Dalarna Museum in Falun has an exhibition of Dala Horses from different parts of the region through the ages. The brightly painted hand carved wooden ‘Dala Horse’ has become a global icon associated with the whole of Sweden rather than purely Dalarna. These traditional wooden horses are still made in the village of Nusnäs outside Mora. You can watch horses being carved and painted there. Dala horses were originally carved by forestry workers when they sat around the fire at the end of a hard day’s work. They carved horses, because the horse was a faithful workmate in forest, field and meadow. They took these wooden horses home as toys for their children. In the 19th Century, it became common practice to paint the horses in traditional Dalarna patterns.