpg.webp)
5. visit Munthes Hildasholm
Hildasholm is the house in Leksand that was built by the doctor and author Axel Munthe, as a morning gift to his wife Hilda Pennington Mellor Munthe. Today it is a visitor centre with guided tours, a garden, a café, art exhibitions and various events. A visit here is very interesting and highly recommended!
![Att besöka Hildasholm](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_batch_IMG_E8031-1024x576.jpg.webp)
6. Watch a match with Leksand IF
Another thing you can do in Leksand is of course to watch a match with Leksand IF at their home arena, Tegera Arena.
![Tegera Arena](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7956-1024x576.jpg.webp)
7. Take a boat trip on Lake Siljan
You can also take a boat trip on Lake Siljan. We went on a shrimp cruise with M/S Gustaf Wasa, which was very nice. The trip, which took about three hours, went from Leksand to Rättvik and back. During the cruise we enjoyed a shrimp feast, with lots of shrimp, bread and cheese. Delicious and cosy!
You can also cruise with the steamship S/S Engelbrekt. The tours start in Leksand and go down the Österdal River to Morkarlön and back. During the three-hour trip you can enjoy food and sometimes entertainment.
![Att göra i Leksand - M/F Gustaf Wasa](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8111-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![räkfrossa på M/F Gustaf Wasa](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8120-1-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7910-1024x576.jpg.webp)
8. Shop for delicacies at Laxbutiken
If you like fish, you can swing by Laxbutiken. The focus here is on seafood, but there are also other delicacies. Among other things, we bought smoked pepper salmon here. Very tasty!
![Laxbutiken vid Siljan](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7960-1024x576.jpg.webp)
9. Discover Naturum Dalarna
Dalarna Nature Centre is located on Björkberget in Siljansnäs, and from the viewing tower you have a fantastic view of Lake Siljan.
![Naturum Dalarna](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7832-576x1024.jpg.webp)
![](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/IMG_5249-644x1024.jpg.webp)
Naturum also has beautiful and thought-provoking exhibitions where you can learn about animals and nature in the area.
![Naturum Dalarna](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7835-1024x576.jpg.webp)
10. Coffee at Buffils Anna in Siljansnäs
Right next to Naturum Dalarna in Siljansnäs you will find the cosy café Buffils Anna. Here you can sit cosily in the garden and have coffee with a lovely view of Siljan. One of the most popular things to eat here is waffles with Skagenröra. Very good we can promise!
![Att göra i Leksand - Buffils Anna i Siljansnäs](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7851-1024x767.jpg.webp)
11. Ski at Granberget ski centre
Outside Leksand, you will also find the Granberget ski centre. Now, in summer, this is a green slope filled with meadow flowers. In winter, this is a popular destination for both downhill and cross-country skiing.
![Granbergets skidanläggning](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7857-1024x576.jpg.webp)
12. Shop at Leksand's crispbread
Leksand's crispbread has a large shop, which is well worth a visit. Here you will find lots of crispbread, but also a wide range of souvenirs and other delicacies. There is also a "knäckeria" where you can buy a crisp sandwich or a crisp pizza. If you come by motorhome, you can stay overnight in the car park free of charge, without service.
![FREEDOM husbil](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7890-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - knäckeria](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7887-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - knäckebröd](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7888-1024x576.jpg.webp)
13. Check out the Clas Ohlson museum in Insjön
Did you know that Clas Ohlson started its first store in Insjön in Leksand, or that it all started as a bicycle workshop and a mail order company in 1918? Insjön is still home to a large Clas Ohlson store, as well as a museum telling the company's history and a café.
Right next to Clas Ohlson you will also find a lot of other shops, as well as the mini museum The Åhlén Pavilion, which tells the story of "the enterprising Insjön". It was not only Clas Ohlson that was founded here, but also several other companies, such as Åhléns.
![Att göra i Leksand - Clas Ohlson](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7882-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - Clas Ohlson museum](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7884-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Att göra i Leksand - Clas Ohlson museum Insjön](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7885-1024x576.jpg.webp)
14. Have fun at Leksand Summerland
Leksand sommarland is more than just a campsite. There is a large water park and lots of other activities such as a high ropes course, zipline, carousels and trampolines. There are also a number of different restaurants.
![Att göra i Leksand - sommarland](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_DJI_0313-1024x576.jpg.webp)
15. Visit Tällberg and Tällberg campsite
Tällberg is an incredibly charming village with beautiful traditional wooden houses and great views of Lake Siljan. This is probably Sweden's most hotel-dense village - there are no less than eight hotels here. There are also plenty of restaurants and craft shops.
Tällberg is also home to Tällberg Camping, which is a relatively simple, but incredibly beautifully located campsite right next to the shores of Lake Siljan.
![Tällbergs camping](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8047-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Tällbergs camping](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8051-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Tällbergs camping](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8052-1024x575.jpg.webp)
16. Admire the church bridge in Dala-Floda
A little south of Leksand you will find Dala-Floda with its beautiful church bridge. At 158 metres, the church bridge is Sweden's longest wooden suspension bridge for car traffic. The bridge was built in 1922, destroyed by fire in 1980, but rebuilt and inaugurated by the royal couple in 1983.
You can drive over the bridge with a car, as long as the car weighs a maximum of 2 tonnes. So we parked our motorhome next to it just to check out this beautiful bridge.
![Kyrkbron i Dala-Floda](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7860-1024x576.jpg.webp)
17. check out the river meeting
A little south of Leksand, you'll also find Älvmötet, or the "Association of Rivers", as the place can also be called. Here the Västerdalälven and Österdalälven rivers meet, and then continue together as the Dalälven.
