Why Åre?

Accustomed to gigantic resorts like Les Trois Vallées or Espace Killy, we were apprehensive about the size of Swedish resorts, with their average mountains rarely topping 1,000 meters.

That’s why we immediately chose the largest resort: Åre, some 600 km north of Stockholm near the Norwegian border. And to top it all off, there’s even a night train from the capital. A taste of adventure awaits The only constraint is that we would have to do some “COVID” tests on the way there and back.

Making the journey to Åre a pleasure

The easiest way is to fly to Östersund with a stopover in Stockholm, then rent a car. Åre is only an hour and a half away.

We choose another, funnier option in the spirit of “land-trip“. We’ll fly only as far as Stockholm, then continue by train..

And to add to the fun, we’re planning a long transit to Stockholm. Our Air France flight lands at midday for a train that won’t leave until 10.55 pm.

The double advantage is that we won’t have to worry about any airline delays, and we’ll have plenty of time to wander around town and have dinner.

The big day has finally arrived! Our negative antigen test is the sesame that allows us to return to Sweden. In less than 20 minutes, the Arlanda Express takes us at 200 km/h into the center of Stockholm.

A dream that Paris has been waiting for for years, with the CDG Express constantly postponed. What’s more, smart pricing means it’s always more attractive to take the train than a cab, whether you’re one, two, three, or four.

In town, we found a great deal with a hotel room at… 53 EUR breakfast included!!!! Yes, you read that right! So why not use it as a“day use“?

We can leave our luggage in the room, rest after our stroll around town, and take a shower before returning to our sleeper car. And, knowing that we won’t be able to have breakfast, the hotel prepares a little bag for us to take with us.

At this price, the room has no windows and looks very much like an interior cabin on a cruise ship. For younger guests, this is a good alternative to a youth hostel, with a higher level of comfort. The hotel is the First Hotel Kungsbron, adjacent to the Central Station.

We won’t dwell on our stroll in Stockholm, which had a nostalgic touch for us, as we just revisited places we used to enjoy when we lived there. These are the subjects of separate articles.

But the streets and stores are deserted. Restaurants are open but have to close at 8 pm and drastically limiting their capacity. COVID is indeed a global scourge.

What is also striking is the absence of masks, very rarely worn by people. It immediately makes even a dispersed crowd more human. A feeling we had forgotten in France

Overnight in a sleeper as in the old days!

10:55 pm. Our train slowly leaves Central Station. Our first-class sleeper has the old-fashioned charm of the ones I used to work in nearly 40 years ago. It reminds me of the days, before the TGV, when skiers took night trains to the Alps and Pyrenees.

In 2021, we also have the privilege of a private toilet and shower. We fall asleep to the gentle rocking of the rolling stock.

After a very good night’s sleep, we wake up in Östersund to a snow-covered landscape and frozen lakes. The magic of Scandinavian winter is already taking effect. There’s a bistro car where we’re offered a (light) breakfast. It completes the one given to us by the hotel the day before.

Åre: A ski resort for “real“!

9:21 am. We arrive at Åre station. As soon as we get off the train, we can see the ski slopes.

And, at first glance, we’re pretty happy! The downhill runs look quite sporty. Åre doesn’t look like a cow pasture, even though the top of the ski area is only at 1200 meters and the bottom at 400 meters. The mountain is similar to the one we would see in the Alps.

We pick up the keys to our rental car at the cash desk of the supermarket next to the train station! Very practical for our weekly shopping. In addition to salmon, “lax” in Swedish, and meatballs, we even have a “Mont d’or” cheese. We’ll be able to make ourselves a hot cheese dish, just like at home.

The second step is ski rental. We waste a little time trying to find a rental company that offers a not-too-expensive option for changing our skis at will between cross-country and alpine. It’s also located in the village of Björnen, linked to the Åre ski area, but 15 minutes closer to our chalet. Good news, because we were a bit worried about the distance of our accommodation from the slopes!

And now off to the chalet. We set off along a small mountain road still covered in snow. To our left, the Åre mountains, and to our right forests of spruce, Scots pine, and birch, interspersed with frozen, snow-covered lakes. It’s superb! And we’re all alone on the road.

