Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
informative explanations of how the mountain farmers of these parts managed to
survive in such a remote location; transhumance (the practice of moving animals to
higher ground during summer to fatten them on the fresh lush pasture) is given
particular prominence. The adjacent outdoor
Fornminnesparken
homestead
museum (unrestricted access; free), the oldest in Sweden and established in 1894 by
a local trader, contains the usual collection of old timber buildings, plus a former
customs house from the early nineteenth century used to regulate cross-border trade
with Norway.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
FUNÄSDALEN
By bus
There is no bus station in Funäsdalen. Instead buses
to and from Östersund
(
Mon-Sat 2 daily, Sun 1 daily; 3hr
30min) pull up outside the Fjällmuseum on the main road.
Tourist o
ce
Rörosvägen 30 (mid-June to Sept daily
10am-6pm; Sept to mid-June Mon-Fri 10am-5pm;
T
0684 155 80,
W
funasfjallen.se). The best place for
advice on the dozens of local hiking trails; also has useful
information about canoe rental.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Funäsdalen
T
0684 214 30,
W
hotell-funasdalen.se.
The top place to stay in the village is this huge red building
with the green roof down by the lakeside on Strandvägen.
The comfortable modern rooms have unsurpassed views
out over the lake; in the winter high season, when prices
shoot up, b
ookings are on
ly accepted for long weekends or
one week.
545kr/1845kr
Norrbyns Stugby
Vallarvägen 25
T
0684 212 05,
W
norrbyns-stugby.nu.
Two-person cabins are available
at this place with terrific views out over An
åjället
mountain; in winter bookings are by the week only.
575kr
Veras Stekhus & Pub
Rörosvägen 23
T
0684 215 30.
Located opposite the tourist office on the main road, this is
the best place to eat, not only for its delicious Arctic char
and grilled meats, including reindeer (around 200kr), but
also its wonderful views of the lake.
Wed & Thurs 5-9pm,
Sat & Sun 5-10pm.
8
The Flatruet plateau and around
From Funäsdalen, an unnumbered road, actually the highest in the country, heads
north for the bumpy ascent to the hamlet of Mittådalen and beyond to the
Flatruet
plateau
(975m), a bare stretch of desolate, rocky land, punctuated only by electricity
poles and herds of grazing reindeer. The plateau is renowned for its 4000-year-old
Stone Age
rock paintings
(
hällmålningar
in Swedish) at the foot of the Ruändan
mountain at the eastern edge of this extensive upland area; get here by turning right in
Mittådalen for another hamlet, Messlingen, where you should leave your vehicle. East
of the settlement, a track of to the left leads towards Byggevallen and Ruvallen; from
the latter a footpath then leads to the paintings - from the road it's a walk of 5-6km.
Fashioned from a mix of iron ochre and animal fat and etched into slabs of rock, the
twenty or so figures show, in remarkable clarity, elk, reindeer and even bears. Bus #620
makes this journey once daily on weekdays; timetables are at
W
lanstraiken-z.se.
Ljungdalen
Once over the plateau, the road descends steeply towards the charming village of
LJUNGDALEN
, hemmed in on three sides by high mountains, occupying an area of flat
grassland near the head of the Ljungan River.
Helags glacier
Though the fifty or so wooden houses are pleasant enough, it's as a base from which to
reach the
Helags glacier
that Ljungdalen really comes into its own. From the ICA
supermarket in the centre of the village, take the road signed for “Helags/Kläppen”
which leads to a car park after 6km, from where the hiking trail starts. Before the car
park though, the road passes a small settlement, Kläppen, where you should take
Kläppenvägen uphill, following the signs. Once at the car park it's 12km to the STF
mountain cabin at Helags.
