 Photo: Copyright © Dalslands Turistråd The History of DalslandThe variation of the landscape in Dalsland is due to an unusually dramatic geological history. The Dalboplain is a 600 million year old plate of primary rock, the same kind which can also be found in the province of Västergötland. The Dalformation, which runs mainly through the eastern and central parts of the province, is remains of rock which was formed one thousand million years ago. About 12 000 years ago the inland ice began to melt and to uncover what had once been the bed of the ocean. This land was very fertile and excellent for hunting, fishing and eventually agriculture. Interesting archaeological finds have been made around Hästefjorden and they prove that already 8000 years ago people began to settle down in this area. On a small island in the lake Råvarpen, Bronze Age people made numerous rock carvings. The meaning of these still remain a mystery. In Håvesten, between 500 BC and 1050 AD, people from the Iron Age created one of the most stunning remains of that time. A large grave field with several Old Norse memorial stones of which the largest is about four metres high. With christianisation spreading through the 'wild North' and Vikings being converted, people began to build churches. In Dalsland you can find several, dating back to the years between 1100 and 1200 AD. Many of them have a beautiful exterior but some also have an interior which is equally breathtaking. During the earliest centuries the people of Dalsland were mostly small-scale farmers, craftsmen or foresters but in the late 17th and early 18th century one begun to explore the land for mining purposes. The first half of the 19th century was the era when mining flourished. Then came the years when there was a dramatic decline in business activity. The mining industry withered and instead paper-mills took over the scene. The access to streaming water which could be found everywhere in Dalsland made the industry come alive and profitable once again. In the 1870's the railway made its entry into Dalsland, an event which meant easier ways of communication and transport of people as well as goods. The Dalsland Canal also made communications easier and, at the same time, it was also regarded as a technological sensation. In the time between 1850-1900 Dalsland experienced a wave of emigration, mainly small-scale farmers trying to flee poverty and famine. The number of people leaving Dalsland for Norway or America, could be estimated to almost 64,000. In 1970 however, people began to move back to Dalsland due to the rapidly improving situation since several industries, such as those for motors and paper, began to rebuild factories and thus, to some extent, give the province back some of the industrial strength it had had over a hundred years ago.  Useful information Quiz game Contents About... E-mail |