Transtrand: Mountain Biking, Fishing and Cultural History

Transtrand can be explored from several perspectives: cultural history, challenging mountain biking and fishing. Transtrand Church and Olnispagården offer different historical points of interest; the Tjärnhedsrundan is known for technically difficult trail riding. For fishing, the relevant rivers are Görälven, Fulan and Västerdalälven. These activities differ not only in subject, but also in the conditions you should check in advance.

Church, local history and baking traditions

Transtrand Church was designed by Carl Daniel Björk and inaugurated in 1830. It stands at the foot of Hemfjället, Sweden’s southernmost treeless mountain. A treeless mountain is an area of mountain terrain without trees; the church’s location connects architectural history with the landscape. For those interested in architecture, Björk’s design and the year of inauguration are specific points of interest, while Hemfjället adds the landscape context.

Olnispagården in Transtrand is one of the five local heritage farms in Malung-Sälen Municipality that are open to visitors. The farm displays 700 artifacts, most of them from agrarian society. Olnispagården was listed as a historic building in 1967. The two cultural sites offer different perspectives: the church focuses on design and inauguration, while the farm highlights its agrarian collection and the building’s historic status.

The baking tradition adds another perspective: HöllOlaGården has local recipes for Kavelgris and Stomp; both are rolled out by hand and baked in a wood-fired oven. Making them together offers a culinary experience alongside architecture and artifacts.

Cycling: a circular route and a point-to-point route

For the Tjärnhedsrundan, it is worth considering the circular route and its difficulty separately. The start and finish are at the same place, while the route also features challenging climbs and technically difficult mountain biking on trails. Its circular format therefore does not indicate an easy level of difficulty. Since the season and weather affect trail conditions, check them before setting out and plan according to the conditions at that time of year.

The Vasaloppsarenan is different: it runs from Sälen to Mora through small mountain farming settlements and sparse pine forests. It is a point-to-point route between two named places, whereas the Tjärnhedsrundan returns to its starting point. These are two different considerations when planning a cycling trip: the technical demands and weather-dependent trail conditions in one case, and the route through settlements and forest in the other.

Fishing and practical planning

As of 2026, grayling fishing is permitted in the rivers Görälven, Fulan and Västerdalälven; trout are protected and must be released. Check the current regulations before fishing. The rules therefore distinguish between a permitted and a protected fish species.

If you want to include cycling and fishing in your trip plans, check two different sets of conditions: the season and weather affect the trails, while fishing depends on which species are permitted and the requirement to release protected fish. These checks cannot be replaced by the same preparation.

Discover more destinations: Lima, Sörsjön, Tandådalen, Öje, Stöten, Malung, Malungsfors, Limedsforsen

Go to the regional travel overview: Malung-Sälen.