More about this family friendly activity

Since the time of the Vikings, people have lived and cultivated the land around Gärdsjö. The village is situated north of Rättvik in Dalarna, in the heartland of Sweden. On this tour we travel slowly through the centuries. We will get a true picture of the people who lived and are still living here.

Along the main road, 301, between Rättvik and Furudal, there are more than 70 points of interest worth visiting, you will visit some of them, carefully selected by your guide. Our horse driver and guide Nina will show us around with her big and kind Ardennes horse, Nemo, who will pull our carriage.

Meteorite, horses, people and barns

Together with your guide you will explore this beautiful area formed by a meteorite impact 377 million years ago, by animals grazing and by human hands. We can only imagine the sweat and hard work needed to keep the landscape open and to grow food for the survival of humans and animals.

One of the most remarkable stops on the tour is at Blånnesladu. This barn was built over 700 years ago with timber from nearby forests and dates to 1294. It is mind-boggling to try to picture the 20 generations of peasants who have lived their lives here for more than seven centuries.

Butterfly safari and a picnic

On a warm and sunny summer day, the butterflies come out. Your guide is a trained butterfly expert and if the weather conditions are good you will register in your butterfly note book the ones you have seen: the Brimestone butterfly , the Orange-tip butterfly and the Tortoiseshell butterfly are the most common ones.

Our guide picks a beautiful setting for an outdoor lunch break, a spot for both us and the horse to enjoy. We will stop and have a lunch break. All our lunch options contain local products. In the picnic basket there will also be a thermos with coffee and tea as well as drinking water. (When booking you can discuss more specific details regarding the lunch).

The tour ends in the same place where we started.

Do you need more reasons to book your horse and carriage tour?

About the horse-drawn carriage ride

Gärdsjö is located in Northeast Dalarna (Dalecarlia), about 10 km north of Rättvik and about 25 km South of Furudal.

The horse-carriage is drawn by a kind Ardennes horse and the carriage is typical of local tradition. The price includes guided tours, horse and carriage transportation, lunch, a map and a note book for the butterfly safari.

Bring clothes suited to the weather such as sun protection for hot summer days, raincoat / poncho and boots or rubber boots if needed. The carriage has an overhead cover to protect against the rain or the sun on a warm day.

Please book the tour a week in advance and certainly no later than 16 hrs before the start of the tour (subject to availability). Contact Lotta Backlund at info@greenowltravel.com or 073-616 11 10

Motor home parking overnight: We recommend Rättviksgården, a centrally located hostel with fine parking pitches. Rättvik offers good local dining, festivities and entertainment, especially in the summer.

From there you can easily reach the meeting point and park. You can also take your bike (10 km) to Gärdsjö. Pick up by car is also available (ask for prices).

More information : www.greenowltravel.com and www.furudal.nu

Map and description of surroundings

You are very close to Dalhalla - an old limestone quarry turned into an internationally renowned music scene featuring attractive artistic performances in summer.

Siljan and Siljansringen are part of a circular water system consisting of Lake Siljan (Sweden's seventh largest lake), lake Orsa, river Ore, Skattungen and the lake Ore. The circular shape was created 377 million years ago when a meteorite hit the Earth.

For more information on the meteorite check out the Natural History Museum (Culture) in Rättvik, the visitor centre at Dalhalla or the waterfall Styggforsen in Boda.