Jämtland: Holiday apartment amid nature, culture and mountain trails

Jämtland combines far-reaching mountain trails, designated natural areas and a cultural landscape where people have lived and worked for thousands of years. In Jämtlands län, there are more than 2,000 kilometres of state-maintained mountain trails for winter and summer. The state-maintained mountain trail network is managed by the County Administrative Board; other trails are maintained by municipalities, local associations and private operators.

Nature

In Jämtlands län, there is one national park, around 260 nature reserves, approximately 240 Natura 2000 areas, about ten bird protection areas and more than 20 natural monuments. Around 50 bodies of water and aquatic habitats have been designated as having very high natural, fishery, fishing or cultural values. The only national park in Jämtlands län is Sonfjället. There, visitors can find exhibitions and activities as well as maps, hiking suggestions and information about attractions.

The natural environment also includes Tännforsen, which is described as Sweden’s largest waterfall and is a winter day-trip destination when frozen. From the tourist station at Tännforsen, a marked, easy-to-walk trail of about one kilometre leads to the waterfall. The area around Tännforsen has been a nature reserve and Natura 2000 area since 1971 and is home to rare plants and animals.

Trails

Sonfjället National Park has marked summer trails ranging from short, child-friendly tours to full-day summit tours and multi-day hikes. Guided tours for observing bears and bear tracks are also offered in the national park.

Another notable trail is Sankt-Olavsleden. The approximately 580-kilometre pilgrimage route leads from the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic, from Selånger in Sweden to Trondheim in Norway. Sankt-Olavsleden is a medieval pilgrimage route and was reopened in 2013 after extensive renovation work.

Several classic mountain tours start from Vålådalen, including Blanktjärnsrundan, Ottfjällsturen, Pyramiderna and Kyrksten. Vålådalen is also a starting point for multi-day tours to the mountain huts Stensdalen, Vålåstugorna and Lunndörrsstugan.

Culture and history

In the mountain areas of Jämtland, a cultural landscape shaped by a connection between life and work lasting thousands of years can be seen. Skalstuguvägen in western Jämtland has a 1,000-year history and was the old main road between Jämtland and Trøndelag. The Krankmårtenhögen burial ground in Berg Municipality comprises around 30 graves dating from 200 BC to 200 AD.

At Jamtli in Östersund, visitors can experience three museums in one place. The Jamtli open-air museum includes historic farms and buildings. Nationalmuseum Jamtli presents art and design from the collections of the Nationalmuseum. At Jamtli, the Överhogdal tapestries are presented as Europe’s oldest pictorial textiles.

Jamtli offers bookable guided group tours through its exhibitions and cultural spaces. Historical walks between buildings and settings of cultural-historical significance are also available. At the Jamtli open-air museum, cultural-historical settings are brought to life with role-playing, shows and entertaining activities for children and adults.

Cycling and winter

At Vålådalens Fjällstation, cycling is available on local trails, ranging from broad tracks to technically demanding routes. The Trail Center rents trail bikes, dirt bikes, children’s bicycles and hardtails for gravel riding, and also offers a workshop and spare parts. Åre Bike Park offers 50 kilometres of cycling trails across 39 routes. In Åre, there are providers offering bicycle and equipment rentals; several also offer guided tours at different levels.

Winter sports are also represented by different types of routes. In Åre Municipality, there are around 200 ski slopes across a total of seven ski areas. Åre offers extensive high-altitude cross-country trails above the tree line, rolling forest tracks and illuminated training loops with artificial snow.

Länstrafiken Jämtland coordinates, plans, commissions and markets public regional and urban transport in Jämtlands län.

Regional destinations

Other regional destinations: Berg, Åre, Älvdalen, Härjedalen, Strömsund, Bräcke, Krokom, Östersund, Ragunda, Björnberget, Tandsbyn.

To the higher-level travel overview: Sweden.