Living in Falun

For my third year studying at DU, I decided to move to Falun, for various reasons. I have to say, I LOVE it!!!! This is no exaggeration! I love how you can be in your student accommodation, which is close to three supermarkets, and a health clinic as well as three bus stops on your doorstep. What’s more, you’re never far away from nature.

The accommodation I live in is where most students living in Falun either choose to live in or are given an apartment in. It’s called Britsen (or Britsarvet) and consists of one or two person apartments on either ground floor or the first floor (floor 1 or 2 to Swedes- a cultural difference to me!) with own en suite bathrooms. On the first floor (or floor 2) you share a communal kitchen per corridor, but have your own room and bathroom. On the ground floor (or floor 1) however, you have your own kitchenette. Everyone shares laundry rooms which you can book five times per month, with a two hour slot per use, containing two washing machines and two dryers. You can also book the sauna and rent storage space if you need extra room for your belongings.

The apartments are seemingly quite secure, with an individualised electronic key tab granting access to your room, corridor, laundry room and sauna/storage room/bicycle room.
You pay a set rate per month and then a bill is sent separately for water and electricity used per month. Heating and internet access is included in the set rate per month; not charged separately. You just have to buy a router if you want wireless internet access.

Only a five minute walk away from Britsen is Bojsenburg Beach and lake, with a grill area for barbeques! It’s a very relaxing area, with mini golf and many dog walkers.

If you walk a bit further (or the bus to town also stops here), you come to a very pretty area with traditional wooden houses and buildings. I thought it was well worth a photo opportunity, especially with the beautiful Autumnal colours we currently have!

The buses are also very convenient, running approximately every half an hour and run by Dalatrafik. More in-depth information on local public transportation options will come in a future blog post, as there’s quite a bit of information and some personal experiences which are perhaps worth knowing, as they contain handy tips!

I would so far recommend Falun as a place to live, even if there is a small commute to the university. I have done this route many times and it is very scenic, with a direct route from just around the corner from Britsen to DU’s Borlänge campus, if this is where you study. Alternatively, if you study at Falun campus, it’s ideal due to its proximity to bus routes taking you to the city and campus, as well as how close it is to nature spots and other activities.