Östersund

The capital of Jämtland on the shore of Lake Storsjön, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Summer brings island cycling, and winter offers skating on the frozen lake and winter sports.

Östersund is the capital of Jämtland County in central Sweden. It sits on the east shore of Lake Storsjön, Sweden's fifth-largest lake, facing the island of Frösön across the water. With about 50,000 residents, it is Sweden's only UNESCO City of Gastronomy. The city itself is small, and its main sights fall into three areas: the city center, with its pedestrian streets around Gustav Square, an Art Nouveau town hall, and the lakefront harbor; the Jamtli open-air museum to the north; and Frösön island, which is reached by bridge. Frösön has Viking-age runestones, the red wooden Frösö Church, the home of composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, and a hilltop observation tower.

Summer (June–August) has very long daylight, ideal for renting bicycles to ride around the islands and taking the century-old steamboat Thomée on the lake to look for the legendary Storsjö Monster. In July and August, the Storsjöyran music festival, one of Scandinavia's largest, takes place. Winter (December–March) freezes the lake, allowing long-distance skating on natural ice. The winter sports stadium east of town often hosts biathlon World Cup events. Within a day trip are the medieval church tower at Brunflo and the Gräsa prehistoric rock carvings.

Getting there: Flights from Stockholm take about 1 hour, and trains about 5–6 hours. The ski resort of Åre is about 1 hour away (covered as a separate destination). Plan 1–2 days. Local specialties include Jämtland cheese, reindeer meat, and wild berries. In summer, weekend restaurants require reservations. In winter, skate on the lake with companions and check the ice-condition notices carefully.

Top sights

Where to eat