Whenever I say I live in this magical little city, I get asked by Swedish locals, Borlänge?? You live in Borlänge?? Why??. This is a city with a nationally recognized bad reputation. I guess I can understand why; it has the proud title of “The Ugliest City in Sweden,” and it is infamous for having organized criminal gangs. So why do locals love it so much?
Where Is Borlänge?
Borlänge is a city of around 52,000 people, which is 215 km north-west of Stockholm. Geographically this is by no means in the “North” of Sweden. It still lies almost 700 km (434 miles) south of the midpoint of Sweden, but socially and culturally many residents of Sweden believe us to live in the beginning of The North.
Just like Game of Thrones, The North brings with it connotations of being somewhat icy, cold, and remote. This is somewhat true. Sweden has around 10 million people, and 9 million people live to the south of Borlänge, with many residing in the more famous cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö.
Borlänge has the most southerly developed ski resort (Romme Alpin) and is in the picturesque county of Dalarna. This is the place where all of your imaginings about Sweden come true. Cute red houses, with white window frames, rolling hills, large forests, and beautiful lakes. All of this freezes in the winter where we enjoy temperatures as low as -30. The crisp, clean, icy air can be enjoyed during a cross-country ski excursion, ice skating on one of the many frozen lakes, ice fishing, or skiing. It is an outdoor adventure playground.
So, Why is Borlänge Considered Ugly?
The main reason for the title of the “Ugliest City” was that ARKITEKTURUPPRORET, or the Architectural Revolt NGO completed a poll entitled the “Uglification of Cities” and 35,000 people voted and subsequently decided that Borlänge is the ugliest. Many critics claimed that industrialized working-class towns have been targeted in this poll and this, of course, inspired some of the lyrics of local punk musicians.
The main reason for this view is that there is a steel factory, a paper factory, a (soon-to-be) battery factory, and many other typical working-class industries within the town. The subsequent impact on the landscape is that the center of the town is very dull with little color and very functional buildings. And then, there is the ever-present plume of smoke churning out of the steel factory chimneys which turns the sky an eerie orange color on a cloudy night. Locals are sure it is because we are closer to the North Pole, but I am absolutely sure this is not the case. However, it does highlight the stoic pride of the people who live in this city.
Is it Really That Ugly?
In short, no.
The areas around the steel factory are ugly, but as a whole, Borlänge is a beautiful place with a large river (the Dalälven) running through the heart of the city. There are many green spaces, open fields, and forests to enjoy.
There are many traditional seasonal activities to do, including celebrating midsummer (a huge Swedish celebration in Dalarna) where people erect their midsummer poles, drink schnapps, eat pickled herring, dress in traditional clothing, and dance around the midsummer pole while singing songs.
In the Autumn many people go foraging for mushrooms, lingonberries, and blueberries. They also have “crayfish parties” where people celebrate the cray fishing season (there are millions of them in the Dalälven River which are caught and eaten every year). Then there is Easter, Christmas, National Day, May 1st (protest day), and many other smaller celebrations. People in Dalarna love an excuse to open a bottle of schnapps, eat a smögåsbord, and uphold Swedish traditions.
The Most Criminal City in Sweden
Many people would be surprised to know that Sweden has more deaths by shooting than any other country in Europe. That is not even per capita, but TOTAL. This came as a shock to me when I moved here, and I later discovered that there is a huge criminal gang network. One of the oldest and perhaps most infamous organized criminal gangs comes from Borlänge. Their names are La Familjen or The Family. They are no longer prevalent in Borlänge, but their criminal legacy lives on, with many people still having a negative view of the city.
Many people who you speak to from other cities in Sweden have never been to Borlänge, yet have a very negative view of the city based on the title of being both ugly and criminal. However, along with being neither of these things, there is a magical creativity within the citizens of the city. Many are musical, artistic, and passionate about creativity. It has thus produced some nationwide talents and I believe there are more yet to come.
Hand in Hand With Jussi
The music scene in Borlänge has a relatively long history, and one of the most famous people from this tiny city is Jussi Bjöling who was an opera singer who has performed in many famous operas at the Swedish Royal Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and the London Royal Opera. In the center of Borlänge, there is a statue of Jussi Bjöling and at certain times of the year, he is hooked up to a speaker and his songs are played throughout the town.
One of the interesting artists to watch is ALVA. She is a Borlänge local and attends the music school there. The music school has a fantastic reputation and is notoriously difficult to get into, especially with the amount of talent there is in Borlänge. She has a song that translates to “Jussi in the hand when everything sucks,” highlighting local singers’ devotion to music and the comfort it gives to the people of this small town.
Other artists coming from Borlänge include Miss Li, Mundo Diao, Sugarplum Fairy, Monica Mac, and Sator. Although these might not be known internationally, the musical talent of these national names is unquestionable and I would urge anybody interested to check them out.
The center of the town, along with a huge music shop staffed by a Sideshow Bob-looking character with oodles of experience and passion, Borlänge also has House of Blues. This is a bar that plays live music 3-4 nights a week, and considering the town is only made up of 52,000 people, that is quite incredible!
Every year there is the Alive Festival which was previously called “Peace and Love” and has hosted international stars like Rhianna and Jay Z! Although Rhianna did come on stage and apologize for a tragedy that happened in “our country” — the country she meant was actually Norway, showing that she didn’t even seem to know how she ended up there. That’s the magic of the place!
The Art Scene — The Berets!
“Baskrarna” or “The Berets” is an interesting art group who have been working out of Borlänge for 25 years. Originally they started as a group of friends who had a passion for art and champagne, and this developed into a strict club with rules and regular meetings. It is somewhat Mason-esque in its approach, whereby members have a uniform and a very particular way of doing things.
They meet once a month and they must attend a meeting wearing their berets. If they do not, they have to pay a fine to the “champagne kitty.” They must also be on time, otherwise, — more money into the kitty. They must also have their phones on silent, otherwise…you get the idea.
Each meeting consists of a discussion about what will be the theme for their next meeting while drinking champagne. The theme might be, for example, “paraphrase” and during the next meeting, they will then paint or create something that is a paraphrase of another famous painting. They have been doing this for 25 years, so they have had to be creative with many different themes over the years.
The day commences with more wine, champagne, and painting and then finishes with a vernissage and a critique of each other’s work. This art is then sold at different events (they normally hold exhibitions four times a year), and then 10% of the money from any of the art sold is put into a fund to pay for art trips around Europe. The range of art produced is wide, with some artists being more abstract, and some being so precise that it is hard to tell the difference between a photograph and a painting. There are also artists who create sculptures, dolls, and installations.
The group is very exclusive and they can invite guest members to join for a session or two, but to become a permanent member of the group, a person must be voted in unanimously by the whole group. Just to set the scene — there have been some fantastic artists who have been turned away, because of their inability to keep up with the champagne drinking!
The Future of “The City of Dreams”
Many locals refer to Borlänge as the “City of Dreams” and I can see why. The people here have started on a back foot in terms of reputation and economic opportunities in the past. However, the steel factory, SSAB, is still the biggest employer and offers excellent wages and benefits. The town is also soon to be home to NorthVolt—a battery production company—and with it, many international workers. This means that a new English-speaking school and college will open. This means that, along with the presence of Dalarna University in Borlänge, I predict that the town will grow into a cool, student, hipster city very soon!
All of the necessary features are there — the music, the art, the passion, and the strong sense of pride in coming from working-class roots. This really is a city where dreams are made.
