When people ask me about Are, I like to describe it as a mini Stockholm.
I spent a weekend in Are, Sweden, and never have I seen such a hip ski resort than Are. What you find in Stockholm, you find in Are : hip bars, shops, restaurants and of course the coolest crowd.
We visited Are during the ski opening weekend in the mid December. During this time, Are is THE place to be in Sweden. New shops and restaurants are making their opening and everyone who is someone in Sweden is there to celebrate a new ski season in Are.
Skiing in Are, Sweden
Skiing in Sweden sounds weird to a lot of people as Sweden is pretty dark and the question I was asked the most was :
How long can you ski in Sweden?
Also, Isn’t it too dark for skiing was asked many times in my Instagram stories. Well, unlike what people think, you can ski quite a long time. We hit the slopes at around 9 and left at around 3pm. Not much shorter than what we did in Austria the week before. This was in December so later in the year you can ski even longer. The overall feeling is to ski with sunset though, and this is pretty amazing!
Night skiing is possible too. Indeed, because of the shorter days, slopes reopens at night and are fully illuminated for those who didn’t ski enough day time/ for those who are not at the après ski yet 😉 See opening times HERE.
How much is the ski pass in Are, Sweden?
It is known than Sweden is quite expensive this is why I was surprised to see that the ski pass in Are was not much more expensive than in Austria. A day pass will cost you around 45Euros and booking via Ski Star you can find very good deals including ski pass, ski rentals and accommodation for less than 500Euros a week.
This + a low cost flight to Are make a unexpensive ski holidays in Sweden!
How are the slopes in Are?
The ski resort of Are is definitely not the biggest I have seen but definitely enough if you want to spend just a weekend in Are. Also if you skied everything in Are Central, the resort is connected to Are Björnen, a ski resort more suitable for families but definitely a go to, if you want to explore the area.
The slopes are suitable for all kind of skiers from beginners to more advanced with 3 black slopes!
Don’t miss to take the gondole H24 to the highest point in the Are ski resort that will take you to Are Topp Plata aka the frozen ski station at 1274 meters. From there you will have a wonderful view over the ski resort and even up to Norway!
More winter sports in Are, Sweden
If you are not into skiing,it is also possible to do other kind of winter sports and activities. We did dog sledging (a dream coming true) and snow squad (so much fun) in Are with Adventure Are that propose a range of winter activities in Are from Snow shoe hike and ice fishing and more.
The region of Jamtland where is situated Are is also very beautiful and there are many things to do there in Winter. Read my article about what I like to call, Sweden’s winter wonderland!
Eat and drink in Are
Are has great gastronomy both on the slopes and in the village.
– On the slopes I liked Hummelstugen a lot for it’s amazing pizza, and typical Swedish dishes.
– Toppstugan, the highest mountain hut in Are
– Buustamons Fjällgård, for the selfmade liquor!
In the village we tried two different restaurants but there are plenty options for food, drinks and party.
My tips :
– Food at Mister French for the cool atmosphere. It opened in December 2019 and is a famous restaurant already in Stockholm. Cuisine is french!
– Swedish cuisine or for the meatballs at Are Granen
– Coffee at Åre Kafferosteri
– Wine at Vinbaren
– More drinks and party at Supper Åre
– Clubbing at Bygget
Shopping in Are
One of the coolest winter fashion brand : Peak Performance, made in Sweden was created in Are. Don’t miss to visit the flagship store in the village. You might have also heard of Houdini, another cool Swedish sports brand. They also have a shop in the village. Besides those two, a lot of shops newly open every season so that the latest trends are always available. A stroll in the village is a must!
Where to sleep in Are?
During our time in Are, we slept at the amazing Copperhill mountain lodge. It is the coolest hotel in Are from which you can directly ski in and out during the season! It has views over the mountains, amazing breakfast, a big spa and a very cozy main area. Definitely recommended.
In the village I also liked hotel Are Granen, owned by Swedish Rap artist Petter. Crowd staying there is as you can imagine very stylish and hip.
More classic I loved Hotel Åregården in a more typical style and more suitable for adults than a young crowd in my opinion.
Cheaper options are available too if you wish to only sleep and ski.
Fazit – Ski weekend in Are, Sweden
I skied in many places in Europe but Are definitely was one of my favourite. It had the young and hip crowd of Laax and the lifestyle of Ischgl, but for a younger and trendier crowd! The perfect ski weekend in Sweden!