The small town is best known for its historic silver mine, which is located about southwest of the town. It dates back to at least Medieval times, and was in operation until 1908. In 1624, the town of Sala was moved to its current location close to the mine, receiving its royal charter from King Gustavus Adolphus. The silver was important for Sweden's economy and the base for coin production. A total of 400 tonnes of silver was extracted, and 40,000 tonnes of lead; with at most 3-5 tonnes of silver during a year. The mine eventually reached a depth of, and a total heading length of.
Amenities
The main street, in terms of retail outlets, is Drottninggatan, to the west of Stora Torget, and Bergmansgatan, to the east. The spa town of Sätra brunn, about from Sala, is another important place for the town.
Transportation
Sala's bus and train station is located on Stationsplan, a short semi-circular road off Väsbygatan. About 35 trains from Stockholm Central Station arrive at the station each day, with 39 making the return trip. The three high-speed SJ Snabbtåg trips take about one hour and twenty minutes. Journeys on SJ InterCity trains take a similar amount of time and run seven times a day. The slower SJ Regionaltåg trains take just over two hours but make 23 trips from the capital. There is one SJ Tåg i Bergslagen, which departs Stockholm at 22:14 and is direct to Sala. The SJ trains that pass through terminate at either Stockholm, Linköping, Falun, Mora, Uppsala or Västerås.
Sport
Sala's football club, Sala FF, play in Division 3 Södra Norrland in Sweden's fifth tier. They were founded in December 1972, when IF Norden and IFK Sala merged. Their former home was Silvervallen, but they now play at the sports fields on Sportfältsgatan. The first floorball club in the world, Sala IBK, was founded in Sala 1979.
Notable people
The impressionist painter Ivan Aguéli was born in Sala in 1869. There is a small museum and a park dedicated to his memory in the centre of the town. Sala is also the domicile of the former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Deputy Prime MinisterLena Hjelm-Wallén. She held several ministerial posts in the Social Democratic government in the 1980s and 1990s and has, despite her career in politics, remained in Sala and is still active in local life. Ice hockey player Erik Ersberg was born here.
