Sweden is the largest country in Scandinavia, stretching for hundreds of kilometers from north to south along the Baltic coast. It has a rich and interesting history, many wonderful natural and architectural monuments.

The tourist flow to Sweden does not dry up even with the onset of cold weather. Its extreme north is located in the subpolar latitudes, and the entire western and central part is occupied by the ridges of the Scandinavian mountains. This geographical location contributes to the development of winter sports and ski resorts.

In total, Sweden has more than a hundred resort places offering travelers a chance to relax in the winter. They are intended for a wide range of tourists – extreme skiers and amateur beginners, snowboarders and cross-country skiing fans, athletes and simply connoisseurs of natural beauty.

Below we will take a closer look at the most winter resorts in Sweden, which have earned the greatest popularity among travelers.

Selen

Sälen is a mountainous area located near the Norwegian border. Therefore, the resort is only 250 km away from the Norwegian capital, while Stockholm is over 400 km from here. Selen is intended for year-round recreation, but the high season here still begins in winter, when one and a half hundred ski slopes open. The slopes are intended mostly for intermediate-skilled amateurs and beginner skiers, but there are also three dozen “black” slopes. There are separate areas for fans of snowboarding and freestyle with extensive snow fields and jumps, and there is a school for teaching beginners how to ski.

In addition to winter sports, vacationers in Sälen can visit a water park and a modern 3D cinema hall, go horseback riding in the picturesque surroundings, ride a dog sled and ski bikes. In the immediate vicinity of the tracks there are about 70 restaurants, bars and eateries, there is an indoor sports complex with a swimming pool, an ice skating rink, a bowling center, and night discos.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 540 meters
  2. Resort height – 350 – 890 meters
  3. The total length of the ski slopes is 145 km
  4. Number of tracks – 158
  • “Blues” – 94
  • “Reds”  – 32
  • “Black” – 32
  1. Number of lifts – 101
  2. Ski pass cost – from 35 € for adults and from 25 € for children per day
  3. Season duration – December – March

Ore

Åre is the largest ski center in Sweden, located in the province of Jämtland, 630 km from Stockholm. This small town has an ancient history: it was founded more than a thousand years ago by the Vikings, and in the Middle Ages copper ore was mined in its vicinity.

Åre began to develop as a winter resort in 1910, when the first hotel was built here to accommodate ski lovers, cable lifts were installed and ski slopes were laid. Since then, Åre has developed continuously and today has become an extensive winter tourism center, characterized by a long season lasting from November to the end of May. At the same time, there are no severe frosts here – all winter in Åre the temperature remains quite comfortable around -7°C.

The resort is perfect for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts of all skill levels. In Åre, there are virgin snow slopes intended for experienced athletes, capable of giving a surge of adrenaline even to experienced extreme sports enthusiasts. There are also gentle, safe trails, perfect for beginners and children. There is even a special track for night skiing, equipped with artificial lighting.

There is a ski school in Årø with experienced instructors, and there are several sports equipment rental points where you can rent skis or snowboards for €40 per day.

Hotels and campsites have been built close to the routes, and restaurants and cafes are open.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 890 meters
  2. Resort height – 344 – 1234 meters
  3. The total length of the ski slopes is 97 km
  4. Number of tracks – 95
  • “Greens” – 12
  • “Blues” – 39
  • “Reds” – 39
  • “Black” – 5
  1. Number of lifts – 44 (7 gondola, 7 chairlifts, 34 rope tows)
  2. Ski pass cost – from 55 € for adults and from 45 € for children per day
  3. The duration of the season is December – March.

Gallivare–Dundret

A hundred kilometers from the Arctic Circle there is a winter resort with the longest ski season in all of Sweden. This is Gallivare-Dundret, which can be reached by plane from Stockholm: just 10 minutes from the resort village there is a local airport. In these high northern latitudes, white nights reign in the summer, but in winter, on the contrary, darkness reigns most of the day. Therefore, most of the slopes are equipped with artificial lighting systems, and the ski season lasts until May.

Gallivare-Dundret is perfect for beginners who have recently started skiing, since most of the local slopes are of a low level of difficulty. Here even children will be able to master the basics of skiing, under the guidance of experienced masters of the training center.

In addition to skiing and snowboarding, vacationers in Gallivare-Dundret can go rock climbing on the nearby glacier and ride a reindeer sled.

Near the ski slopes there are hotels, guest houses and campsites of different price categories; there are cafes and eateries right on the slopes. There are also fitness centers, spas and saunas, and children’s playgrounds.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 330 meters
  2. The height of the resort is 420-750 meters
  3. The total length of the ski slopes is 12 km
  4. Number of tracks – 9
  • “Blues” – 3
  • “Greens” – 1
  • “Reds” – 2
  • “Black” – 3
  1. Number of lifts – 5 (1 track, 1 chairlift, 3 rope tows)
  2. Ski pass cost – from 30 € for adults and from 20 € for children per day
  3. Season duration – December – March

Riksgränsen

Riksgränsen is the oldest of all ski resorts in Sweden, opened back in 1903. There is a railway line just a couple of kilometers from the village, so there are no problems with transport accessibility here. The most comfortable conditions for winter sports are here from February to May. Although the ski season opens at the end of November – beginning of December, these days there are severe frosts in Rikgransen and the polar night reigns. Vacationers can get the most unforgettable skiing experience in May, when the sun does not set beyond the horizon almost 24 hours a day and the resort is open until late at night.

