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Åreskutan
Sleeper trains run to Åre.

Åre is a well-known ski resort in Jämtland, Sweden, approximately 80 km from the city of Östersund. The ski lift system is on the Åreskutan mountain with its highest peak at a height of 1420 meters, but the highest lift ends at 1260 meters, so the peak has to be reached by a snowmobile lift. The village and ski area are accessible by bus and train. The nearest airport is Åre Östersund Airport.

Settlements

  • Åre
  • Järpen, the municipal centre
  • Storlien at the Norwegian border
  • Duved, a less crowded ski resort

Get in

By train

SJ passenger train service [1] has daily trains from Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö. There are also night trains.

Veolia Transport [2] have day trains from Sundsvall and from Trondheim (together with NSB [3]). Veolia Transport also have night trains from Stockholm and Gothenburg during the winter.

By plane

Åre Östersund Airport: There are domestic flights operating daily from Stockholm to Åre Östersund Airport (SAS [4] and Flynordic [5]), direct bus from the airport to Åre costs about €25 one way. There are also charter flights from London [6], Moscow, Helsinki [7] and Copenhagen [8].

Vaernes Airport: You can also fly to Vaernes Airport outside Trondheim. International flights from London [9] and Amsterdam [10].

At the airport you take the local train to Hell (takes about 2 minutes). Or walk 1½ kilometer (1 mile). In Hell you take the train "Mittnabotåget" direct to Åre Railwaystation, it is worth checking the time of departure from Hell as the train only runs twice a day (in both directions). Generally there is a morning train at around 0900 and an evening train at around 1700. Avoid arriving at Hell station too far in advance as it is far less comfortable than waiting a few hours in a cafe at Vaernes airport!

If possible, pre-book your train tickets [11] (from station "Vaernes" to station "Åre"). The ticket price is 145 SEK one way although there are discounts for students.

By helicopter

You can charter a helicopter to pick you up at Vaernes Airport in Trondheim, Norway (40 min) or at Åre-Östersund Airport on Frösön (22 minutes). The largest operator in Östersund is Jämtlands Flyg [12] which has helicopters for 3-6 passengers.

By car

  • From Stockholm: Fastest and shortest is: Road E4–83 (to Ljusdal)–84–296–E45–321–E14
    • E4–E14 over Sundsvall is almost as fast and easier to find, but longer.
  • From Malmö: E6–E4 (to Jönköping)–26 (to Mora)–E45–321–E14
  • From Oslo: E6–3–E6 (over Trondheim)–E14

Get around

Bus The Skibus goes every hour and connects the 4 villages Duved, Tegefjäll, Åre village and Björnen. The bus is free if you have a Ski pass, 20 SEK when the lifts are closed.

See

  • The view from the top of the mountain
  • Tännforsen, in the winter, a deep-frozen waterfall

Do

Skiing

Åre is probably most famous for the skiing, and the Åre ski area contains three different areas. These are:

  • Björnen
  • Central Åre and Högzon (High zone) (Also including Rödkullen)
  • Duved-Tegefjäll

There is one skipass for all the four different systems; however, a separate skipass can be bought for those who only wish to ski in Duved-Tegefjäll at a cheaper price.

Björnen

Family friendly and laid back. Featuring long blue slopes and a big children's area.

Central Åre, Highzone, Rödkullen

The biggest area, where also most of the people are which sometimes means there are long queues to the lifts. Best before lunch, when the pistes are in their prime condition and many people have not gotten out of their cabins yet.

Duved-Tegefjäll

Some of the best slopes in the entire system. Long, perfect slopes and not many people. The 6-chair express lift takes you to the top in no-time.

For an easy and fun off-piste experience, take the 6-chair lift to the top, go straight right and down the ravine, a fun and fairly easy off-piste run which features an naturally shaped halfpipe.

Pistemap

Åre has the largest Zipline park in Europe.

  • There are many other extreme sports which you can indulge in Åre, for example kite-flying, ski-doo safaris, horse-riding, ice-climbing etc.
  • Visit Åre Chokladfabrik and watch as they make chocolate, ☏ +46647-15580, fax: 46647-15589, . 

