In Åre Björnen, all accommodation is ski in/ski out. Skiing is easy, slopes here are green and blue. You will hardly find any red ones, and the black ones are totally absent in this part of the valley.
Lifts are everything from carpets, button lifts and t-bars. Easy access to ski-school, toilets and huts for short breaks. All in all, a perfect place to start a life on skis. The beginners area here is without chairlifts. Somehow a substandard for Åre as an international destination. However, there is one modern, detachable 1700 meter long, six-seater connecting Åre Björnen with the Åre central ski area.
There are some real skiing here as well
When you find yourself skiing around Sadelexpressen (the name of the only chairlift). Slopes are really nice for carving. Certainly, there are some red slopes here. When you go over the top, you have access to the central lift system in Åre. You will find some t-bars that cover this area as well. They will secure the access to Åre on windy days when sadelexpressen is closed.
Don’t miss out Björnenliften, This one is often forgotten. It’s a shame because the one slope there follows the terrain really nice. You will find this one at the bottom of the eastern part of the system.
During daytime, this lift is often without a queue, so you can take a few laps there quite fast. If you fancy skiing after dark, this slope is also lit during high season, and there is night skiing. That, on the other hand, can be very busy.
Åre Björnen, a complete ski resort
Except from alpine skiing Åre Björnen holds a good network of cross-country ski tracks. Don’t worry going here after dark. A couple of the tracks are lit for late night skiing. If you prefer not to bring your own ski gear, there are two rental shops in Åre Björnen.
One of the shops is owned by the ski lift company Skistar. The other one is an independent store, named Skicenter Åre Björnen. I suggest you choose the second one. They have all sorts of rental equipment; cross-country, randonneé, snowboards and all kinds of alpine skis.
Skip the lifts and go cross-country
When you decide to go cross-country skiing (which you should), set your target to the old copper mine; Fröå gruva and the restaurant Bergstugan which is located in one of the old buildings there. There is a risk you gain more calories on this expedition than you burn! They serve genuine food from local suppliers, and it’s good.
What about eating out in Åre Björnen?
Åre is renowned for the amount of good on-slope restaurants, and this part of the mountain is no exception. My personal favorite this winter, when in the area, has been the Crowded House Café on top of Björnenliften. This place is a bit odd but genuine. You will find that the main building consists of a big wigwam that has been extended year after year. Their burger is great, and you can tell from the service that they like what they’re up to.
If you are looking for something more upscale, you can go up Järvenliften to Copperhill Hotel. A one of a kind design building on top of the most eastbound mountaintop (Förberget). This is the only hotel and SPA in Åre Björnen. To get there by skis is actually a bit dull.
Järvenliften is a long and quite slow t-bar. When you reach the top of that lift you have to take a trail through the woods down to the hotel’s own button lift, this is pure transportation. I hate button lifts. These relic, antisocial transportation systems should not exist in a modern ski resort if you ask me.
Once you have struggled through this transportation path. You will be rewarded. As the hotel itself is worth a visit. The lobby bar is cozy and fancy at the same time. It invites you to sit down, relax and have a drink or two. And yes, it might even be worth a stay for a couple of days. Because it’s a fancy hotel that offers all the service you can wish for. The view over mount Åreskutan and other mountains beyond is stunning.
If you can overview the mountain, you are not on it
You have to remember that this hotel is located on top of Förberget and you are not only three kilometers away from Åre Björnen center. You are ten kilometers away from downtown Åre where everything takes place. Furthermore, you are also 500 vertical meters above lake Åresjön where the village is located. This is no walking distance in the winter.
Taxis are not cheap in this part of the world. If they are to be found at all when you need them. But again, there are free ski buses connecting Åre Björnen center with downtown Åre. If you are on Förberget and don’t fancy a dull button-lift transportation, I suggest that you visit Lilla Tyrolen instead. A family run restaurant in the middle of the slope. Ski in, ski out, the way an on-slope restaurant should be.
Then again, If you are doing laps in the sadelexpressen you should do yourself a favor and check in at Kastrullen in the middle of the slope there. The specialty of the house is sausages in various taste, made from old family recipe. For me, this is the natural choice when coming down from the top of the mountain, backcountry skiing.
Why choose Åre Björnen for your vacation?
You shall place your ski holiday at Åre Björnen when you are traveling with kids and family. Much due to its compact character, beginner-friendly skiing, on slope housing and easy access to all sorts of snow activities. The majority of the accommodation in Åre Björnen is self-catered private owned houses and apartments.
If you travel as a couple, you might want to check in Copperhill hotel because this is a surreal hotel building on top of a mountain with full service. Experienced skiers and party animals without kids don’t choose Åre Björnen for their stay. They would prefer checking in somewhere in the center of Åre instead.
