Mora sits at the northern end of Lake Siljan, in the heart of Dalarna, the province that Swedes think of as the soul of the country. The lake, formed by a meteorite impact some three hundred and sixty million years ago, is nearly round, a huge ring of water set among forested hills, and the villages around its shore have kept their folk traditions: red-painted wooden houses, midsummer poles hung with flowers, and fiddlers in regional costume.
Mora is known for several things. The Vasaloppet, a cross-country ski race of ninety kilometers, finishes here every March, with thousands of skiers streaming down the main street. The race commemorates the winter of 1520, when Gustav Vasa, fleeing Danish troops, skied to Mora and rallied the Dalarna men to his cause, and he later became king. The painter Anders Zorn, one of Sweden's most famous artists, was born near Mora, and his house and museum are well worth a visit. The Mora knife, with its red wooden handle, is made here, too, and the Dala horse, the carved red wooden horse that became a national symbol, is made in Nusnäs, just outside town.
The riding around Siljan is a joy. A road circles the lake, through Rättvik, Leksand and Orsa, with gentle curves, views across the water and farmland on the hills, and the surface is excellent. Traffic is light apart from midsummer weekends, when the whole region comes alive with celebrations. Side roads climb to old summer farms, fäbodar, on the hills, where in past centuries women took cattle to graze for the summer.
Mora has fuel, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, and it is a good base. Orsa, north of town, has a bear park. The best months are June to August, with the midsummer festival in late June the high point, and September has golden light. Winter is long and snowy, and the season for riding is short. Elk and reindeer cross roads, and speed limits are strictly enforced, so ride with care in the forest stretches.