Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION
Orsa
Järnvägsgatan 4
T
0250 409 40,
W
orsahotell.se.
Built in 1894 to serve the new-fangled railway and located
right in the centre by the station, this atmos
pheric
old place
is now a budget hotel with modern rooms.
500kr
Orsa Grönklitt
T
0250 462 00,
W
orsagronklitt.se.
Should you want to stay up at the bear park itself there's a
well-equipped hostel with double rooms and also a
number of cabins for rent.
490kr
Orsa hostel
Gillevägen 3
T
0250 421 70,
W
orsavandrarhem.se.
A beautifully located hostel, 1km
west of the centre by the side of Orsasjön lake; some rooms
have private facilities and some also have showers. There
are two fully fitted kitchens for g
uest us
e, and in
summ
er
breakfast is also available. Dorms
390kr
, doubles
600kr
EATING
Ugglan & Björnen
Next door to the hostel at Grönklitt
T
0250 462 31.
There are filling Swedish meals available
on site here; pork ribs or grilled trout with salad is just
110kr, and there are also themed buffet evenings including
tacos, deep-pan pizzas and game.
Tues-Sat 7-9pm.
Northwestern Dalarna
The area to the northwest of Mora offers travellers approaching from the south a first
taste of what northern Sweden is really all about. The villages in this remote part of
Dalarna lie few and far between, separated by great swathes of coniferous forest which
thrive on the poor sandy soils of the hills and mountains which predominate here. On
its way to the Norwegian border,
Route 70
, the main artery through this part of the
province, slowly climbs up the eastern side of the Österdalälven River valley. After the
tiny village of Åsen, the road leaves the river behind and strikes further inland towards
the mountains which mark the border between Sweden and Norway. Buses to Särna,
Idre and Grövelsjön follow this route, whereas services to Sälen only travel as far as
Älvdalen before heading west towards Route 297.
It is predominantly to ski (in winter) or to hike (in summer) that most visitors come
to this part of Dalarna. Indeed,
Sälen
and
Idre
are two of Sweden's most popular
ski
resorts
and, in season, the slopes and cross-country trails here are busy with Swedes
from further south, where snowfall is less certain. In summer, though,
Grövelsjön
makes a better destination than its sleepy neighbours, thanks to some superb hiking
trails through the mountains which begin here.
8
Sälen
Considered as one entity,
SÄLEN
and the surrounding resorts of Lindvallen, Högfjället,
Tandådalen, Hundfjället, Rörbäcksnäs and Stöten constitute the biggest
ski centre
in
the Nordic area, with over a hundred pistes and guaranteed snow from November to
May. It isn't unreasonable to lump all these places together, as each of the minor resorts,
despite having its own ski slope, is dependent on Sälen for shops (not least its
Systembolaget) and services. Novice skiers can take advantage of Sälen's special lifts,
HIKING AROUND SÄLEN
The route taken by skiers on the first Sunday in March during the annual Vasaloppet race, the
Vasaloppsleden
from Sälen to
Mora
(90km) is equally rewarding to explore on foot. The path
starts just outside Sälen, in
Berga
, and first runs uphill to Smågan, then downhill all the way to
Mora via Mångsbodarna, Risberg, Evertsberg, Oxberg, Hökberg and Eldris. For
accommodation
, there are eight
cabins
along the route, each equipped with a stove and
unmade beds.
Another hike to consider is the little-known
southern Kungsleden
( which starts at the
Högfjällshotellet
on
Högfjället-
, and leads to
Drevdagen
, a 30min drive west of Idre off Route
70 (bus #128 runs once daily Mon-Fri between Idre and Drevdagen), where it continues to
Grövelsjön and all the way north to
Storlien
. There's no accommodation on the Högfjället-
Drevdagen stretch.
