Jämtland County

Jämtland is Sweden's mountain province: it's home to the country's largest ski resort, hundreds of kilometers of marked fjäll trails, and a lake that is said to harbor a monster. A vacation in Jämtland means skiing in Åre, hiking from hut to hut, and enjoying city life in Östersund, the capital on Lake Storsjön.

Landscape Between Lake and Fjäll

Storsjön, the "Great Lake," sits in the middle of the province, surrounded by gentle hills, farms, and forests. To the west the mountains rise to Helags, at over 1,700 meters the highest peak in southern Sweden, on whose slopes lies Sweden's southernmost glacier. Waterfalls such as Tännforsen and Ristafallet plunge over rocky ledges, and the area around the Jämtlandstriangeln is a classic among fjäll hikers. To the north, vast forests with lakes and bogs stretch out. The forests in the north around Strömsund are bear country, and the Vildmarksvägen, the Wilderness Road, leads across the Stekenjokk plateau all the way to Lapland. The province also includes the landscape of Härjedalen with Funäsdalen, Lofsdalen, and Vemdalen, a small highland region of its own. The Indalsälven river rises in the fjäll and flows through Storsjön.

Sights in Jämtland

Åre is Sweden's best-known winter sports resort and has hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships several times, most recently in 2019. From Åreskutan the view stretches far across the fjäll, and in summer the slopes turn into a mountain biking playground. The nearby ski areas of Duved and Vemdalen are also worth a visit. Östersund is a lively small city on Storsjön; the Jamtli open-air museum shows farmsteads and everyday life from past centuries, as well as the Viking Age tapestries from Överhogdal. On the island of Frösön, reached by a bridge, you'll find an old church and a Viking Age runestone, the northernmost in the world. From the lakeshore, people keep a lookout for the Storsjöodjuret, the legendary lake monster. Östersund is also part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for gastronomy. In Åre, a funicular has been running up the hillside from the market square since 1910, and near Duved the Tännforsen thunders down, one of Sweden's largest waterfalls. In summer, the steamer Thomée makes historic cruises on Storsjön.

Culture and History

Jämtland belonged to Denmark-Norway until 1645 and has preserved a distinct identity, which shows in its dialect and traditions. Sami families run the southernmost reindeer herding in Sweden here. The wooden churches and mountain farms in the fjäll bear witness to hard farming life on the edge of the mountains. The mountain stations of Storulvån and Sylarna are classic bases for hut-to-hut treks. At the Storsjöyran festival in Östersund, the Republic of Jamtland is proclaimed with a wink.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

The cuisine is shaped by game, reindeer, Arctic char from mountain lakes, and cheese from the summer farms. Small farm dairies and breweries make Jämtland a destination for food lovers. Night trains and day trains connect Stockholm with Östersund and Åre, and Åre Östersund Airport is located on Frösön. For skiers, February to April is ideal; for hikers, July to September. Östersund is a biathlon center and hosted the World Championships in 2019. At many of the summer farms, the fäbodar, you can buy cheese and butter in summer.