Falun - Falu Mine

On the southwest side of Falun is the Falu Mine (Falu Gruva), which is reached by way of Gruvgatan. The opencast workings extend over an area 400m/440yd by 350m/380yd and are up to 95m/310ft deep; below this the underground workings go down to a depth of 450m/1,475ft. In the middle of the 17th century the mine produced some 3,000 tons of crude copper annually, or about two-thirds of total world output at that time. Its total output to date amounts to some 500,000 tons. The collapse of underground galleries in 1687, 1833 and 1876 led to the decline of this "treasurehouse of the realm" and to the development of the present opencast workings (Stora Stöten), which yield mainly iron pyrites, zinc and lead (annual output of ore about 150,000