Santaworld, Christmas theme park in Gesunda, Sweden
Santaworld is a theme park on Gesunda Mountain south of Mora, covering 18 hectares with eight fairy-tale worlds, including Trollrike, Drakland, Skogstomtebyn, Älvornas riken, Sagotorget, Gläntan, Skugglandet and Förtrollade skogen. It also contains Tomtens by, with Santa's and Mrs. Claus's houses, the workshop and Mrs. Claus's bistro.
Santaworld opened on 8 December 1984 on Gesunda Mountain, initiated by Mora municipal commissioner Lennart Thorslund to boost tourism in the Siljan region. After recurring financial difficulties and several changes of owner, the Grönklitt group bought the park in 2008. Camilla and Tommy Collett acquired it before the 2018 summer season and expanded its theatre ensemble and themed areas.
The park's eight story worlds draw on Nordic mythology and fantasy, with realms such as Trollrike, Drakland and Älvornas riken. In Tomtens by, children write wish lists for Santa and the youngest can leave their pacifiers. The characters and settings come from Swedish folk tales rather than imported Christmas imagery.
The park operates with different programs depending on the season, running Christmas activities from November through December and summer offerings from June to August. Check the season before visiting to see which attractions and performances are available.
The park appears in the music video for Shakin' Stevens's 1985 single "Merry Christmas Everyone", filmed there a year after it opened. The clip shows the snowy wooden buildings and mountain setting of Gesunda.
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