August is a month with so much to offer: sunny days of bathing, cycling, kayaking etcetera, but also hiking and berry picking with a tasty lunchpack in your rucksack. Below are some great tips for what to do in Åre in August.

Enjoy Nature’s Pantry

When the leaves start shifting their color, it’s high time to fill upp the storage of berries, mushrooms and edible plants for the winter. And there’s plenty on offer in August, such as the gold colored cloudberries (yum). Fill up your rucksack with fika, weather proof clothing, tie your boot laces and bring your basket or bucket and get out there. Also‚ don’t forget to put a lid on your bucket – it’s so easy to trip and loose your harvest on the moors. 

Cycle on!

Åre Bike Park is open until September 29, so keep riding the downhill trails, or the cross-country trails, pumptrack and technique features in Björnen, or why not try gravel cycling or road biking? On our biking page you’ll find tips, inspiration and information about biking in Åre.
If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent at one of the bike shops, where you will be assisted in finding the right gear for you. If you’ve never tried downhill or cross-country trail cycling before, it’s a good idea to book a guide who will give you the basics.

Have breakfast with a view

Make your own favorite breakfast or buy something tasty from one of the cafés and bakeries in town, and bring it with you on a hike to Nalleklippan, or walk all the way up to the Totthummeln peak. It’s not a very long hike and well worth the effort for the sake of the great view of Åredalen. If you’re not up for walking before breakfast, just find a place to have a long, nice breakfast in Åre village here.

Challenge yourself

August can be the month of trials for those who wish to challenge their minds and bodies. It starts off with Fjällmaratonveckan, the Mountain Marathon Week, which has something on offers for most who wish to test their running ability. And of course, you don’t need to participate in the marathon, or the 100K race. There are plenty of other options and shorter races to participate in. Next up is the (much) more challenging Swedeman Xtreme Triathlon, this event however is not for everybody…

If you don’t want to wear a bib and participate in any races, there are plenty of options to challenge your own level of comfort zone in running, cycling, walking and more. Check out the digital trail guide Åre Trails to find your trail.

Bring a piece of Åre home

Meet the artisans in Åre! Take a tour to Åre ljusfabrik (candle factory), Åre Glashytta (glass works) or go find any of the many artisans who are making beautiful crafts in Åredalen. In Åre village, you’ll find many of their products gathered in the shops Åre Hemslöjd and Årebutiken, where you’ll find gifts or something beautiful for your own home. If you get that creative spark and want to get going on your own you’ll find yarn and products for your own crafts projects at Kaki.

Enjoy the late summer evenings

The mosquitos are usually gone by the middle of August. In other words, there’s nothing that keeps us from enjoying warm summer evenings on the mountain. Run, yoga, just enjoy the sunset…or bring your dinner with you and go for a late hike. Sit down and enjoy the light and the sound of nothing.

Leave that screen at home

We are often more or less tethered to our phones, pads and other gear with LCD screens during the days. It’s become a habit, so challenge yourself to leaving the screen at home! Of course, you need some sort of device with which you can make a call if you’re out and need help. But maybe you can bring a phone that’s not a smartphone? Or just set your mind to leaving your screen in your rucksack, switched on to silence mode, and only bring it out if you really need it? Without your screen, you’ll be able to enjoy the views, the silence and your hike/bike tour, in a whole different way.

Sleep in a tent

Experience the outdoors, get a night’s restful sleep and watch the sun go up and down from the ”bedroom window”. Sleeping in a tent does not require carrying a 25+ kilo backpack plus tent up a mountain. You can choose to go long, short, run, cycle or take the car. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Outdoor Buddies have equipment to rent if you do not have your own.

Thanks to the Swedish Right to Common Access, everyone’s allowed to be in nature and you are allowed to set up your tent for a night out in the wild. It’s a great opportunity and a luxury, but it comes with responsibilty. You need to know where you can put your tent and which rules apply. Read more about the Swedish Right to Common Access here, and here are some tips on how to be a good visitor in nature.

Experience the Åre Folk Museum

The Åre Folk Museum, Åre Hembygdsgård, is located next to Ullån’s estuary, at the West end of Åre village, with a view of Mt. Åreskutan from the Southwest. It consists out of a number of houses, displaying what a typical farm in Åre looked like in the 19th century. These buildings have been saved from the modernization of society and it’s a truly calming and inviting place to visit. One of the houses has a wood stove for baking traditional Swedish flatbread, if you are lucky your visit is on a baking day and you can buy some of the fresh baked bread with you. During the summer the cafe is open with home baked treats to enjoy outdoors, or by the fireside, a perfect stop on any trip.

Have a nice, quiet weekend

As you know by now, there are plenty of things to do and activities to participate in when in Åre. But you also have every opportunity to just enjoy some peace and quiet. 

• Sleep in crispy sheets and get up and enjoy the views before heading to the hotel restaurant for a long, tasty breakfast. Go to the spa, have a bath and enjoy a cleansing sauna bath. Take a short walk around the village and look at the old houses around Tott, and book yourself a massage that will release tension.
• Go to the village and have a Swedish fika at one of the many cafés available. Go window shopping, or, by all means, go inside and find that special item to bring home with you. Take a break and have a drink on a patio. Or join a yoga pass to really wind down. 
• Take a stroll along Åre strand (Åre Beach promenade) and maybe take a bath in Lake Åresjön at the Marina or at the beach. Find a restaurant that serves great food (there are plenty of them) and finally, sit down in the hotel lounge before laying your head down in a freshly made up bed. Sleep Well. Repeat!