Östersund

Understand

Östersund is the economic and political centre of Jämtland and its only city. It is famous for its location near wild nature and for its winter activities. Östersund hosts many world cups in winter sports like biathlon and skiing. As of 2023, the municipality is home to roughly 65,000 inhabitants, 53,000 of whom live in the city. Östersund (and Jämtland in general) have a long history with the Norwegian neighbours which is reflected in both tourism and trade. However most of the people living in Östersund are Swedish and of Jemtlandic descent. During both summer and winter there can be a lot of tourists in the city, especially during the annual Storsjöcupen (a football cup for youths) and the music festival Storsjöyran. Östersund is next to Storsjön, Sweden's 5th largest lake, and a lot of establishments and events are influenced by that name. The lake is excellent for swimming and bathing in the summer and ice skating or cross-country skiing in the winter – and of course fishing. The city centre is filled with everything you would expect from a city, like bars and pubs, restaurants, shopping malls and stores. In the outskirts of the city you'll find the usual residential areas and industries. Östersund is also home to a lot of sights and museums, ranging from arts to cultural sites and activities. The weather in Östersund is very varying, from cold and dark winter nights with auroras and stars to sunny summer days where you'll spot most of the people bathing in the sun. However there is one more or less constant element which is the wind. Because of the location of the city (next to a big lake) it can be quite windy. It is always interesting to learn about the sea monster "Storsjöodjuret", called Birger, which is said to lurk in the lake.

Tourist office Visit Östersund, Storgatan 27 (between Zätagränd and Storgatan), ☏ +46 63 701 17 00, [email protected]. M–F, 10:00–15:00. (updated Aug 2023)

Getting there

By plane

1 Åre Östersund Airport (OSD IATA) (on Frösön, 9 km outside the city centre). There are three airlines operating at the airport all year. Most of the flights are domestic, however there are also some direct flights to major resort destinations like Mallorca, Rhodos and Antalya. To travel to Östersund by air from other Swedish cities, you mostly need to transfer at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. From Stockholm Arlanda:

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) BRA-flyg From Umeå:

DirektFlyg Transportation to and from the airport is very easy, with several bus lines and taxis providing shuttle services to the city centre.

By train SJ has regular service to Östersund from many cities in Sweden, including daily night train service from Stockholm. Buying less than a week before departure might be prohibitively expensive. If you wish to see the country it's a good option indeed. Expect times to and from Stockholm to run anywhere from 5 hours on the SJ 3000 (their high-speed train) to 6½ hours on a slightly slower train. Swedish rail traffic has often seen severe disruptions in winter due to snow, with trains being delayed for several hours and cancelled. Another nice way to go to Östersund is by the Inlandsbanan. It's a slow diesel train that starts in Mora and ends in Gällivare. They make a stop in Östersund, so you can get on and off the train. The train is rather touristic, but it's a very special way to get to Östersund. The main station is 2 Östersund Centralstation in the south part of the city centre. Some regional trains also calls at the much smaller 3 Östersund Västra station.

By car The route E14 connects Östersund to several cities in Norway and Sweden. You can reach E14 south and north from Sweden, and from the area around Trondheim (Norway). From Östersund you are also able to travel to most (if not all) major destinations and villages in Jämtland.

By bus There are several buses that connect Östersund with the rest of the country. If you happen to be

Getting around

By bus

Östersund has a fairly extensive, inexpensive bus system, although you might have a long wait ahead of you if you plan to move about after 21:00, or on Sundays. You can buy single tickets on the bus, or pre-paid cards are a great deal if you plan on a longer stay. These can be purchased at the main bus station in town, located on Kyrkgatan, or in one of the many kiosks and shops around the city center.

By foot During summertime the city is easy to get around in by foot, at least the city center and its surroundings. By winter the city is still very walkable, however due to heavy snow and the fact that Östersund is built upon a height (thereby tilting) it can be quite slippery. A good way to avoid any accidents are by equipping your boots with stud/nails during the winter months.

By bicycle If you have a bicycle it's even better, and a great opportunity to explore the countryside outside the city. Most of Östersund have separate roads for bicycles, so watch out for them and keep in mind to use them while traveling by bike. Bikes can be rented on numerous locations or if you're staying for a longer time bought on flea markets.

By taxi Taxi is quite expensive in Östersund like the rest of Sweden. However there are many companies providing taxi service in and around the city. To save some money you might want to share the cab with some friends. Expect to prebook your taxi as you will find it hard to wave a cab in from the street. Avoid going with unregistered taxi drivers asking you if you want a ride somewhere (which is common outside nightclubs and pubs after closing), instead use reputable companies like Taxi Östersund or Taxikurir.

TaxiKurir Östersund/Åre, ☏ +46 63 12 34 56. Smart phone app offers address based routing and calculates price according to them. (updated Aug 2020)

See

1 Frösö Runestone, Frösön (take the city bus No. 4 or No. 1 and jump of at Bergsgatan). Frösö Runestone is the most northern runestone in the world and the only one remaining in the entire region. The runestone is unique in several ways and over 1000 years old. The runestone mentions the Christianization of Jämtland and is an important part of Frösön's heritage. Free. 2 Jamtli (take the city bus No. 6 towards "Brittsbo" (departing from the main station), hop off at Jamtli (4-5 stations)), ☏ +46 63-15 01 00, fax: +46 63-10 61 68, [email protected]. Tu-Su (and M in the summer) 11:00-17:00. Jamtli is an interactive museum about the history of Jämtland. Take the guided tour if you have a chance, the guide is very knowledgeable, and can speak both Swedish and English. The museum suits people of every age; so children can have a great time there. During summer and high season there are over 120 live actors performing and staging 19th-century Östersund, very fun and learning to watch. You can also find restaurants, cafeterias, animals to visit and a lot of activities at Jamtli. The museum is divided into two parts, one inside (where the exhibitions are located, audio guides available) and one outside area. The former is live