Anders Ahlgren
Anders Ahlgren is chair of the Dalarna Regional Development Council and a local government commissioner in Gagnef.
There is always room in one of our many unique villages for you, your granny, your rock band and your horse.
I always feel proud when I introduce myself in various contexts and explain that I live and work in Dalarna. I am sure I share this pride with a great many of my fellow residents of Dalarna. And, hand on heart – show me any other landscape that can present such a strong brand.
But there are plenty of other things I should tell you about our part of the world. We are the fourth largest exporting county in Sweden and very few other Swedish counties can match our enterprise sector. We are also one of the most popular visitor destinations in Sweden, with many tourist initiatives now in the process of being implemented. That we are the seventh largest county in Sweden in terms of population is a surprise to some people. We are here to help consistently communicate these kinds of facts that demonstrate that Dalarna is doing rather well, thank you.
If I were to describe Dalarna to someone who has never lived here before, I would use words from my own part of the county, that genuinely communicate a feel of what life is like here in Dalarna:
“Encountering Gagnef makes you immediately feel at home. It is more than a place where rivers meet roads, it is where you meet the real Dalarna, your children’s schoolteacher, your neighbours, village association members and people from healthcare advice and consultation bodies. Which all adds up to a sense of security and commitment whatever stage of life you are at.
There is always room in one of our many unique villages for you, your granny, your rock band and your horse.”
Which is what I call quality of life.