Roundtrip: Swedish Mountains & Trondheim-Røros

Start & Finish

You can get to Östersund by air via Stockholm Arlanda Airport and on to Åre Östersund Airport via SAS Airlines. Or, you can go by train from Stockholm central station to Östersund railway station by SJ, Snälltåget and Norrtåg (Sundsvall-Östersund-Åre-Storlien). There are several rental car firms in Östersund. The rental car will come at a better price if you pick it up and leave it at the same place.

The other option is to fly in to Trondheim Vaernes Airport of Norway or to come by train to Trondheim Railway station and pick up a rental car in Norway. It is possible to travel parts of the round trip by local bus, though it will be complicated to try do the whole roundtrip by local bus and at some parts you may have to use a taxi.

A third option is to do the part between Trondheim and Östersund as a train journey.

See the roundtrip suggestion in Google maps.

Gallery: Jamtli Living Museum (Jamtli), Surfbukten activity area in the city center (Göran Strand), Arctura restaurant (Jämtland Härjedalen Turism), paddling lake Storsjön (Erika Enequist), Östersund pedestrian street (Destination Östersund), Restaurant in Östersund (Sandra Lee Petersson).

Östersund – City with Mountain View

Östersund is the largest city in Jämtland Härjedalen and has a large offering of shops, restaurants offering local specialties and activities. Take a scenic tour around the island Frösön where some of the inhabitants of Östersund lives. Visit the composer Wilhelm Peterson Bergers Jugend style home Sommarhagen (i. e. Summer Pasture) and don´t miss out on taking a coffee with cinnamon rolls at Stocke titt Café and open air homestead museum. The Jamtli Museum offers an insight into the local culture with indoors exhibitions and an outdoors heritage park with farms from different centuries. The nearby Teknikland in Optand and its´ wartime exhibits covers the history of the military in Östersund and surrounds. Perfect views and meals come in a package at the Arctura restaurant.

Hotels in the area welcoming international guests are for example Hotel Grand Östersund, Hotel Gamla Teatern, Hotel Östersund, Frösö Park Hotel, Hotel Emma and Hotel Ett. 

From Östersund you can choose to go west via Frösön island and the area Rödön with beautiful farmland (or take the road E14 via Krokom) westbound towards the mountain resort Åre.

Gallery: Hiking (Darren Hamlin), biking (Niclas Vestefjell), Åre Chokladfabrik (Anne Adsten), Mountain Cart (Explore Åre), riding (Darren Hamlin), Åre Autumn foliage (Darren Hamlin).

Comfortable Mountain Life in Åre

Åre in the summer offers a beautiful contrast to its famous winter persona of being the sports capital of Scandinavia. It transforms into a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with activities like hiking, biking, and kayaking in the summer with lots of options for fine dining. The long, bright days are perfect for exploring the stunning mountain scenery, enjoying the Åre lake, or simply relaxing in the fresh air. Evenings offer a peaceful atmosphere, ideal for enjoying a meal in the village center, with a view or an evening hike in the light of the near midnight sun. Do try the chocolates at Åre Chokladfabrik, see the glassmakers at Åre glashytta, make your own candle at Åre Ljusfabrik, sample local charcuterie and cheese at Fäviken Lanthandel. You don´t want to leave this mountain resort without having seen the magnificient waterfalls Ristafallet and Tännforsen and there are plenty of guided tours and fun activities for the family, like going with a mountain cart down the mountain. 

Hotels in the area welcoming international guests are for example Åregården, Copperhill Mountain Lodge, Holiday Club Åre, Fjällgården, Granen and Buustamon.

Gallery: Temple of winds (Anne Adsten), Floral trail bench (Anne Adsten), Restaurant (Storliens högfjällshotell), Brudslöjan waterfall (Anne Adsten).

Storlien – A well stocked mountain village

On the border to Norway there is a mountain resort called Storlien 600 m. a. s. l. which even houses the Swedish king occasionally since he has his own cabin in these parts. Storlien of today is more than a mountain resort with hiking, biking, fishing, paddling and the skiing in the winter. This is also one of Swedens major border trade communities with more kinds of Swedish candy than you could possibly eat. Norwegians also stock up on Soda, Chicken, Bacon and Vitamin C pills if you look at what´s on display. The Storlien Högfjällshotell has more than 200 rooms, pool, gym, bars, restaurants and a small cinema. The staff will gladly show you to the best trails and fishing waters.

To get an even closer feel of living in the mountains, go to Storulvåns fjällstation (mountain station) about 34 km (30 min) from Storlien. This is the starting point for a system of huts in the Swedish mountains with a days hike between them. Stay at the Mountain station and make day hikes in the nearby mountain tops or hike the classic Jämtland Triangle: Storulvån-Blåhammaren-Sylarna-Storulvån which is a total of 47 Km.

Gallery: Warehouses by the fjord (Anne Adsten) and The Nidaros Dome (Håkan Wike).

Trondheim – Third largest city of Norway

Trondheim is also one of Norways oldest cities being founded already in 997 by the river Trondheimsfjorden. The city is usually referred to as the first capital of Norway. The 180 000 inhabitants make sure it is a vibrant city with cosy blocks around the center of the city and across the old bridge (Den gamle bybro) to the quarters called Bakklandet. There are plenty of restaurants offering all kinds of foods from around the world including local specialties from Norway. The huge church, the Nidaros Dome is famous since this is the goal for pilgrims along the St Olavs pilgrim path. Music lovers should visit Rockheim Museum with hands-on exhibitions on music history and if you are in to history you may want to climb up to Kristiansten Festning (fortress) where the Norwegians held the Swedish Carolean Soldiers out for a long time.

Røros UNESCO World Heritage site

Røros is a World Heritage Site in Norway. The picturesque town is known for its well-preserved low wooden buildings in the city center still inhabited by people caring for the historic buildings. The rich history comes from Røros as an important copper mining town. Visit the excellent museum showcasing the mining history and also the Røros Tweed company making fine woolen blankets and Røros Cheramics for its traditional bowls and cups.

The town is also a popular destination for foodies, with a focus on locally produced specialties and food safaris.

Gallery: Stone age rock paintings (Helena Åkerlind), biking (Anette Andersson), Midsummer feast (Funäsfjällen), Rogen Nature reserve (Lena Hedman).

Funäsfjällen – A long history of having guests

Funäsfjällen is a large mountain area in western Härjedalen, Sweden, near the Norwegian border. The first guests made plans with a local farmer who bought beds and took the group in having guided tours for them and food served in the farm kitchen. Since then tourism flourished and today the destination encompasses nine villages: Funäsdalen, Tänndalen, Tännäs, Ljusnedal, Bruksvallarna, Mittådalen, Messlingen, Fjällnäs och Ramundberget. The skipass is valid for all the six ski areas in the destination in winter (145 slopes and 300 km of groomed ski tracks) and the trails in summer for hiking and biking are also connected to an overall pass.

Gallery: All images courtesy of Destination Lofsdalen.

Lofsdalen – Easy (and tough) Mountain biking

Gallery: Golf course with a view (Karl Vertegård), herding cattle (Margareta Johansson), midsummer (Karin Hüglow Fjellner), Fly fishing (Sandra Lee Pettersson), waterfall (Jocke Lagercrantz).

Vemdalen – Collect Waterfalls