Just before reaching our chalet, we pass an ice-free lake. We discover that it opens onto a dam, so the movement of the water prevents it from freezing.

It’s a reminder that Sweden is one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of the production of virtually fossil fuel-free electricity, combining nuclear power with renewable energies, mainly hydroelectric.

Our cottage is the main residence of a lady in her fifties. She shows us around our new home and leaves us the keys. Trust reigns, as her closets and cupboards with all her personal belongings remain freely accessible.

We feel like she was a cousin who lent us her house, not an impersonal Airbnb.

Of course, there’s a sauna to reward us for our days on the slopes. The accommodation is cozy and bright, with large bay windows. The furniture is a mix of traditional and Ikea. It feels good to be in Sweden!

A very alpine skiing experience

In these “COVID” times, it was with a slightly guilty pleasure that we put on our alpine skis.

The Swedes have taken a different approach to France, leaving the resorts open, but with reinforced protection measures. Who’s right? In any case, we liked the Swedish model, with its emphasis on social distancing without the need to wear a mask.

The first pleasant surprise is the quality of the snow: it’s excellent everywhere. Temperatures remain negative for longer than in the Alps and are more constant even in March. Snow is transformed less by successive freezing and thawing. What’s more, as it snowed during our stay, we had the satisfaction of skiing on velvet.

The second pleasant surprise is the size of the resort. We skied a total of three days, each with a different itinerary. There are steep slopes where you can get a few adrenaline rushes, but also gentle slopes where you can let yourself go and daydream. The landscape, too, is rather varied: coniferous or birch forests and, at the top, a very polar environment with buildings completely frosted over. And in the distance, the eye is always drawn to magnificent vistas of uninhabited areas.

Skiing in Åre also has its drawbacks.

The topography of the resort, which spans several valleys, means that some strategic lifts can be a little congested.

Perhaps this was reinforced by the “COVID” measures where many seats were neutralized.

The queues were organized like in airports so that everyone could keep the prescribed distance of one ski pole between each skier.

Cross-country skiing like in Lapland

We also love cross-country skiing. The experience is very different from downhill skiing, with greater immersion in nature without the artifice of lifts. Physical effort is both gentler and more enduring.

Our technical skills mean that we practice it more as a stroll than a race. So we often found ourselves lagging behind the Swedes, who have been galloping on these skis since they were very young. But it didn’t matter, because our main aim was to enjoy the superb wild landscapes and the impressive silence of nature in winter.

We skied at two locations in the area.

First to Björnen. The loops are between 5 and 15 km long. We chose the longest, which takes 2-3 hours.

During our stay, we had all kinds of weather, from blizzards to bright sunshine. Cross-country skiing lends itself better than alpine skiing to bad weather conditions. There’s even a sense of adventure, with the wind whipping across your face and the tracks disappearing as you go.

The second place we skied was Södra Årefjällen, more precisely at the start of the village of Vålådalen. And then we fell in love!

The 18 km loop we’d chosen takes in forest landscapes interspersed with large clearings, with numerous snow-capped mountains on the horizon.

What’s more, we started in a fog that frosted the birch trees and gave way to superb sunshine… which the weather forecast hadn’t predicted! Magical!

A “bi-ski” holiday that enchanted us!

We loved alternating cross-country and downhill skiing. The pleasures they provide are highly complementary and avoid the feeling of routine that can be experienced on a single-activity holiday.

Unfortunately, our 7-day trip was a little too short. Next time we’ll try to go away for 10 days to get the most out of it. You also have to consider that it’s difficult to ski from day one. Getting accustomed to a country less familiar than our own takes a bit more time.

“Last but not least, interactions with the Swedes were very pleasant. They’re a rather reserved people, who hide a real warmth and kindness. We met several Swedes who were curious to see what the “Frenchies” were up to in their northern lands.

The idea for this trip was born within the constraints of “COVID”. But we’ll definitely be coming back to Åre, as we were delighted with our “dual” cross-country and downhill skiing experience!