Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
nursery slopes and qualified tuition; there are also plenty of intermediate runs through
the densely forested hillsides and, for advanced skiers, twenty testing runs as well as an
off-piste area. To get the best value for money, it's really worth buying a package rather
than trying to book individual nights at local hotels; prices are high and in season
they're packed to capacity. During the
summer
, Sälen specializes in assorted
outdoor
activities
- fishing, canoeing and beaver safaris are all available, and the hills, lakes and
rivers around the town will keep you busy for several days. There's also some fantastic
hiking to be had in the immediate vicinity (see box, p.293).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
SÄLEN
By public transport
Bus #95 heads from Mora to Sälen (see
W
dalatraik.se for times). Coming here from further south,
first take the train to Borlänge, where you change to a train to
Malung, from where bus #157 takes an hour to reach Sälen.
The bus calls at each resort in turn, terminating at Stöten.
Tourist o
ce
On the straggly main street that runs
through the village (late April to late June & mid-Aug to
Nov Mon-Thurs 9am-6pm, Fri 10am-6pm, Sat
10am-2pm; rest of year closed Sat & Sun;
T
0280 187 00,
W
salen.se), inside the Centrumhuset building.
ACCOMMODATION
Gräsheden hostel
Gräsheden, near Stöten
T
0280
820 40,
W
salensvandrarhem.se.
With undisturbed
mountain views, this great hostel is really out in the wilds;
the bus from Sälen to Stöten will drop you close by, though
you need to reserve ahead before heading out. Breakfast
can be ordered in adva
nce an
d there's
a kitch
en, laundry
room and sauna. Dorms
200kr
, doubles
400kr
Högfjällshotellet
Högfjället
T
0280 870 00,
W
hogis
.se; reached by 3-4 buses daily from Sälen.
A
wonderfully situated place just inside the tree line; it has a
restaurant and a bar with fantastic panoramic views,
though is only open during the ski season. There's also a
superb sauna suite in the base
ment, an
d a swimming pool
with whirlpool and jet streams.
1195kr
8
Idre and around
IDRE is
one of Sweden's main
ski resorts
and home to the country's southernmost
community of reindeer-herding
Sámi
. However, if you're expecting wooden huts and
reindeer herders dressed in traditional dress, you'll be disappointed - the remaining six
herding families live in conventional houses in the area around Idre, and dress like
everyone else. Idre is a tiny one-street affair; if you come in summer, it's where you
should stay, rather than up the hill at Idrefjäll, which will be completely void of life.
The main street, where the bus drops you, is where you'll find everything of any
significance, including a supermarket and bank.
The continental climate here - Idre is located at one of the wider points of the
Scandinavian peninsula, and thus isn't prone to the warming influence of the Atlantic
- means that the summers are relatively dry; consequently Idre, like its fellow ski resort,
Sälen (see p.293), offers plenty of seasonal
outdoor activities
. Its tourist office can help
arrange fishing trips, horseriding, mountain biking, tennis, climbing and golf. There
are some good sandy beaches along the western shore of
Idresjön
, a lake that's a
kilometre east of town; to go canoeing, you can rent a boat through the tourist office,
where staff can also advise on local hiking routes, many of the best of which are in
nearby Grövelsjön (see box opposite).
Continuing up the mountain (two daily buses; 20min), you'll come to Idre's ski
slopes up at
IDREFJÄLL
, one of the most reliable places for snow in the entire country,
with particularly cold winters. Although not quite on the scale of Sälen, Idre's ski resort
manages to be Sweden's third largest and one of the most important in the Nordic area.
In winter the place is buzzing - not only with skiers but also with reindeer, who
wander down the main street hoping to lick the salt off the roads.
With your own transport, it's an easy day-trip from Idrefjäll to see the stunning
waterfall,
Njupeskär
, near the village of Särna. Alternatively, you can continue by bus to
Grövelsjön
, where there's some of the best hiking anywhere in central Sweden waiting
right outside the comfortable fell station accommodation.
