If you’re looking for a different ski holiday this year, away from the traditional Alpine resorts, look no further than Åre in northern Sweden. With championship-standard ski slopes, a first of its kind ski lift, Europe’s longest zipline park, a host of new gourmet restaurants, and more accommodation options from the resort’s first budget hotel to a new luxury chalet from Neilson, there has never been a better time to visit.

Relatively undiscovered by UK skiers, Åre is finally coming into the spotlight. Åre invested a massive 300 million SEK in the 2007 World Ski Championships to create wider slopes, second to none facilities and easier access to the region. New for the 2007/8 season, an exciting Telemix (VM8) lift has been introduced, consisting of both chairs and gondola cabins, ensuring easier and quicker access to the slopes for skiers. It is the only lift in the world to seat eight people in every chair or gondola.

All skiers dread the lugging around of heavy skis, so the new Skidakarna Deposit, located in the centre of Åre village, will come as a welcome addition when it opens next month, allowing skiers to drop off their equipment after a day on the slopes. The skis and poles are serviced overnight, ready to be picked up, newly waxed and sharpened, the next morning.

Hot on the heels of the World Championships, Åre will be hosting a FIS Freestyle World Cup competition from 8 to 9 March 2008 for the first time since 1989, attracting the best freestyle skiers from around the world.

Activities off the slopes
Besides skiing, Åre offers a range of exciting activities to keep visitors entertained, including snowmobile safaris, dog sledding, ice cave exploration and riding on Icelandic horses. The more adventurous will love the brand new zipline park – the longest in Europe – which whizzes you high above the ground in a harness hanging from a cable, reaching speeds of up to 100km per hour, with beautiful views of the surrounding forests.

Families visiting Åre this season will find better facilities than ever before thanks to the expansion of the children’s dedicated ski areas in both Björnen and Duved, where young guests can enjoy a variety of activities from tobogganing to ski races, as well as the children’s Ski Club, which includes a special kids après ski. What’s more, families will benefit from the introduction of ski passes which only cover the child-friendly slopes of Björnen and Duved which cost 280 SEK per person (approximately £20) compared to the complete Åre ski pass which costs 320 SEK (approximately £23). This means a saving of approximately £60 for a family of four for five days skiing.

Åre village, often referred to as ‘Little Stockholm’ thanks to its relaxed atmosphere with a funky edge, now boasts a diverse range of restaurants and bars, ranging from gourmet restaurants such as the new Dahlboms restaurant in the main square and Wallmans restaurant at the Diplomat hotel, to cosy cafes such as Åre Bageri (bakery) which reopened in October this year. What’s more, shopping in Åre is no longer restricted to fleece and Gore-Tex products, with everything from the latest in functional ski and active wear to trendy fashion boutiques now on offer in the main square.

New accommodation options
Åre offers a range of accommodation options to suit all tastes and budgets. New for this season is the excellent value Åre Torg Hotel (www.hotelaretorg.se) which opens in the main village square in February 2008. Ideally suited to independent travelers on a budget, rooms cost from only 180 SEK (approximately £14) per person per night.

For those in search of something more luxurious, the Chalet Timber Lodge - new for Neilson this winter – fits the bill. This traditional-style, spacious wooden chalet boasts an attractive Swedish interior design and sleeps up to 10 guests in five bedrooms, with stunning views across the lake. Located just 100m from Åre’s new Telemix ski lift, guests can hit the slopes in less than a minute, and what better way to relax after a hard day’s skiing than in the chalet’s sauna or by one of the many log fires? A week at the Chalet Timber Lodge costs from £489 per person including breakfast, afternoon tea and evening meals with wine and coffee. For further information or to book,

visit neilson.co.uk.

For more information about skiing in Åre visit www.skistar.com or www.visitsweden.com