The ski capital of Sweden just got closer

UK visitor numbers to the north of Sweden are expected to soar this winter, following the announcement that low cost airline easyJet is launching seasonal flights between London Gatwick and Åre Östersund on 11 December 2016. Starting from £30.49 each way, the flights will operate weekly on a Sunday.

Åre Östersund is located in the northern Swedish region of Jämtland Härjedalen, a mecca for winter sports enthusiasts, foodies and nature lovers. The world-class ski resort of Åre, much beloved by the trendy Stockholm set, offers some of Europe’s best skiing and snowboarding, with spacious, untouched slopes, great après-ski, and superb accommodation options ranging from cosy apartments through to design hotels and even mountain igloos!

Away from the slopes, the region is a winter wonderland of snow and ice, offering all manner of activities including ice climbing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, snow kiting and Icelandic horse riding. It is also well-known for its exceptional food - midnight sun ripened vegetables, delicious game and wild fruits such as arctic cloudberries - as well as top restaurants including ‘primal’ chef Magnus Nilsson’s two-Michelin star property Fäviken Magasinet, an hour’s drive away from Åre.

News from the region

Get to grips with indigenous culture at Sami Land Opening this winter on26 December, Sami Land in Vemdalen will offer an interactive introduction to the culture of Sami people and the role that they play in Härjedalen and wider Swedish society. Visitors will find exhibitions and films on the Sami way of life, present and past, they can meet and feed reindeer and even learn how to throw a lasso. There is also the opportunity to enjoy a slow cooked lunch of reindeer meat and fish cooked over an open fire, eaten by the fireplace in a traditional Sami dwelling. Entry is free, with activities varying in price. www.skistar.com/en/Vemdalen/About-Vemdalen/News/sameland  

New airport transfers make travelling to Vemdalen even easier 
Brand new value-for-money transfers have been launched between Åre Östersund airport and Sweden’s family ski destination, Vemdalen, making it even easier for visitors to hit the slopes. During the 1hr 30min transfer passengers can enjoy beautiful views along the shores of Storsjö Lake and then up into the Härjedalen mountains, before arriving at Skalets Square in Vemdalen, the gateway to Sweden’s third largest ski area and home to the area’s restaurants and shops. The transfers will be synchronised with easyJet’s arrivals and departures, making the area especially accessible for skiers from the UK, and will launch on 4 November. Prices start from 360 SEK (£33) per adult and 180 SEK (£15) per child based on a single ticket. Book at: www.flygtaxi.se/produkter/transfer/are/ostersund

Enjoy extended evening skiing in Vemdalen and Åre
Åre’s neighbouring ski resort of Vemdalen is an excellent family friendly alternative and this season the resort is offering evening skiing for the first time. From 5.30pm to 7.30pm, skiers can enjoy the snow under soft evening lights which have also been installed in all of the children’s areas. Åre will also be offering evening skiing as in previous seasons, including the child-friendly lit-up story trail, ‘In the Footsteps of Giants’. Keen skiers can also win themselves priority access to Vemdalen’s slopes from 7.30am by registering at least 10,000 vertical metres on the resort’s app ”MySkiStar”.

www.skistar.com/en/Vemdalen/About-Vemdalen/News/Winter-news /https://www.skistar.com/en/Are/Events2/Morning---night-skiing/Night-skiing

Valle the Snowman’s Ski School launches in Åre and Vemdalen
Those who have skied in Sweden will know that Swedish children practically learn to ski before they’ve learnt to walk! The ski resorts of Åre and Vemdalen offer a special ski school for children aged three to nine, overseen by the snowman Valle – as well as qualified ski instructors, of course! The idea is to make classes more fun for children, with skiing taught through games, so that they learn to love the slopes. Children get to meet the snowman and participate in their first skiing competition, where they get a gold medal and skiing proficiency certificate to prove that they are a ‘friendly ski buddy’. www.skistar.com/en/Vemdalen/About-Vemdalen/News/new-valles-ski-school

Holiday Club in Åre undergoes refurbishment

The four-star Holiday Club hotel in Åre has undergone an extensive refurbishment this summer, revamping its restaurant area and installing a brand new gym ready for the winter season. Inspired by frost, snow and all the seasons of the mountain, the new rooms will have a modern, warm and natural feel, framing the views of the surrounding mountains. Prices start from 1190 SEK (approx. £109) per room per night.www.holidayclubresorts.com/en

A close encounter with reindeer on a new family tour
Explore Åre is offering a new, unforgettable family adventure in the southern Åre mountains this season. After a short snow shoe hike, families will be taken to pet a herd of reindeer and feed them lichen from their bare hands. They will also learn to throw a lasso the Sami way and make an outdoor fire, over which they’ll enjoy fika and locally produced Sami delicacies. Prices start from 990 SEK (approx. £91) per person.www.exploreare.se/category/english

NEW Northern Light Tour in Östersund
Join Göran on an easy going, comfortable evening trip into the countryside outside Östersund to learn all about Aurora Borealis. No need to snow-shoe it in or jump on a snow scooter. Göran will teach you all about the night sky and the Aurora including tips and tricks on how to get the best photos, before heading out in search of the real thing. Of course no evening would be complete without sharing Swedish fika together. More information on this exciting and accessible tour will be available very soon.

