If you’d like to shape your stay around village history and rural building traditions, Djura offers several specific themes: an unusual settlement pattern, older farmsteads and buildings with local histories. The walking trail along the Djurån also explores the area’s former use of water power.

The Landscape Around Djura

South of Djura, a large open cultural landscape stretches across gently rolling, expansive sandy soils. In the area around Djura, the Djurån and Svartån form steeper ravines near the Österdalälven. These are known as “sjölar”. The two types of landscape are clearly distinct: the open cultural landscape lies south of the village, while the ravines are found in its surrounding area.

Village Layout and Farmsteads

Djura preserves an unusually extensive village layout: a compact, clustered village is combined with a linear village along a road, and many older buildings have survived. The terms describe different settlement patterns—one grouped together, the other arranged along a road. In Djura, both patterns occur together, rather than the village following just one of these layouts.

The older farmsteads also give the history of local architecture a tangible shape. Several are enclosed on two or three sides; there is also one farmstead enclosed on all four sides. The number of enclosed sides is a clear feature that helps describe the different farmstead layouts.

Hembygdsgård and Building History

The buildings at Djura Hembygdsgård are grouped around a courtyard and were moved here from various villages in Djura. They showcase the region’s traditional rural architecture from the 17th and 19th centuries. This makes it possible to explore, in one place, buildings from two different centuries and their shared rural building traditions.

Nises källarstuga dates from the mid-18th century. Its interior is entirely decorated with Dalmålningar on the wall panels. Hembygdsgård was established in the early 1930s as a result of a local initiative to prevent Nises källarstuga from being sold outside the village. The building’s history and local community involvement are therefore part of the same story of the place.

The Walking Trail Along the Djurån

The walking trail along the Djurån is an approximately 2 km-long route with a marked path, descriptive information boards and simple rest stops. It brings the area’s former water-powered businesses and facilities to life, including ironworks, mills, sawmills, smithies and fulling mills. The trail therefore combines a short walk with an introduction to the former use of water power. Check access and trail conditions before your walk.

Church, Chapel and Local Memory

A bronze statue of Vackra Carin has stood by Djura kyrka since autumn 2016. Djura kyrka is open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; on weekends, it is open in connection with services and concerts. Check opening times before your visit.

Djura kapell is a hall church. On several gravestones in Djura’s cemetery, a name appears as a farm name on one stone and as a family name on another. This connection has very high cultural-historical value and adds to the understanding of the importance of farm names in local tradition.

Sommarfesten

Sommarfesten, held on the Hembygdsgård grounds, is an annual tradition. The programme includes music, singing and speakers, followed by coffee. The exact date varies from year to year. If you’d like to include the festival in your travel plans, check the dates for the relevant year.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Siljansnäs, Hjortnäs, Leksand, Insjön, Tällberg.

Go to the main travel guide: Leksand.