Vattnets väg: Puttbo-Kråkmyran-Källslätten

This 12-kilometer round trip is part of the three-mile-long trail system "Vattnets väg till gruvan" west of Falun. The loop is a perfect day trip that offers both beautiful nature and a lot of cultural history. A hike here is a good way to gain insight into how the Falun mine has affected the landscape even at great distances from Stora Stöten itself. Along the trail you will find information signs that tell you about the mine's need for hydroelectric power and the ways it was solved several hundred years ago.

Along the way you will also pass several beautiful and peaceful places. One is the viewing bench on Igeltjärnsberget, where on clear days you can see Falun in the distance. Another is the small marsh Kråkmyran where there is a windbreak and fireplace. You will also come to Källslätten, a former mountain manor where only garden and farmland remain today. Källslätten has been designated a Natura 2000 site because it has become an important habitat for many plants and animals that have been displaced by modern forestry and agriculture.

The tour is mainly in woodland. At Hemmingsbo and Källslätten, the forest opens up and turns into pastures. The surface along the trail consists partly of paths and partly of gravel roads. A good starting point is Puttbo bergsmansgård where there is a large parking lot. Feel free to walk counterclockwise and expect some hills. The ascent over Igeltjärnsberget is particularly noticeable. The height you take here you get again during the last kilometers of the hike when you go a lot downhill back to the starting point.

Those who wish can extend the hike slightly by going via Säljebo and Karsbotjärnen. The extra loop provides more hiking on the path and you pass another windbreak next to the shore of Karsbotjärn.