Göran Strand lives in Östersund. During recent years he hasreceived recognition for his photos and films of different phenomena in the sky. He has contributed film and photographic material to both Swedish and international film productions, several of his pictures have even been nominated “Astronomy Picture of the Day” by NASA and in 2014 the band Coldplay used one of his films of the Northern Lights when playing their “A sky full of stars”. In October 2016 his book “A year of light” was published and in November 2016 the Swedish postal service will publish five of his Northern Lights photographs as stamps. Please accept, with our compliments a copy of Göran´s new book in this evenings goodie bag. www.astrofotografen.se

Waffles and weddings at Igloo Åre
Sleeping out on a mountain in an igloo is a once in a lifetime experience in itself, but Igloo Åre just took it one step further by offering drop-in weddings on 4 February or 1 April 2017. What better location to get married than in a real igloo, decorated with snow art works, with the snowclad mountains as a backdrop? Those who are not so romantically inclined can still enjoy an overnight stay in the igloos, complete with a five-course meal of local foods such as moose, reindeer and arctic cloudberry pudding, and a dip in the outdoor Jacuzzi under the stars. Even skiers who are not staying overnight can pop over to the igloos to enjoy an all-you-can eat waffle buffet – best enjoyed with local cloudberry jam. Prices for an overnight stay start from 1450 SEK (approx. £133) per person. www.iglooare.com

New world class cross-country skiing tracks with a view in Funäsfjällen
The latest addition to one of the world’s longest ski tracks for cross-country skiing, the new top track at Mount Funäsdalsberget is 2.5 km and runs along a mountain plateau giving spectacular views. With over 300km of prepared cross-country tracks, 450km of Nordic skiing tracks, and 136 alpine ski runs across five resorts (all accessed with one ski pass), the Nordic Ski Centre of Funäsfjällen is a winter sports paradise. www.funasfjallen.se/vinter/en

Try Swedish whisky at a new cliff-top mountain bar…
Perched on the edge of a cliff near Lofsdalen, 1,125 metres high, the new Skybar has head spinning, 360 degree views of the mountains beyond. A treasure trove of 400 personally owned Mackmyra whisky barrels is stored at the bar, with each barrel’s owner automatically becoming a member of the 1125 club, invited to special events at the bar around the year. Non-members are equally welcome to find out what all the fuss is about, and enjoy a warming glass as they gaze out at the spectacular view. www.mackmyra.com

…And beer from a mountain foot brewery
For those with no head for heights, the village of Lofsdalen has another boozy treasure. The new Orsholms Brewery is creating small scale beer, brewed with a base of mountain spring water, and offering tastings to those looking for high-end après-ski. Aside from the delicious drinks, Lofsdalen is an excellent family ski resort, offering slopes from beginners to advanced, all ending up in the village square! www.lofsdalen.com

Hävii in Glen – exceptional Sami cuisine restaurant
The food from this region of Sweden is known for its great connection to the earth and superb taste, thanks to the sun remaining in the sky throughout almost the whole night in summer. A restaurant that offers the very best of this local food is making waves in the region thanks to its creative Sami menu. Hävii, located in the small Sami village of Glen, makes the most of locally foraged moose, wild fish, berries and herbs, as well as the village’s reindeer, to create unforgettable meals competing with Sweden’s very best restaurants. http://en.slowfoodsapmi.com/h-vvi- i-glen.html

Discover the muskox in Funäsfjällen
The little known muskox is sadly extremely rare in Sweden – but a conservation and research centre in Tännäs is trying to change the animal’s fortunes. The Muskox Centre offers visitors the opportunity to view the animals and find out more about them and their long history, whilst also aiming to preserve the wild muskox in Sweden and assist with bloodstocks around the world. A real treat for animal lovers! Guided tours last 1.5 hours and cost 160 SEK (approx. £15) per adult and 80 SEK (approx. £7.50) per child (under eights are free). www.funasfjallen.se/vinter/en/do/muskox-centre