Åre resort guide Ski area, apres-Ski, things to see & do in Åre
Resort Review
Ski holidays in Åre (pronounced aura) - this fantastic ski resort boasts the largest ski area in Sweden and north of the Alps.
The village stands at 372m above sea level and has 83 lifts, 98km of piste and 180km of cross country tracks.
Åre comprises 3 villages that sit along the shore of the very impressive lake Åresjon...
- Björnen
- Åre Village, and
- Tegefjäll/Duved
Apres-ski
Björnen is the perfect destination for families and beginners whilst Åre Village is the busiest and has all the restaurants and bars you could need for a very good and lively apres-ski. Tegefjäll/Duved is the favourite destination for locals.
Åre ski area guide
Being just 350km south of the Arctic circle, Åre ski resort guarantees snow from the start of December right through to the start of May.
All of Åre's slopes are located on the mountain sides rising up from Åre Lake, but not all the ski areas are linked.
The slopes in Björnen and Åre Village are connected as are the ones in Duved and Tegefjäll. There is an excellent free and frequent local ski bus that connects all the areas.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 327m |
| Top lift | 2900m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 101 |
| Longest run | 7 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 180 km |
| Season | Dec to May |
| Snowboard parks | 3 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Good fun, Busy |
Beginners
At Duved, Ullådalen and Åre Björnen, there are wide and easy slopes for beginners. From Björnen, its possible to ski from some of the accommodation to the nursery slopes and back again whilst Duved provides some excellent linking blues allowing beginners to progress steadily without having to tackle anything too technical.
Intermediate
The whole ski area is pretty much an intermediate's play ground. To start with, take the Kabinbana cable car straight to the top where there are stacks of reds to choose from.
And, if you are into carving, head towards Västra Björnen which is Åre’s top place to impress with those long angled carving turns.
Advanced
Whilst Central Åre has many intermediate runs it is also the place where steep blacks can be found.
The north-eastern section of Mount Åreskutan is the gateway to the back country offering one of Scandinavia’s largest off-piste areas - a guide is highly recommended.
Cross-country
There are 180km of cross country trails in Åre with the best tracks in Duved and Åre Björnen. Tracks vary from 2.5 – 15 km in length and both areas light up the trails until 10pm. If you decide to go to Duved, try out their new ski cross course. A physically and technically demanding 405m long lit track designed for fun free style cross country skiing.
Ski Touring
Ski Touring in West Jämtland has a large number of great routes. Sweden’s most popular ski touring area, Storulvån, is less than an hour away from Åre by car, bus or train. There is a well developed network of mountain stations and huts which you can ski between and its easy to hire equipment and local guides.
Things to see & do
Årehas a lot to offer and skiing is really just one of many reasons why people choose to come here - the popular activities include...
- Snow mobiling from 2 hours to several days
- Zipline
- Ice Fishing and ice climbing
- Dog Sledding across the frozen wilderness/li>
- Ice carting
- Spend a day at the Holiday Club where there is a waterpark, bowling alley and games area
- Visit the day spa at the Tott Hoel
Featured ski chalets & cabins
Åre has been expanding steadily over recent years due to it's ever growing popularity as a place to go on a summer or ski holiday and now has around 31,000 tourist beds. If you have a young family, then the accommodation in Björnen is the best option as there are many apartments where you can ski to and from your front door plus the slopes are not as busy.
See all rentals
Our view on ski holidays in Åre
A few tips and suggestions...
- The Tegefjäll area has excellent tree runs which are ideal for those flat light days.
- Try the night skiing for a different experience where the slopes are less crowded especially during the February school holidays where Åre can get very busy. The first night skiing of the season in Hamrebacken, near Duved generally start by late November and almost always occurs on the St. Lucia weekend when the traditional festival of lights is held
- A trip to Tännforsen Falls near Duved is a must do in either summer or winter. It is one of Sweden's largest falls cascading through the forest. In winter, it nearly freezes over and there is an igloo at the top that you can stay in!
If you like Åre, you may also want to look at Hemsedal in Norway and Ruka in Finland.
