Malung


Malung is a locality and the seat of Malung-Sälen Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,126 inhabitants as of 2010.

Overview

Malung is home to Malungs Folkhögskola, two kilometers south of the town centre. Specialized courses include folk music, dance, mountaineering, blacksmithing and health. Malung is also where the first DreamHack event took place.
Every week 29 Malung is host to Svenska dansbandsveckan, an annual dance festival that regularly brings over 3000 caravans as well as more than 80 performing bands to the community. Every year around 50000 tickets are sold.

History

Historically, Malung is known as the leather capital of Sweden, with its leather industry and several tanneries. Malung also has a proud and old tradition of so-called "skinners" or "skinnare": groups of leather merchants, tailors and tanners who would walk between villages to create and sell pelts, leather jackets and even shoes in exchange for accommodation and a modest pay.
The history of Malung as a village or settlement precedes local recorded history. It is however mentioned in the 13:th century tale "Sverres saga" that the norwegian king Sverre Sigurdsson rode through a town named "Molung" while passing through Jarnberaland in the year 1177. The locals were described as friendly and helpful although heathen due to their belief in Aesir faith or old Nordic religion. This makes Malung the first settlement in Dalarna to be recorded in text.
In addition to the locality's own history one of several millstone quarries can be found approximately five kilometers south-east of the town centre. The quarry is 1700 meters long, 50-170 meters wide and it has been active since the early viking age based on finds dated to the later half of the eighth century. Millstones cut in this quarry has been found as far south as Lund as well as in Mälardalen, most parts of Svealand and even Norway. The quarry is a culture reserve as of 2003.

Climate

Malung has a relatively moderate subarctic climate not far below continental. In comparison with areas further east in the county like Falun, temperatures are generally chilly. Cold extremes in particular are very cold by standards this far south in the country.

Notable people