Sälen ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-aki, things to see & do in Sälen
Resort Review
Ski holidays in Sälen, Dalarna - home of the Sälen mountains that hosts the largest ski area in northern Europe including the ski resorts of Hundfjället, Lindvallen, Högfjället and Tandådalen.
A family-oriented ski resort with many children's play areas, fun parks and varied trails for both beginners and experienced skiers.
For people coming on summer or ski holidays in Sälen, you are in for a treat - it is one of the prettiest regions in Sweden with pine forests everywhere.
Sälen ski area guide
Each resort in Sälen is slightly different from the next, with the steep slopes of Hundfjället being the complete opposite to the more gentle pistes of Högfjället.
Lindvallen is considered to be the center of the whole area with Sweden’s most skied slope - the Gustavbacken. Hundfjället & Tandådalen are lift connected as are Högfjällent and Lindvallen with a feee ski bus connecting the two so you can get to ski around all 116 pistes.
For children, besides Trollskogen, there is also Trollens Snölekland where there is child care and pram-minding services.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 350m |
| Top lift | 890m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 145 |
| Longest run | 10 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 200 km |
| Season | Nov - April |
| Snowboard parks | 3 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✘ |
| Babysitting | ✘ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Lively & Fun |
Beginners
Trollbäckstorget is the ideal area for complete beginners and young children. There is a slow-moving button lift, some green slopes and a toboggan run which is great fun.
Intermediate
Lots of easy cruising blues and reds for intermediate skiers and for those who just want to practice carving.
Advanced
For the advanced skier, there are limited on-piste options but this is reversed when you consider the off-piste and touring possibilities. Skiing in Hundfjället and throughout the back-country of the Sälen area matches the best in the Alps.
Cross-country
There are 200 km of cross country ski trails throughout the Sälen area. Sälen is famous for hosting the start of Vasaloppet that was first held in 1922.
It is 90 km long and normally attended by around 15,000 racers making it also the longest and largest cross-country ski race in the world.
Things to see & do
- Night skiing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings until 7pm
- Ice skating
- Winter hiking trails
- Try Experium in Snötorget in Lindvallen. This is a great place to hang out any time of year especially in the ski season if the weather isn't that great. The facilities include a water park, spa, restaurants, bowling and 3D cinema.
Sälen Après-Ski
Across the resorts around Sälen there are plenty of après ski options to suit all tastes. There are well over 40 restaurants between the different villages, varying between the world's first 'ski through ' McDonalds in Lindvallen to local dishes such as elk steaks. After dinner, there are many very lively bars and clubs but also some quieter piano bars - basically something for everyone.
The accommodation in the various villages around Sälen is a great mix of stunning log cabins and apartments to rent that blend in perfectly with the mountains. The ski resorts are all fairly compact meaning that most of the holiday rentals are just a few minutes walk to the bars, restaurants and shops.
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Sälen is a good option for family ski holidays where the emphasis is on beginners and intermediate skiers and boarders.If you do get the opportunity, try one of the snowmobiling tours - great fun for a day out in the pristine wilderness. If you like skiing in Sälen, then you may also want to look at Hemsedal and Trysil in Norway which are ideal for seeing the Northern Lights or there is Kranjska Gora in Slovenia which is another excellent ski resort for family ski holidays.
