Östersund, Sweden: travel guide
Östersund is the only city in the province of Jämtland and the gateway to the Swedish mountain world, sitting on the eastern shore of the vast Storsjön lake whose depths are legendary home to the "Storsjöodjuret," Sweden's answer to the Loch Ness Monster. The open-air museum of Jamtli is among Scandinavia's finest, with costumed interpreters and Viking-age artefacts brought to vivid life on a wooded hillside just minutes from the city centre. Frösön Island, linked by bridge across the lake, hosts a runic stone, an eleventh-century church, and a zoo, as well as views of the Oviksfjällen mountains that inspired nineteenth-century landscape painters. Forty-five minutes west, the ski resort of Åre ranks as Sweden's premier alpine destination, with World Cup racing pistes and a buzzing village of mountain restaurants and après-ski that stays lively from December through April. In summer the same terrain opens to mountain biking, hiking, and via ferrata, making Östersund an ideal base for both seasons.
- Country
- Sweden
- Currency
- SEK
- Time zone
- Europe/Stockholm
- Nearest airport
- OSD
Top places to visit in Östersund
Åre Ski Resort
Activity · 4.8 rating · about 8 h · entry SEK 695
Åre is Sweden's premier ski destination and the largest ski resort in Scandinavia, with 100 runs, 42 lifts, and a vertical drop of 890 metres. The charming village at the base of the mountain buzzes year-round — in winter with alpine…
Åre Gondola & Summit Viewpoint
Viewpoint · 4.8 rating · about 2 h · entry SEK 295
The Åre gondola (Kabinbanan) rises 890 metres from the village to the summit of Åreskutan at 1,420 metres above sea level, offering a 360-degree panorama across Jämtland's mountain ranges, valleys, and lakes extending into Norway. In…
Jamtli Open-Air Museum
Cultural · 4.6 rating · about 3 h · entry SEK 180
Jamtli is one of Sweden's largest and most acclaimed open-air museums, set on Frösön island and the Östersund mainland with 50 historic buildings relocated from across Jämtland. It is uniquely "living history" — in summer, museum staff…
Östersund Waterfront & Storsjön Lake
Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h
Östersund sits on the eastern shore of Storsjön, the fifth largest lake in Sweden and home to the legendary lake monster Storsjöodjuret (the "Great Lake Monster"), Sweden's answer to the Loch Ness monster. The city waterfront is a pleasant…
Frösön Runestone & Church
Church · 4.5 rating · about 1 h
On Frösön island stands one of the few runic inscriptions that documents the Christianisation of a region. The Frösön Runestone, dated to around 1050 AD, records that a man named Östman Gudfastson had the area christened and a bridge…
Frösön Island
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 2 h
Frösön Island — Östersund's historic island in Lake Storsjön with the 11th-century Frösö Runestone, Sweden's northernmost Viking runestone.
Östersund Storsjön Monster
Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 1 h
The Storsjön Lake Monster (Storsjöodjuret) heritage — Östersund's legendary Loch Ness-style creature with sighting tours and the protected species status until 2005.
Östersund Old Town Walk
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 2 h
Östersund Old Town walking tour — exploring the spectacular 1786 grid-pattern Swedish town with the historic Gamla Kyrkogatan, the Town Hall, and the lakeside promenade.
Östersund Cross-Country Ski
Activity · 4.6 rating · about 3 h
Östersund Cross-Country Skiing — Sweden's premier cross-country and biathlon centre, with World Cup events held annually at the Östersund Ski Stadium.
Vinterparken Östersund
Activity · 4.7 rating · about 3 h
Vinterparken — Östersund's spectacular winter festival on frozen Lake Storsjön (December-March), with ice sculptures, ice skating, and the iconic ice bar.
Östersund Stadshuset
Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h
Östersund Stadshuset (Town Hall) — the spectacular 1912 National Romantic-style town hall, with the iconic clock tower and the lakeside Stortorget square.
Things to do
- Are Ski Day Pass & Beginner Lesson Sports · 6 h · from SEK 1,900 per person
- Are Summer Mountain Biking Adventure · 4 h · from SEK 800 per person
- Moose Safari Jamtland Forest Nature · 3 h · from SEK 1,000 per person
- Jamtli Open-Air Museum Tour Cultural · 2.5 h · from SEK 160 per person
- Storsjon Lake Ice Fishing Adventure · 3 h · from SEK 720 per person
- Froson Island Hiking & Runestone Tour Nature · 2 h · from SEK 100 per person
Day trips and tours
- Åre Ski Day Package — Slopes, Lift Pass & Lesson 8 h · from SEK 2,100
Where to stay in Östersund
- Åre Village about SEK 3,200 per night
Sweden's top ski resort village, 1.5 hours west of Östersund. Ski-in/ski-out access in winter and world-class mountain biking in summer. A compact, walkable village with strong après-ski culture.
Hotels
- Copperhill Mountain Lodge 5-star · SEK 2,200 to SEK 10,000 per night
- Hotel Åregården 4-star · SEK 2,000 to SEK 6,000 per night
- Clarion Hotel Grand Östersund 4-star · SEK 1,200 to SEK 3,200 per night
- STF Vandrarhem Östersund 2-star · SEK 280 to SEK 750 per night
Where to eat
- Café Friends Swedish, Café, Bakery · about SEK 120 per person
- Åre Broken Pizza, Bar Food, Swedish · about SEK 210 per person
- Mitt i Byn Åre Swedish, Scandinavian, Café · about SEK 280 per person
- Restaurang Stekhuset Swedish, Grill, Traditional · about SEK 420 per person
- Åre Restaurant & Bar Nordic, Swedish, Scandinavian · about SEK 520 per person
- Brunkullan Swedish, Nordic, Traditional · about SEK 480 per person
- Furan Ski Lodge Nordic, Swedish, Traditional · about SEK 580 per person
Getting around
- Car Rental Self main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Transit Pass main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.