Discover Åre: hotels, mountain railway and church

Åre offers a range of starting points for planning a trip: the central village with its medieval church, the historic mountain railway, hiking trails on Åreskutan, and skiing and biking options. If you are looking for a hotel in Åre, it helps to first decide whether culture, hiking, skiing or cycling will be the main focus. The information below groups the options according to their specific features—from historic buildings to routes with varying levels of difficulty.

Village centre, getting there and the mountain railway

Åre railway station is in the heart of the village, and European route E14 leads directly to the centre. Åre gamla kyrka is also centrally located. This gives you several fixed points of reference in the village centre for your planning, without committing you to any particular activity.

The Åre Bergbana provides a special link between Åre-Torg and Hotel Fjällgården: this 800-metre funicular runs from the square to the hotel at an altitude of 556 metres above sea level. It is a listed historic monument and was inaugurated in 1910. The two station buildings are dark brown, two-storey wooden structures in the National Romantic style. They were designed by the architect Otto Sigfrid (Sigge) Cronstedt. This means the mountain railway can be considered not only as a local point of reference, but also as a subject in its own right in architectural history.

The church and museum as cultural attractions

Åre gamla kyrka was built at the end of the 12th century and remains a medieval stone church. Inside is a medieval wooden sculpture of Saint Olof. The church is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00. Its central location and long history make it a clearly defined cultural destination in the village.

Åre Museum is located on the slope of Åreskutan, at the mountain railway’s upper station. It has the same opening hours as Åre Bergbana, usually from 10:00 to 16:00. If you want to include the museum and mountain railway in your plans, check the opening hours for the date of your visit. Unlike the church, the museum is a destination whose location is tied to the mountain railway; the two places represent different aspects of local history.

Hiking on Åreskutan

Hikes in and around Åre and on Åreskutan range from short outings for the whole family to more challenging hikes for experienced hikers. Trails start at Åre-Torg; lifts also let hikers begin from higher-altitude starting points. Lift operations are seasonal and weather-dependent, so it is worth checking conditions for your planned visit.

You can start the hike to the summit of Åreskutan at Åre-Torg: the route follows trail 212 to Fjällgården, where you continue on trail 214. This is a specific sequence of trails, while the other hikes in the area vary in length and difficulty. The S:t Olavsleden can also be experienced on horseback, by bicycle or on foot; Åre is one of the places along this route. The different ways of travelling provide another option for tailoring your plans to your preferred activity.

Skiing and biking options

At SkiStar Åre, one SkiPass includes three ski areas. Operating details may vary by season. When planning your trip, it is therefore a good idea to take seasonal conditions into account, rather than interpreting the shared pass arrangement as a statement about operations on a particular day.

Åre Bike Park has 40 cycling trails with up to 853 metres of vertical descent. Difficulty ratings range from green, easy connector trails to red and black freeride trails. You can take these published trail characteristics into account without treating all routes as equally challenging.

In Björnen, Åre Trail Park’s purpose-built, wide and easy-to-ride trails cater to both beginners and experienced cyclists. Åre Skill Park in Björnen offers a pump track and practice areas for children and beginners. Here, you can practise balance, cornering technique, pumping and flow. Bike courses for children, teenagers and adults are also among Åre’s summer activities; course availability is seasonal. These distinctions can help you assess biking options by trail type, practice focus and target group.

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