TravelTips24 : Europe : Scandinavia : Sweden : Norrland : Jämtland : Åre

Åre

Åre [1] 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.

Travel to Åre & Visa Requirements

By train

SJ passenger train service [2] has daily trains from Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö. There are also night trains.

Veolia Transport [3] have day trains from Sundsvall and from Trondheim (together with NSB [4]). Veolia Transport also have night trains from Stockholm and Gothenburg during the winter.

By air

Åre Östersund Airport: There are domestic flights operating daily from Stockholm to Åre Östersund Airport (SAS [5] and Flynordic [6]), direct bus from the airport to Åre costs about 25 euro one way. There are also charter flights from London[7], Moscow, Helsinki[8] and Copenhagen[9].

Vaernes Airport: You can also fly to Vaernes Airport outside Trondheim. International flights from London[10] and Amsterdam[11].

At the airport you take the local train to Hell (takes about 3 minutes). 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 [12] (from station "Vaernes" to station "Åre"). The ticket price is 145 SEK one way although there are discounts for students.

By car

Tours & Getting around Åre

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.

Åre attractions and sightseeing

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

Åre city tours

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 are 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: http://www.skistar.com/app/projects/are/images/imlib/Pistkarta-2009_en.gif




Åre has the largest Zipline park in Europe.

  • There are many other extreme sports which you can endulge in Åre, for example kite-flying, ski-doo safaris, horseriding, ice-climbing etc.
  • Visit Åre Chokladfabrik and watch as they make chocolate, ☎ +46647-15580(info@arechokladfabrik.se, fax: 46647-15589).  edit

Åre souvenirs & shopping

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

  • Zytt, Stationsvägen 16
  • Peak Performance General Store, Torget

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

  • Stadium, torget

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

Åre Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • Wersen's, Åre torg
  • Buustamons FjällgÃ¥rd, In the ski system. Good hamburgers.
  • Harry's, just above Åre Torg, in the ICA-Building.
  • Max, Åre Torg, excellent fast food hamburgers.
  • O'Learys, Sportsbar
  • Broken just above the plaza close to Bergbanan offers great burgers and other American diner dishes and a great atmosphere

Åre nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

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
  • Diplomat

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

  • FjällgÃ¥rden
  • Tott

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

Åre cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

There is lots of Accommodation in Åre--hotels, apartments, cabins and campings.

Skistar, the owner of the ski system have lots of lodging and accommodation available on their website http://www.skistar.com/are/english/index.app

Hotels:

Apartments:

Get out

The Skiarea

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.

Night skiing season 2007-2008:

  • ÅRE VILLAGE

Skilift "VM8" Week 52-10 monday, wednesday and friday (not 24/12)

  • DUVED

Skilift "Hamreliften" Week 52-10 tuesdays and saturdays

  • BJÖRNEN

Skilifts "Björnliften", "Nalleliften" and "Vargliften". Week 52-10 thursdays and sundays

The night skiing is between 18:00 and 20:00.

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 Zipeline 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 demand.

This page was last edited at 09:37, on 4 December 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Joel Fagerlund, Ulf Harnhammar, Erik W, Todd VerBeek, Evan Prodromou and Jani Patokallio, Wikitravel user(s) Morph and Episteme and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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