When Carl von Linné visited here in 1734, he called it "Sweden's greatest wonder, but as terrible as Hell itself!" This copper mine, around which the town developed, was the world's largest producer of copper during the 17th century; it supplied the raw material used for the roof of the palace of Versailles. Since 1970, when the mine was opened to the public, more than one million visitors have taken the elevator 54m (177 ft.) below the surface of the Earth and into the mine. Guides take you through old chambers and winding passages dating from the Middle Ages. In one section of the mine, you'll see a shaft divided by a timber wall that's more than 195m (640 ft.) high; this may be the world's tallest wooden structure. Today the only industrial product of the mine is pigment used for producing Sweden's signature red paint (sold under the Falu Rödfärg name), which is used not only on Swedish barns, but on thousands upon thousands of private homes and even commercial and public buildings. Buildings painted this shade of barn red have become virtual symbols of Sweden.