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Salen - ideal destination

If you want a huge skiable vertical drop then don’t go to Sälen. This lump of hills, just east of the border with Norway, rise to just about 1,000m. Each run down is a single adrenaline rush, rather than one that can take some time.

However, for a family friendly destination where you can learn or re-learn in a lovely environment, you can’t go wrong. Take the lift attendants; every one of them makes eye contact and says Heije or Hello and smiles. They do that every time they pass you the button or the T-bar. All day. It’s a big contrast to other countries and resorts where you can feel like a second-class citizen and begin to wish you weren’t English.

It isn’t terribly expensive. On-slope coffee and hot chocolate, even with fresh cream and marshmallows (if you are allowed them), is at least competitive as at home, possibly cheaper. Obviously if your request for a “hot chocolate” is misunderstood and you are served a shot-glass full of goodness, that includes coffee, whipped cream and something alco-frolic, then it does cost an arm and a leg. Somehow it’s worth it though.

We loved browsing the local supermarket, especially the pick n mix. There's something really good about buying a bag of logs with the biggest ones you've ever tried to put in a wood burning stove. The scary bit is watching the burner then almost melt, as its airflow is almost uncontrollable. In a fully timber-built cabin, this only raises the anxiety to extreme.

We survived and so did the cabin. In fact the owners returned the day we left and said how clean and tidy we had left it.👍




The coming 2026/27 season features a major increase in their snow guarantee. It looks as though they have been busy this summer installing 140 new snow cannons in Sälen.

"We are doubling the total number of open slopes covered by the alpine snow guarantee. The snow guarantee applies from 18 December 2026 to 4 April 2027.

We guarantee the following minimum number of open slopes during this period:

Sälen
At least 30 (previously 15) open slopes, in total across Lindvallen, Högfjället, Tandådalen, and Hundfjället.

What happens if the Snow Guarantee is not fulfilled?

If we cannot deliver the promised alpine ski product, you have the right to cancel or interrupt your stay and get your money back. This applies until 11:00 the day after arrival.

We refund the products you have booked via SkiStar, including:
SkiPass
Ski rental
Ski school
Accommodation

That's not bad, is it?!


So, Sälen was a great destination, the people were nice, skiing good, the Scandinavian experience was great, the scenery was amazing and the weather was perfect. Even our plane was on-time and unlike the flight to Gatwick, we went home to our planned airport!











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