The first European soil my feet ever touched was Sweden.
From the moment Kim, Emily, and I landed in Stockholm Arlanda airport, we were head over heels in love with all things Swedish.
Every morning, after a breakfast of tea and toast in our hostel, we’d board the metro at Östermalmstorg and emerge in another world—the old town of Gamla Stan.
My mind still holds onto countless images from Gamla Stan: windowboxes overflowing with bright red geraniums; long narrow rows of ochre-coloured buildings; and my first Swedish meal—pannkakor m sylt o gradde (something about pancakes with jam and whipped cream…yum).
It’s now been about three and a half years since our first Stockholm adventure—but I was recently asked if I’d be interested in visiting a different part of Sweden: a ski resort called Åre. Located nearly 400 miles northwest of Stockholm, Åre is tucked away on the western side of the country, not too far from the Norwegian border.
I’ll be traveling as a guest of VisitSweden and Neilson Holidays and am beyond excited to share the trip with you. The alpine landscape of Åre promises to be a world away from Stockholm’s cobblestoned streets—but it’s a world I can’t wait to explore.
Here’s a taste of what the weekend will hold:
- Snowmobiling under the stars with Camp Åre .
- Husky dog sled ride with Åre Sleddog Adventures. (I’m not sure I’ve ever looked forward to something more than this…)
- Sampling the best of Swedish cuisine at a number of restaurants in Åre.
- Oh, and skiing of course — or in my case, a bit of snowboarding….
See you in Åre!
Disclosure: As mentioned, I’ll be traveling to Åre with VisitSweden and Neilson Holidays. I’m very grateful to them for the opportunity—but don’t worry, all thoughts about the weekend shall be from yours truly.
Photo of Åre courtesy of Ultra Travel.
Hi Candace!
You are going to LOVE Åre if you like everything that has to do with snowsports. I’ve been there a couple of times. It’s like a typical European Ski town, more so than any other ski resort in Sweden I think, although pretty expencive.. I love reading your blog, it’s very inspiring and it makes me want to get out there travelling even more! Take care and have fun 🙂
Emma! It’s so, so good to hear from you. I’m loving Åre so far, even if the weather hasn’t been too fantastic. We had our first day up on the slopes today…can you believe I haven’t been boarding since Queenstown? Needless to say, I’m dreading how sore I’ll be in the morning 🙂 How’s everything in NZ? Hope you’ve been well! x
I’m glad to hear you’re having a good time! I actually burst the Queenstown bubble a couple of weeks before Christmas (trust me, even I never thought it would happend!) and I’m living at home at the moment, trying to figure out what to do next! Travel? Study? I really don’t know… There’s so much I’d like to do and this world has so much to offer that if you’re not 100% sure what you want to do in life then it’s hard to get on to it! I’m hoping that by the end of summer I’ll have a plan 🙂 And girl, hold on to your dream of being a writer cause you’re great at it! xox
Wow, that’s huge news! It must feel very weird not to be there anymore–have you readjusted to being back home by now? You’ll have to keep me posted on where you head off to next–I completely understand with not knowing what path to take, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out! And thanks for the words of encouragement–that means a lot 🙂 xx