Forget the Alps, the Pyrenees and far flung destinations like the USA and Canada, this winter opt for a Scandinavian skiing experience to escape the stress. Scandinavia, with its endless white winter coat, should spring to mind for any ski enthusiast as a top destination; however it is all too often overlooked.
Skiing in Scandinavia – Why the Nordic nations are the destination for winter sports
The Alps still contain some of the busiest ski areas in the world. Most Alpine ski resorts have one thing in common; lots of people, resulting in endless tussles in the lift queues, let alone in the après ski bars. As more of the lesser known and cheaper ski areas in Europe are uncovered, the same fate becomes them.
Then we have the far-away destinations such as Japan, the USA and Canada. All are brilliant, all are spectacularly beautiful, but all the splendour and distance make for a very expensive holiday.
Sweden and Norway, on the other hand, offer something entirely different. Picturesque villages, stunning scenery and far smaller crowds make for the winter sports holiday of dreams. Offering extensive resorts with miles of combed runs and only a fraction of the visitors, Scandinavia is piste paradise. Ski-in-ski-out set ups are also very common in Scandinavia, due in part to the smaller numbers of visitors accommodation is commonly built right up to the slopes.
We take a look at the top destinations in Scandinavia for winter holidaymakers. Casamundo offer accommodation at all resorts mentioned:
Hemsedal – Norway
Norway’s premiere winter sports destination, the village of Hemsedal is nestled in the picturesque Hallingdal Valley and offers short lift queues, modern lift facilities and 42 runs covering 40km of pistes. Hemsedal’s snowfall is one of the highest and most consistent in Europe and the season runs from November to May! Extensive cross-country skiing routes are also available as well as a wide variety of other activities for everyone.
Trysil – Norway
Boasting a massive 71km of combed piste spread over 66 runs, Trysil is Norway’s largest ski resort and has a huge variety of slopes for all ages and abilities. Excellent beginner’s facilities coupled with extensive expert runs and mogul parks and off-piste skiing offer something for everyone and situated only two hours from Oslo airport, it is easily accessible.
Åre – Sweden
Condé Nast Traveller, the luxury travel publication, announced in 2008 that Åre was one of its top ten ski resorts in the world, and any visitor can see why. Set amongst beautiful Swedish scenery, Åre boasts not only a huge skiable area and great facilities but great entertainment and nightlife for everyone. The resort hosts 110 runs and 40 lifts so skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the slopes all day with barely a queue in sight. This is our top pick for Scandi-skiing.
Vemdalen – Sweden
Composed of three resorts; Vemdalsskalet, Björnrike and Klövsjö, served by one lift pass, Vemdalen has on offer extensive pistes to explore and because they are spread over such a large area, peace and tranquillity is in abundance. Vemdalen is actually a tiny resort and as such has a great charm to it and is very family-friendly. The peace of the pistes coupled with the breath-taking Swedish wild countryside makes for an incredible experience. Reportedly, 85 per cent of guests are return visitors to the resort, the reasons why are evident from your first day.
Have you been skiing in Scandinavia? What did you think?