In total there are about two dozen trails, most of which are intended for intermediate-level lovers. There is also a ski school here, where classes in group or individual training in alpine skiing are organized. In Riksgränsen there are rental points for ski equipment and snowboards, restaurants and cafes, a night disco, hotels and campsites.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 410 meters
  2. Resort height – 500 – 910 meters
  3. The total length of the ski slopes is 20 km
  4. Number of tracks – 19
  • “Blues” – 4
  • “Reds” – 14
  • “Black” – 1
  1. Number of lifts – 6 (2 chairlifts, 4 rope tows)
  2. Ski pass cost – from 35 € for adults and from 30 € for children per day
  3. The duration of the season is December – May.

Branas

Branas is considered the most modern and equipped winter resort in Sweden. It is located in a mountainous area on the border with Norway , so it is easier to get here through Oslo than through Stockholm – the distance from the Norwegian capital is exactly half as long. Branas is distinguished by a high level of technical equipment and excellent provision of infrastructure facilities. Thus, 90% of the slopes are equipped with artificial snowmaking systems, there are trails with night illumination, and an extensive system of lifts delivers skiers to any starting point.

There is a ski school at the resort, three and four-star hotel complexes, cafes and restaurants serving national Swedish cuisine. In the vicinity of Branas there are mountain lakes and rivers where tourists can go ice fishing and cook their fresh catch in special picnic areas.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 415 meters
  2. Resort height – 152 – 567 meters
  3. The total length of the ski slopes is 23 km
  4. Number of tracks – 21
  • “Blues” – 3
  • “Reds” – 15
  • “Black” – 3
  1. Number of lifts – 23 (1 gondola, 2 chairlifts, 16 rope tows, 4 training)
  2. Ski pass cost – from 40 € for adults and from 30 € for children per day
  3. Season duration – December – March

Bydalsfjellen

Bydalsfjällen is located a hundred kilometers from Sweden’s largest ski resort, Åre. These two centers are served by one common airport, 50 km from the resort village, and there is also a highway along which public transport regularly runs. The ski season here usually lasts until the end of March, and often, under favorable weather conditions, extends into April.

Bydalsfjällen has ski slopes for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels – from beginners who have just started skiing to experienced freeriders and professional athletes. There is a ski school with a separate slope, designed to teach everyone the basics of skiing.

For young travelers on Bydalsfjällen, there is a children’s entertainment center “Aper-ski”, where they can ride ponies, mini-snowmobiles and mini-quad bikes. At this time, their parents will be able to go ice fishing on a nearby lake, take a safari through the picturesque surroundings on snowbikes or dog sleds, and take spa treatments in a wooden vat.

Nearby is a village of the indigenous people of Lapland, the Sami tribe, who have preserved their traditional way of life and engage in reindeer herding, hunting and fishing.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 420 meters
  2. Resort height – 590 – 1010 meters
  3. The length of the cross-country ski track is 30 km
  4. The total length of the ski slopes is 31 km
  5. Number of tracks – 45
  • “Greens” – 4
  • “Blues” – 14
  • “Reds” – 20
  • “Black” – 7
  1. Number of lifts – 22 (5 chair lifts, 17 rope tows)
  2. Ski pass cost – from 35 € for adults and from 30 € for children per day
  3. The duration of the season is December – April.

Storlien

The resort center of Storlien is located just three kilometers from the Swedish-Norwegian border. It received its first vacationers almost a century ago, in 1924. That year, a hotel of the same name for skiers was built here, today one of the best hotel complexes in the country. In addition to this expensive luxury hotel, Storlien has guest houses for individual accommodation and budget campsites. The high status of this resort center is evidenced by the fact that the country residence of the Swedish royal family is located here. Due to the proximity of Norway, it is easier for tourists to get here through Oslo than through Stockholm: this way the journey will be almost half as long.

Storlien has an approximately equal number of trails for beginners, experienced amateurs and extreme freeriders. There is also the possibility of descending from the top along an unequipped virgin slope with steep turns and a large difference in elevation. In addition to cross-country skiing, you can go snowboarding or cross-country skiing. The resort has hotels of various classes, up to 5-star category, six restaurants and cafes are open, and there is a sports center with a sauna.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 191 meters
  2. Resort height – 640 – 831 meters
  3. The total length of the ski slopes is 15 km
  4. Number of tracks – 23
  • “Greens” – 7
  • “Blues” – 2
  • “Reds” – 8
  • “Black” – 6
  1. Number of lifts – 9 (all rope tows)
  2. Ski pass cost – from 30 € for adults and from 25 € for children per day
  3. The duration of the season is December – April.

Funäsfjällen

Funäsfjällen is one of the largest Scandinavian resorts, including five ski areas located on various slopes of the surrounding mountains. It is located 600 km from the Swedish capital, and you can get here by air or along the highway to Funäsfjellen. There are areas for skiing for inexperienced beginners, as well as ski schools for those who have decided to master the art of downhill skiing. But most of the local slopes are still intended for experienced amateurs or professional skiers.

In Funäsfjällen there are more than two dozen slopes of a high level of difficulty that can give an adrenaline rush to even inveterate extreme freeriders. A separate ski park has snow fields for snowboarders and freestyle fans. Near the mountain roads there are hotels, guest houses and budget hostels, fashionable restaurants and small cozy cafes.

Specifications:

  1. Height difference – 327 meters (Tännäskröket area)
  2. Resort height – 562 – 889 meters
  3. The total length of the ski slopes is 99 km (total in all 5 zones)
  4. Number of tracks – 126
  • “Greens” – 17
  • “Blues” – 37
  • “Reds” – 51
  • “Black” – 24
  1. Number of lifts – 35 (2 T-shaped, 4 chairlifts, 28 rope tows, 2 moving walkways)
  2. Ski pass cost – from 40 € for adults and from 30 € for children per day
  3. The duration of the season is December – March.
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