Traveleriences
Åre's village square at dusk in winter, with the snowy slopes of Åreskutan behind

Åre, Sweden

Ideal: 4–7 daysBest: Feb–Apr, Jul–SepPrice: Very expensive
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In 60 seconds

Åre in 60 seconds

Åre is a mountain village at the foot of Åreskutan, a 1,420-metre fell, and the closest thing Sweden has to an Alpine resort — it has hosted the world ski championships three times. In winter its linked areas, from family-friendly Björnen to quieter Duved, give more pistes than anywhere else in the country, and from February the days are long and bright. In summer the lifts carry mountain bikes and walkers instead, and the cable car lifts you almost to the summit for views over Jämtland's lakes. Beyond the resort the fells run empty to the Norwegian border: hike between the Swedish Tourist Association's mountain stations, or stand in the spray at Tännforsen. Eat reindeer, Arctic char and cloudberries, and plan for a week rather than a weekend.

MountainsMountain biking

Best for

  • Skiing
  • Hiking
  • Nature

Known for

  • Skiing on Åreskutan
  • Mountain biking
  • Fell walking
  • Tännforsen

Skip if

You are after Alpine drama on a short break — the fells are rounded rather than jagged, and getting here takes most of a day from Stockholm.

Your match

Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Åre fits them. Choose interests

See

Must experience

The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.

Åre ski area

Expensive

Sweden's largest linked ski area

Runs for every level across Åre, Björnen, Duved and Tegefjäll; come in March, when the snow is deep and the sun stays out until evening.

ÅreskutanSkiingWinter
SkiStar Åre for Åre ski area (opens in a new tab)

Kabinbanan to Åreskutan

Moderate

Cable car almost to the summit

Ride up and walk the last stretch to the 1,420-metre top: lakes, forest and the Norwegian fells in every direction.

Åre bySummer & winterView

Åre Bike Park

Expensive

Lift-served downhill trails in summer

One of Europe's big bike parks, with easy flow trails as well as the steep ones; rent a bike and pads in the village.

ÅreskutanMountain bikingSummer

Eat

Where to eat

A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?

Special occasion

Worth planning the evening around.

Buustamons Fjällgård

Very expensive

Mountain lodge high on Åreskutan

Reached by snowcat in winter or on foot in summer, a timber lodge cooking Jämtland's game, fish and dairy, with a distillery in the cellar.

UllådalenBook aheadJämtland produce
Official site for Buustamons Fjällgård (opens in a new tab)

More places to eat

Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.

Beyond the obvious

Hidden gems

Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.

Ristafallet

Waterfall in the forest

A broad, stepped waterfall a short walk from the road, best known in Sweden as a film location for Astrid Lindgren's Ronia, the Robber's Daughter.

HållandFreeWaterfall

Duved

The quieter village west of Åre

Gentler slopes, fewer queues and a slower evening — the choice for families and anyone who likes to ski and then sleep.

DuvedSkiingVillage

After dark

Bars & nightlife

Verandan

Expensive

The classic après-ski on the square

Live bands and DJs from Thursday to Sunday in season — ski boots on, Swedish cover songs at full volume.

Åre TorgAprès-skiLive music

Fjällgården

Expensive

Slope-side bar with live bands

A short walk from the lift, with a different band each week and a troubadour on Sundays.

Åre byAprès-skiLive music

Timmerstugan

Moderate

Log cabin bar by the cable car

Busiest on Sundays; as spring comes the bar moves outside into the sun.

Åre byAprès-skiSpring

Orientation

Neighbourhoods

How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.

Åre by

The village square, the cable car and après-ski

Hotels, shops and bars around the square at the foot of the main lifts; lively all winter.

Björnen

The family slopes east of the village

Wide, gentle runs and ski-in apartments, linked to the main area.

Stay

Where to stay

Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.

Åre village

Very expensive

Hotels and apartments by the lifts

Best for a first visit and for evenings out; the station is in the village.

LivelySki-in

Duved & Tegefjäll

Expensive

Cabins and lodges west of the village

Calmer and a little cheaper, with your own lifts and a bus into Åre.

FamiliesQuiet

Practical

Know before you go

Getting in
Night trains run from Stockholm to Åre for much of the year; by day, change at Sundsvall or Östersund. Åre Östersund Airport is about an hour away.
From Norway
Trains from Trondheim cross the border to Storlien and on to Åre.
When to go
February to April for skiing in long light; July to September for hiking and biking, with mosquitoes in July.
Booking
Book February and Easter weeks months ahead — Swedish school holidays fill the resort.
Weather
Mountain weather turns fast. Carry layers above the tree line, even in August.
Taste locally
Renskav and smoked reindeer, Arctic char, cloudberries, Jämtland's dairy cheeses and Åre chocolate.

Plan this trip — useful links

Åre Sweden — official guide (opens in a new tab)

Context

History in 5 minutes

Enough to make what you are looking at legible.

  1. 1882

    The railway reaches Åre, and with it the first tourists for the mountain air.

  2. 1910

    A funicular is built up the mountain, among the first steps to a ski resort.

  3. 1954

    Åre hosts the Alpine World Ski Championships for the first time; it does so again in 2007 and 2019.

Further out

Nearby escapes

Worth a day if you have one to spare.

Östersund & Frösön

Jämtland's lakeside capital

The open-air museum at Jamtli, the island of Frösön with its runestone, and a lake said to hold a monster.

1 hr 15 min by trainLakeTown

Vålådalen

Nature reserve and mountain station

Trails into old-growth forest and up onto open fells from the Swedish Tourist Association's mountain station.

40 min by carFellsHiking