Jämtland: Ski Hotels, Ski Slopes and Cross-Country Trails

Jämtland combines a varied skiing holiday with expansive winter landscapes. The Municipality of Åre has around 200 ski slopes in a total of seven ski areas. Åre also offers extensive high-altitude cross-country trails above the tree line, undulating forest trails and illuminated training loops with artificial snow. This means that both alpine skiing and different forms of cross-country skiing are central to the same regional area.

Winter

The state mountain trail network in Jämtlands län comprises more than 2,000 kilometres of mountain trails for winter and summer. The network is maintained by the County Administrative Board; additional trails are maintained by municipalities, local associations and private operators. Länstrafiken Jämtland coordinates, plans, procures and markets the relevant services for public regional and urban transport in Jämtlands län.

Several classic mountain tours start from Vålådalen, including Blanktjärnsrundan, Ottfjällsturen, Pyramiderna and Kyrksten. Vålådalen is also a starting point for multi-day tours to the mountain huts Stensdalen, Vålåstugorna and Lunndörrsstugan. The Saint Olav’s Trail runs for approximately 580 kilometres from the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic, from Selånger in Sweden to Trondheim in Norway. The medieval pilgrimage route reopened in 2013 after extensive renovation work.

Nature

Jämtlands län has one national park, around 260 nature reserves, approximately 240 Natura 2000 areas, about ten bird sanctuaries and more than 20 natural monuments. Around 50 bodies of water and aquatic habitats have been designated as having very high natural, fish, fishing or cultural values. Sonfjället is the only national park in Jämtlands län. It has exhibitions and activities as well as maps, hiking suggestions and information about attractions.

Sonfjället National Park has marked summer trails ranging from short, child-friendly tours to full-day summit tours and multi-day hikes. Guided tours for observing bears and bear tracks are also offered there. Tännforsen is considered Sweden’s largest waterfall and is a winter excursion destination when frozen. From the tourist station at Tännforsen, a marked, easy-to-walk trail of approximately one kilometre leads to the waterfall. The area around Tännforsen has been a nature reserve and Natura 2000 area since 1971 and is home to rare plants and animals.

Culture

The mountain areas of Jämtland are a cultural landscape where people have lived and worked for thousands of years. Skalstuguvägen in western Jämtland has a 1,000-year history and was the old main road between Jämtland and Trøndelag. In the Municipality of Berg lies the Krankmårtenhögen burial ground, with around 30 graves dating from 200 BC to 200 AD.

At Jamtli in Östersund, visitors can experience three museums in one location. The Jamtli open-air museum includes historic farms and buildings. Nationalmuseum Jamtli displays art and design from the collections of the Nationalmuseum. Jamtli presents the Överhogdal tapestries as Europe’s oldest pictorial textiles. It also offers bookable guided group tours through the exhibitions and cultural spaces, as well as historical walks among cultural-historical houses and settings. At the Jamtli open-air museum, cultural-historical settings are brought to life with role-playing, shows and entertaining activities for children and adults.

Cycling

At Vålådalens Fjällstation, cycling on local trails ranges from wide tracks to technically demanding routes. The Trail Center rents trail bikes, dirt bikes, children’s bicycles and hardtails for gravel rides, and also offers a workshop and spare parts. Åre Bike Park offers 50 kilometres of cycling trails across 39 routes. In Åre, there are providers offering bicycle and equipment rental; several also offer guided tours at different levels.

For regional navigation, pages on the subregions Åre Municipality, Härjedalen, Älvdalen and Berg are available. Other regional destinations include Västerbotten, Stockholm Region, Jönköping and Skåne.

For the overarching travel overview: Sweden.