Church architecture, historic wooden buildings and waterside trails give Leksand several distinct highlights. Near Leksand Church are the Hembygdsgårdar, with wooden buildings dating from different centuries. The trails range from the 4 km Solvändan circular trail to the approximately 41.3 km Leksandsturen Nord cycling route. The Midsummer festival is another reason to plan a trip.

Church, wooden buildings and folk costumes

Leksand Church is one of Sweden’s few five-aisled churches and is among the country’s largest rural churches. Near the church, Leksands Hembygdsgårdar comprises many wooden buildings dating from different centuries. They include Dalarna’s oldest Hembygdsgård. Gattu-stuggu is a specific example of historic building methods: this two-storey Parstuga building was built in 1793.

Leksands Kulturhus also has a permanent folk costume exhibition. Together with the church architecture and historic buildings, it offers a cultural focus with a variety of themes, from construction and its history to traditional dress.

Midsummer and leisure activities

Leksand’s Midsummer festival features church boats, folk musicians, circle dances and bright summer nights. Around 30,000 visitors come to Leksand each year to celebrate; the number may vary.

Leksand Sommarland offers a different kind of leisure activity, with 48 attractions and activities, including a water park and carousels. Individual offerings may change. The Midsummer festival and Sommarland are therefore two distinct options to consider when planning a trip; they should not be understood as a joint programme.

Trails and cycling routes

Most marked trails in Leksand follow old fäbod trails. People and livestock wore these paths as they travelled to and from the fäbodar. Limsjön runt, by contrast, is a newly built, gravel-surfaced trail. The routes described here therefore range from historic paths to a new gravel trail.

Solvändan is a 4 km circular trail. It starts and ends at Leksandsbron in the centre of Leksand and runs along the Österdalälven River and the shore of Lake Siljan. At approximately 41.3 km, Leksandsturen Nord is considerably longer; the cycling route starts at Kyrkallén in Leksand Noret. Check the current conditions on this route before setting out.

Fifty villages around Leksand are spread across four different cycling routes. This offers a different perspective for choosing a route than focusing on just one individual stretch: the routes cover a larger number of villages. By contrast, Solvändan’s length and start and end points are clearly defined. When comparing cycling routes, you can therefore weigh a specific route against a broader selection.

Seasonal crispbread offering

In summer, Leksands Knäckebröd’s Knäckerian serves crispbread pizza made with its own crispbread. The offering is seasonal; check current opening information before visiting.

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

Return to the main travel overview: Leksand.