The world-famous Swedish horse is from Dalarna

The Dala horse is hand-carved and then hand-painted in the traditional folk art style Dalarna is known for, called ‘kurbits’. The Dala horse became world-famous at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and has been a Swedish icon ever since.

You can buy the wooden horse everywhere in Sweden, but it has its roots in the village of Nusnäs outside of Mora in Dalarna. In the factory, you can follow its journey from a piece of wood to a finished horse very closely, as well as talk to the skilled craftsmen who work there.

The ancestor of today’s Dala horse was born in the 18th century when foresters, away from home, would sit by the fire in dark winter evenings and carve horses for their children at home. During the 1830s the Dala horse started getting decorated with the traditional kurbits-style pattern.

In 1928, the brothers Nils and Jannes Olsson revived this 18th century handicraft. Ever since then genuine Dala horses have been made in the Olsson workshop in Nusnäs. Nowadays it is possible to get your own DIY carving kit (including band-Aids) or try painting your own Dala horse, right there in the factory.