Los: Cultural History, Mining and Trails

Los combines traces of cultural history, mining heritage and selected trails to create a destination with a range of options for planning your day. At its centre is Loos Koboltgruva. There, you can experience an authentic underground mining environment from the 18th century; in summer, guided tours take place every hour on the hour. Anyone interested in the history of the village will find a tangible introduction to Los’s past here.

Culture and Mining in Los

The industrial history dates back to the 1730s. At that time, cobalt was mined and processed and glass was produced in Los under the direction of Henric Kahlmeter. This development is one of the defining historical themes of the village and can be combined with visits to other cultural sites.

Loos Hembygdsgård is a cultural-historical site by Kyrkbytjärn. The bakery can also be rented there, for example for baking tunnbröd, pizza or sweet yeast buns. In addition to its historical context, the site therefore offers a practical opportunity to engage with baking traditions rooted in the region.

Los kyrka is also part of the local history. The first version was a simple, towerless hall church built around 1816 according to plans by the Överintendentsämbetet. The Loos-staken chandeliers have a special connection to the church: they are newly made from birch wood, based on an original found in the attic of Los kyrka. The chandeliers are hand-painted and sold in Los kyrka.

Hiking and Cycling Around Los

For active days, various routes are available in clearly different formats. Kalmeterslingan is a 7.2-kilometre mountain-biking trail through the centre of Los. It passes through the history of the local community and mining, combining physical activity with a historical theme.

Longer hiking connections are also possible. Finnmarksleden, together with Hamraleden, begins at Loos Hembygdsgård and leads via Hamra National Park to the World Heritage Site of Fågelsjö Gammelgård Bortom Åa. Hälsingeleden includes an approximately 15-kilometre hiking section between Los and Hedbäcken. The different lengths and routes help you tailor your choice to your own plans for the day, without combining different trails into a single route.

Ljusdal Municipality, together with volunteers, recommends hiking trails in Los as well as in Kårböle, Ramsjö, Färila, Järvsö and Ljusdal. Around Los, Orsa Finnmark offers deep forests and tranquil lakes. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish between cultural-historical destinations in the village, a mountain-biking trail and hiking experiences focused on the landscape.

Los as a Starting Point for Planning Your Trip

If you are looking for accommodation in Los, it is worth first considering which experiences should be the focus of your stay. Koboltgruva and Los kyrka are particularly appealing to travellers who want to combine mining, local history and ecclesiastical culture. Those who prefer physical activity can include the 7.2-kilometre Kalmeterslingan or a section of one of the hiking trails mentioned above in their plans. The surrounding landscape of deep forests and tranquil lakes adds a natural perspective to this selection.

To compare other destinations in this selection, you can also visit Bergvik, Strömbacka, Furuvik and Åshammar.

For the broader travel overview: Gävleborg.