It only takes a few hours to travel back in time several hundred years!
The slopes “Stupränno”, “Tveråbåck” and “Grindbåck” up towards Lövberg are steep and long. Today we drive up, but imagine what it was like to walk up with all the animals. In the days of the farmstead, Lövberg was a vast place with well-tended fields and meadows. The farmstead was practically self-sufficient with its own grist mill in the river and a bakery with access to its own flatbread baking table. It was a large farmstead with roots in the mining industry in Flenberg and lots of witchcraft and sorcery.
Lövberg is located high and now that logging has taken place, the view towards Lake Siljan is magnificent.
The Fäboden consists of outer Lövberg, which you encounter first, and Upper Lövberg. The road then ends and a path leads through the pine forest towards the mythical Flenberget, associated with countless legends and stories. In the mid-18th century, copper ore was mined on Flenberget. We are on our way to Storgruvan, which awaits about 1.5 km further on.
The heavy winter snow has broken through a lot of forest, but the day before, a hunting party had been up and cleared it so that the path was passable. It goes steeply uphill so both legs and lungs have to work. Soon we reach a high plateau covered with gray lichen and coniferous forest. The path winds through rocks and boulders. Up here, the mountain was bare in the past. They cut down the trees and set them on fire when they mined the copper ore. The word “flen” means bare. Roughly like a bald head or flint skull.
The last part to the mine is very steep and difficult to access, but the view of forests, mountains, Lake Siljan and forest lakes is worth it. The Big Mine itself is located on the steep southern slope. Lots of brown-colored stone rubble reveal that we are approaching the opening. Behind a spruce branch hides a horizontal arch filled with water. The mine opening is about 3 x 3.5 m and the mine extends a full 20-25 meters into the rock. The water depth is estimated to be 1 - 1.5 m. There is no runoff.
How could they come up with the idea of mining ore here in this inhospitable place?
Mining began in the mid-18th century and then lay dormant for many years, only to be resumed in the 1890s, but for over 120 years the mine has lain quiet and deserted. The ore was transported by horse to smelters at S and N Fjärden and at Mångån. What hardships!
There are also two smaller mine shafts on Flenberget, but the Big Mine is the most dramatic.
A walk there is an experience and it is easy to keep your distance. It only takes a few hours to walk back several hundred years in time. There are several such walks to do in the parish.
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