Dala Husby: Husbyringen, Culture and History

Dala Husby brings together nature and culture with historic sites along the Dalälven. The Husbyringen runs through Husby-Smedby and offers a way to explore outdoor activities and the history of the area together. When planning your stay, you can consider whether to focus more on cycling, the river landscape or historic sights.

The Husbyringen and outdoor activities

The Husbyringen is Sweden’s first ecomuseum and a 60-kilometre nature and culture trail that runs through Husby-Smedby. The Husbyringen offers opportunities for outdoor recreation, fishing and canoeing. Nature and culture are not separate themes here, but part of the character of the trail.

A 60-kilometre cycling tour along the Husbyringen is described for cyclists. It is considered easy and runs through flat terrain; the estimated duration is three to five hours. The distance and estimated time help you gauge the scope of the ride and fit it into your plans.

There is also a canoe route on the Dalälven that leads to Smedby. Husby Church stands on the north bank before the arch bridge in Smedby. After the bridge, Husby Kungsgård is on the south bank, and the canoe route leads there. The sequence of river, bridge and historic sites provides clear landmarks along this stretch.

Husby Church on the Dalälven

Husby Church on the Dalälven probably dates from the late 12th century. It houses the only surviving Romanesque baptismal font in Dalarna and has one of Sweden’s best-preserved 18th-century organs. Its charnel house is also one of the few surviving charnel houses in the diocese. The font and organ offer different historical perspectives within the same church.

Royal estate, law and regional history

Husby Kungsgård was the northernmost of the Uppsala King’s “Husabyar”. The Dalalagen was written at the royal estate in the 13th century. The history of the royal estate can be seen in a wider regional context: in the early Middle Ages, Husby parish was an administrative centre for southern Dalarna and is one of the oldest farming areas in Dalarna. The royal estate and the parish therefore point to different scales of history—the individual site and the wider region.

Dala-Husby Hembygdsgård offers another way to explore local heritage. Klockargården houses a tailor’s workshop and a school museum. Both provide a tangible connection to craft and school life, while Husby Church and Husby Kungsgård primarily bring the ecclesiastical and legal history into view.

A traditional recipe is also part of local history: Bensupa is a recipe from Smedby in Dala Husby, recorded in 1906. This food tradition adds a connection to everyday life to the themes of the church, royal estate and historical administration.

Planning your stay

The “Visit Dalarna – Travel Guide” app includes a map, information, audio illustrations and stories about the Husbyringen. The map helps you find your way, while the audio and stories offer further ways to explore the trail’s themes. You can use it to discover the nature and culture trail while planning your trip.

Bus route 21 connects Hedemora, Husby, Långshyttan and Stjärnsund. If you plan to use this connection for your journey, check the current timetable before departure. Together with the cycling and canoeing activities described, Dala Husby offers several different ways to explore the area: a cycling tour with an estimated duration, a route on the Dalälven and historic sites connected to a story stretching from early administrative history to the 18th century.

For the wider travel overview: Hedemora.