Swedish Heritage at the Old Coppermine Fröå Gruva

The Old Mining Town – an Important Swedish Heritage Site

The story of Fröå Gruva started back in 1744, when Anna Larsdotter, showed a piece of copper from the rock to a local prospector, Anders Floor. Little did she know that this was the start of a mining operation that would last 170 years, affect over 600 people and in the process, become Jämtland County’s largest settlement and later, an important Swedish heritage site. The village housed a school and even had a hotel at its peak. Mining operations continued up until 1919, when it no longer was sustainable and filed for bankruptcy. Residents of the town remained for a further 50 years, until 1971, when the last permanent resident finally left their cabin and moved on.

A Well Visited Heritage Site

While Fröå Gruva may be considered a ghost village by definition, it is actually far from that. Nowadays it is a well visited Swedish heritage site rich in history and old buildings. During summers, the village comes alive with role playing actors, guided tours, plays and art, offering a representation of prosperous times gone by. The main road was named in honour of Anna Larsdotter and a tour into the mine is really impressive, particularly the 9,5 meter water wheel that has been restored to former function to turn and pump water out of the mine in a complex system that is best described as fluid art.

Walking around the Swedish heritage site of Fröå Gruva is easy going and informative with exhibits and displays for visitors.

The village is still used with all sorts of functions, despite the fact that it has no permanent residents. The old bakery spreads its mouth-watering scents of freshly baked flat breads during the summer months and the Gruvvinden cottage is used by musicians to play traditional music. The reconstructed mining mill houses souvenirs, historical artefacts and literature – exciting pieces of Swedish heritage. The old barracks are open and show what life was like for the working miners without families and the old crofts and farms are open in July during the annual mining festival. There is even a restaurant and café that in open for visitors to enjoy a meal or snack during their visit.