Buy

Don't miss the stores of local clothing manufacturer's Extreme and Peak Performance

  • Peak Performance General Store, Åre Torg

Swedish sports retailer Stadium also recently opened a shop which offers slightly cheaper equipment as well as high-end brands.

  • Stadium, Åre Torg

Hanson and Åre Skidsport, both found on Torget (the plaza) are other retailers that offer ski and snowboarding equipment and clothing.

Åre is full of small shops that offer locally made handicraft and various sovenirs.

Don't miss Mountain Recycle which is a store that resells used ski and snowboarding equipment at great prices.

  • Mountain Recycle, Årevägen 70

Eat

Eating out in Åre can be a real experience as several high-end restaurants have established themself close to the slopes. There are plenty of more causal places too but expect prices to be higher than average.

  • Broken just above the plaza close to Bergbanan offers great burgers and other American diner dishes and a great atmosphere
  • Buustamons Fjällgård, In the ski system. Excellent food and environment. Good hamburgers.
  • Fjällpuben, One of the best kitchens in Åre, serves local dishes. Situated behind the Etreem Store and Handelsbanken.
  • Max, Åre Torg, pricy fast food with good burgers.
  • Villa Tottebo, 100 meters from the square "Åre Torg", well renowned restaurant in an old hunting villa
  • Wersen's, Åre torg, Pizza and a la carte.

Outside Åre town

  • Fäviken Magasinet, Fäviken 216, Järpen, ☏ +46 647-40177, fax: 0647-40147, . 20 kilometers into the wilderness from Åre you'll find Fäviken Magasinet, one of the world's top restaurants, managed by chef Magnus Nilsson. Renowned for its use of local produce and adaption to the varying seasons, it's an destination in itself. From 1250 SEK per person. 

Drink

Åre is the party hub of Sweden during the winter, and there is party 24/7, if not in one of the bars or clubs then in a cabin not far away.

Popular spots are among others:

  • Bygget
  • Werséns
  • Verandan

If you like to relax and talk you can go to for example:

  • Fjällgården
  • Tott

or one of the many bars and restaurants scattered around Åre Torg.

Sleep

There is lots of accommodation in Åre—hotels, apartments, cabins and campings. They are heavily booked during peak season, so book in advance.

Visit Åre have a lots of lodging and accommodation available on their website [13]

Hotels:

Apartments:

Go next

The Skiarea

The slope "Tväråvalvet" is one of the best slopes in the skiarea
The new Telemixlift "VM8" in the World championship area

There are 40 lifts and 100 slopes in the skiarea.

Slopes:

  • Green: 11
  • Blue: 42
  • Red: 40
  • Black: 7
  • Night skiing: 7 slopes
  • Longest slope: 6500 meters
  • Total length of pistes: 95000 meters

Lifts:

  • Lifts: 40
  • Chairlifts: 5
  • Reversible Ropeways: 1
  • Gondolas: 1
  • Funiculars: 1
  • Surface lifts: 32
  • Liftcapacity: 48000 persons/hour
  • Mountain high: 1420
  • Mountain low: 372
  • Vertical drop: 890

Night Skiing

If you are watching the broadcasts from the World Cup competitions in Åre you probably think the races is running in daylight when in fact the sun had already set. This is due to the superb floodlight system covering two of the best pistes in Åre, Gästrappet and Lundsrappet (serviced by the skilift "VM8"). The visibility is actually better in the floodlight than in natural daylight. There is also night skiing on other pistes as well, but the most brilliant is found at Gästrappet and Lundsrappet.

Summer

4 lifts are open in the summer as well. You can take the cabel car up to the peak and enjoy the beautiful view! Or why not eat at the highest located restaurant in Sweden: Stormköket.

Åre has the largest zipline park in Europe. The longest ride takes you on a 400 meter adrenaline kick above Åre's wild nature. A must for everyone who loves extreme excitement and beautiful nature. Everybody can zipline since the speed can be adjusted to age and skill.

Routes through Åre
Trondheim ← Storlien ←  W  E  → Östersund → Sundsvall


Go next


This city travel guide to Åre is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.


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