Outdoor activities

Autumn break is made for spending time outdoors. Cook over an open fire, discover roaring waterfalls, throw the season’s first snowball, or enjoy a cup of hot chocolate in the crisp mountain air. Here are our best tips for outdoor adventures during autumn break in Åre. And don’t forget to check our calendar for even more activities happening around Åre throughout the break.

1. Throw the season’s first snowball?

We can’t guarantee it, but the first proper snowfall of the season often arrives around autumn break. So pack your beanies, mittens, and warm clothes and head for higher ground for some sledding and a good old-fashioned snowball fight.

2. Don’t touch the ground

Below Holiday Club, there’s an obstacle course for kids built around one simple challenge: don’t touch the ground! It’s a fun challenge for the whole family. And if the parents need to burn off some energy too, there’s an outdoor gym right next door.

3. Cook and eat outdoors

At the Wilderness Camp, the grills are ready, the firewood is stacked, and the campfire burns throughout the day. Bring something to cook and enjoy a cozy outdoor lunch with the family. If you’d rather find a spot of your own, there are barbecue areas at places like Åre strand and in Björnen. Find inspiration for outdoor cooking here.

4. Chase the Northern Lights

Northern Lights season is now well underway, and on dark, clear evenings you might be lucky enough to see this almost unreal spectacle for yourself. Greenish light dancing across the sky, changing color, sweeping back and forth, fading away, flaring up again—and then disappearing completely. Tips for the best Northern Lights experience in Åre >>

5. Visit a waterfall straight out of a fairy tale

Ristafallet—or Glupafallet, as it’s called in Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter—is impressive to experience in real life. Follow the small trails downstream and find a good spot to watch the thundering water rush past. Already been there? Head to Tännforsen, Sweden’s largest waterfall, or discover one of the other beautiful waterfalls around Åre.

Ristafallet, known from the fairy tales.

6. Go cross-country skiing

Vålådalen opens for the 2026 season October 24th. typically keeps its early-season cross-country ski trails open throughout Autumn Break, using snow preserved from the previous winter. If you’re lucky, Sweden’s national cross-country ski team may be training there, giving you the chance to spot Ebba Andersson and some of the country’s top skiers in action.

After your ski, reward yourself with a hearty lunch or the popular waffle buffet at the mountain station restaurant

7. Take a short—or long—hike in the mountains

Autumn break is a great time to head out into the mountains. Choose a shorter walk with the little ones or set off on a longer hike if everyone has the energy. Pack some snacks and enjoy the crisp mountain air, spectacular views, and landscapes shifting between brilliant autumn colors and the first snow of winter. There are routes for every age, experience level, and energy level. Find trail suggestions on the digital trail map Åre Trails.

8. Bake bread over the campfire

Bring ready-made dough or make your own, then head to one of Åre’s campfire spots. Twisting the bread over the glowing embers takes a little patience, but the reward is worth the wait. Make it even better with butter, cinnamon, and sugar, or tuck a piece of chocolate inside and let it melt. Find recipes and cooking tips here.

Easily accessible campfire areas can be found along the lakeside promenade. Or turn it into a little adventure and head for one of the many scenic campfire spots in the mountains, where the view becomes part of the meal.

9. Hot chocolate tastes better outdoor

There’s something special about hot chocolate after spending time in the crisp mountain air. Bring a thermos on your adventure or settle down by a campfire and warm your hands around a steaming cup. Maybe topped with whipped cream or a few marshmallows?

10. Start your own campfire

Did you learn how to start a fire with a fire steel at the Wilderness Camp? Now it’s time to try it yourselves! Bring sausages, bread dough to cook over the fire, or simply a thermos of coffee and enjoy some time around the flames. It’s hard to beat a break beside a crackling campfire in the crisp autumn air.

11. Jump into a pile of leaves

Possibly autumn’s simplest pleasure! Find a really big pile of leaves and dive right in. Make it even bigger, jump in again, and see who can send the most leaves flying. Sometimes the simplest games are the most fun.