Sälen is a small town and ski resort in Dalarna.

Understand

Although overshadowed by its bigger and 'hipper' cousin in the north, Åre, this ski resort offers almost everything you need for a skiing vacation. It also has many activities that are family oriented.

Sälen is also noted for being the starting point of Vasaloppet, a major cross-country skiing event with more than 15,000 participants held on the first Sunday in March.

Get in

Combined travel by train and bus is possible, usually by changing in Borlänge or Mora. See SJ and Fjällexpressen. Fjällexpressen has express buses from Stockholm and Copenhagen with stops along the route.

An airport opened in 2019 with direct flights from Copenhagen, Århus and London during the winter season, as well as several domestic flights. The airport is useful for transit to Hedmark in Norway as well.

• 1 Scandinavian Mountains Airport (SCR), Flygplatsvägen 4. (updated Jan 2021)

Get around

The SkiPassBus is free for all holders of the SkiPass and will easily take you from the hotel to the slope and back. Apart from that public bus #200 goes from the actual village of Sälen and along the main road up to the ski resorts.

Do

Sälen is most famous for alpine sport, though it is good for outdoor life in summer as well.

• The start of Vasaloppet, a leg in the Swedish Classic Circuit.

Eat

• 1 Lammet & Grisen, Fjällvägen 21, ☏ +46 280-21090, fax: +46 280-21049. Serving all you can eat fillet of lamb, ox and pig. From 450 kr. (updated Mar 2016)

Drink

• After ski. They have some refreshments. (updated Mar 2016)

Sleep

• 1 Ski Lodge. (updated Mar 2016)
• 2 Sälens Högfjällshotell, ☏ +46 280-87000, info@hogis.se. With a history dating back to the beginning of ski tourism in Sälen, Högfjällshotellet has some of the best quality rooms a stone's throw from the slopes. Features restaurants, bars, a spa and even a cinema. (updated Mar 2016)
• 3 Sälengodset Rekreation AB (Sälengodset), ☏ +46 705734810, info@salengodset.se. Conference houses with a total of 42 beds and 21 beds per house. (updated Nov 2023)
• 4 Fjällgodset (Sälen's Mountain Estate), Brinkvägen 7 (Säfjällstangen), ☏ +46705734810, info@salengodset.se. Resort with alpine scenery and extensive outdoor activities, ranges of ski slopes in the winter and hiking trails in the summer. (updated Apr 2024)