Åre: Skiing, hiking and local history

Åre combines opportunities for a ski holiday with hiking, cycling and historic sites. When choosing accommodation, it helps to first consider which activities you have planned: SkiStar Åre includes three ski areas on one SkiPass, and Åre provides direct access to Åreskutan. Ski area operating details may vary by season.

Getting to Åre and finding your way around

Åre railway station is in the heart of the village, and European route E14 leads directly to the centre. This gives you two clearly identified reference points for getting there, without implying anything about timetables or other routes. The Åre Bergbana also helps define the village: the 800-metre-long funicular runs from Åre-Torg to Hotel Fjällgården, which is 556 metres above sea level.

For planning purposes, it is useful to distinguish between the village, the ski areas and the mountain. The SkiPass covers three ski areas; Åreskutan is the mountain to which Åre provides direct access. This keeps the different points of reference for your stay clear, without equating them with the location of any particular accommodation.

Ski areas and hiking

If your trip is focused on skiing, Åre offers one SkiPass covering three ski areas. Operating details may vary by season. Direct access to Åreskutan adds the mountain itself to the picture, without implying any particular piste or lift connection.

For hiking, options range from short walks for the whole family to more challenging hikes for experienced hikers. Trails start at Åre-Torg; when the lifts are operating, hikers can also use starting points at higher elevations. Lift operations are seasonal and weather-dependent. Short family walks and more challenging mountain hikes therefore differ both in character and in the choice of starting point.

A hike to the summit of Åreskutan can start at Åre-Torg, follow trail 212 to Fjällgården, and continue from there on trail 214. This route sequence offers a specific reference for planning your hike. Lift access and trail conditions vary seasonally, so check conditions when planning your hike.

Cycling: trails and practice areas

Åre Bike Park has 40 cycling trails with up to 853 metres of descent. Ratings range from easy green connecting trails to red and black freeride trails. Choosing trails by their ratings can help you distinguish easy connections from more challenging classified freeride options.

In Björnen, Åre Trail Park offers purpose-built, wide and easy-to-ride trails for beginners and experienced cyclists. Åre Skill Park in Björnen adds to the cycling options with a pump track and practice areas for children and beginners. There, you can practise balance, cornering technique, pumping and flow. The two facilities have different focuses: Trail Park offers trails, while Skill Park has designated practice areas.

Summer activities in Åre include cycling courses for children, teenagers and adults. Course availability is seasonal. This is a separate option for trip planning alongside the trails and practice areas; it does not mean that courses are available year-round.

Culture, architectural history and local character

In the second half of the 19th century, Åre developed from a farming village into an international travel destination. Åre gamla kyrka was built at the end of the 12th century and remains a medieval stone church. It is centrally located in the village and is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00. The church also houses a medieval wooden sculpture of Saint Olof.

The Åre Bergbana is also part of the village's history: it is a listed building and was inaugurated in 1910. Its two station buildings are dark brown, two-storey wooden structures in the National Romantic style, designed by architect Otto Sigfrid (Sigge) Cronstedt. Åre Museum is located on the slopes of Åreskutan, at the mountain railway's upper station. It has the same opening hours as the Åre Bergbana, usually from 10:00 to 16:00.

Another option is to experience the S:t Olavsleden on horseback, by bicycle or on foot. Together with the church and railway buildings, this offers a different perspective on Åre from one focused on ski areas and hiking. Discover more destinations: Duved, Undersåker, Ottsjö.

For the broader travel overview: Åre Municipality.