Ski Resorts

Are, Sweden

Are, Sweden | Welove2ski
Photo: © Henrik trygg/imagebank.sweden.se

The Stats

Altitude: 384m

Top Lift: 1275m

Ski area: 100km of piste

Adult lift pass: 1995SEK for six days

site Official Site | site Ski Map | site Webcam

In a Nutshell

Scandinavia’s top downhill ski resort, Are in Sweden is also home to some sizzling nightlife and superb restaurants. The hip and liberal culture of the place reminds us of the best American ski towns.

Essential Advice for the Perfect Trip

Skiing in Are, Sweden is very different from skiing in the Alps. In fact, in many ways it’s more like going to a Colorado ski town than a European one. The round-topped mountains are reminiscent of the Rockies – and so is the friendliness of the locals.Step into one of the hip little bakery-cum-cafes around town and you could easily find a morning has disappeared over coffee and cakes.

Of course there’s plenty that’s different. This is Sweden after all – a place with a strong sense of its own identity and a rich history and culture. Not surprisingly, it takes winter in its stride and has integrated snow into its daily life in a way few other destinations can match. Rather more surprising – but no less impressive – is the mix of urban sophistication and full-bore, wigged out night-life. We know of few other resorts which can offer an apres-ski bar like Timmerstugan and superb restaurants such as Supper, Buustamons and Vinbaren Are: and none of them perches on the edge of a socking great wilderness like Are, Sweden does. It’s as if God had carved off a slice of Stockholm, seasoned it with a sprinkle of Breckenridge and Telluride, and flung it as far north as He could manage.

No wonder Are is popular with many Brits

When you add Are’s beginner and intermediate-friendly ski area into the equation – and the fact that the Swedes genuinely like the Brits – it’s no wonder that many of our compatriots like the place so much. Especially the thirty- and forty-somethings.

“Great place, very nice people, all speaking fluent English and helpful and polite for the most part,” was how one Welove2ski visitor put it – and added, “We will definitely go back there.” Another was even more enthusiastic: “One word sums up everything about Are – quality: from the slopes, to the infrastructure, the ski school, ski hire, accommodation, shopping, eating and after-ski. We first visited in 2010 and have been back every year since.”

The Loveometer

Where to Ski Loveometer 74% | Welove2ski

We Love

We Hate

tick The high quality of Are’s pistes – which are pretty much deserted midweek.
tick The weekend nightlife in the centre of Are – and the night skiing.
tick The metropolitan sophistication of the town – it feels like a hip suburb of Stockholm.
tick The views – of the lake and the unpopulated landscapes beyond.
tick The consistently high standard of restaurants.
tick The quality of the tuition, and the effortless English of the instructors.
cross The very short days in the middle of winter.
cross The fact the top half of the ski area is often closed in December and January, because of the amount of ice that clings to the lift pylons and cables.
cross The expensive food and alcohol.

Continue Exploring Are, Sweden

About the author

Sean Newsom

As well as founding Welove2ski in June 2007, Sean has written about skiing and snowboarding in the British press for 28 years. For the last 20 of them, he’s also been the ski travel editor at The Sunday Times.

1 Comment

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  • We bumped into you guys in Åre back in 2012. We were the guys who had been there 3 years straight. Well after a few trips to Söll and trip planned to La Plagne (inspired your take your dog skiing feature on here) we are heading back to Åre in March 2015. They’ve installed some more chairlifts since we were there last and a can’t wait to get back to Åre’s funky vibe again. Shame that Neilson pulled out of Scandinavia but with Trondheim only a couple of hours away its easy to self book a holiday and well worth it.