![Älvmötet eller Älvarnas förening](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7875-1024x576.jpg.webp)
18. Drive the tourist route between Leksand and Rättvik
If you are not in a hurry, you can choose to drive the tourist route between Rättvik and Leksand, which goes via Laknäs, Tällberg and Plintsberg. Very charming and very much Sweden and Dalarna!
![Turistvägen i Dalarna](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8044-1024x576.jpg.webp)
More to do in Leksand for those who like culture and history
There is of course even more to see and do in Leksand than our tips. Here are some more suggestions for those who like culture and history.
- Alfvén Farm showcases the beautiful 1940s home of composer and artist Hugo Alfvén in Leksand.
- Djura homestead has ceiling and wall paintings by the valley painter Jufwas Anders Ersson.
- Holens old farm is the home of the conservationist, artist and architect Gustaf Ankarcrona, with buildings from the 17th-18th centuries.
- Jobs Hand printing creates beautiful hand-printed interior textiles with floral patterns.
- Ljusbodarnas fäbod is one of Leksand's largest sheep farms, with sheep and sometimes programmes.
![](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7915-1024x576.jpg.webp)
More to do in Leksand for nature lovers
Here you will find even more suggestions for things to do in Leksand, for those who enjoy nature.
- Bathing places There are many, including Helgbobadet, Opplimen and Styrsjön.
- Golf can be played at Leksand Golf Club or Tällberg Golf Club.
- Japanese Park is located just north of Hildasholm and Leksand church.
- Canoe is a wonderful way to experience Siljan, can be hired via Siljan Kajak & Äventyr.
- Leksand tours is a bike ride that starts at Kyrkallén and is 30-40 kilometres long depending on the distance.
- Nature reserve there are several, such as Hundhagen, Storheden, Sätra Hasselskog, Vaverön and Storön.
![Tällbergs golfklubb](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7943-1024x576.jpg.webp)
Where can you stay in Leksand, or park your campervan?
In Leksand there are of course several different accommodation options, both in and around the resort. Among other things, there are eight hotels in beautiful Tällberg! If you, like us, are travelling by motorhome, there are also many different options. We spent a total of five nights here, in five different places. Here you will find some possibilities:
- Fornby long pier rest area, Siljansnäs (nice view, toilet available, free but the association asks for optional Swish contribution)
- Leksand crispbread parking, Gärde stationvägen 11 (free one night, no service)
- Leksand Summerland, Siljansvägen 75
- Car parks at Leksand's homesteads (several motorhomes were parked here, you have to check parking rules in different places)
- Tällberg campsite, Sjögattu 44, Tällberg (relatively simple campsite, but beautiful location, nice service and good value)
- Tällbergs golf club car park, Plintsberg Ålängsvägen 21, Tällberg (slightly more expensive than Tällbergs camping but less service, one toilet and one shower available)
- Västanviksbadets campsite, Västanvik Siljansnäsvägen 130
![Fornby Långbrygga rastplats](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8062-1024x576.jpg.webp)
![Tällbergs golfklubb ställplats](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E7942-1024x576.jpg.webp)
More to see and do near Leksand
Based in Leksand, you can of course take the opportunity to experience the rest of The Siljan region. You can visit Mora, Orsa and Rättvik. In Mora, above all, you don't want to miss Zorngården and the Zorn Museum. You can also go to Borlänge and Falun, and experience attractions such as Falu mine and The Carl Larsson farm.
![Rättvik grå häst](https://www.freedomtravel.se/wp-content/webp-express/webp-images/uploads/2024/07/batch_IMG_E8285-1024x576.jpg.webp)
More tips on things to do in Leksand?
Have you visited Leksand? Do you have any other suggestions for what to see and do in Leksand? Please tell us!
Facts about Leksand in Dalarna
- Landscape: Dalarna
- County: Dalarna County
- Municipality: Leksand municipality
- Location: Leksand is located at the southern end of Lake Siljan, in Dalarna.
- Population: Just over 16 000 (2024)
- The name: 'Play' refers to the whitefish playing in the water. "Sand" describes the sandy beach.
History in Leksand
- Early history: People have lived in the area since the Stone Age.
- 13th century: The oldest parts of the present church date from this period.
- 17th century: An inn was built, as well as a floating bridge over the Dalälven.
- 19th century: The village of Noret (today the area around the centre of Leksand) expanded as a small centre for trade in the area. There was also a harbour for steamboat traffic on Lake Siljan.
- 1914: Leksand got a railway station.
Lena in Wales and a bit everywhere says:
Oh, what fun to come to Leksand.
Spent a lot of time in Dalarna in childhood and adolescence and in Orsa in early adulthood.
I would love to come back. You had slightly different interests as a teenager than you have today. However, I saw several ice hockey matches, there was someone on the team there who attracted me.
Take care!
17 July 2024 - 10:06
Helena says:
What fun that you appreciated the post Lena! Yes, of course, you have some other interests at that time, in your teens ... 😉
17 July 2024 - 19:20
bmlarstravellingblog says:
The places around Siljan are so beautiful each in your own way but we almost think Tällberg is the most cosy. We have been there both a couple of days at Åkerbladhs in the middle of winter and in summer with the motorhome.
17 July 2024 - 18:09
Helena says:
Yes, it is nice everywhere! Can probably agree that Tällberg is extra nice! We have never really stopped there (except at the campsite), but of course passed by with the car back and forth many times. Incredibly charming!
17 July 2024 - 19:22