Safe in the outdoors

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HIKING • BIKING • CANOEING • KAYAKING • SWIMMING • FISHING • SKIING • WILDLIFE • HORSEBACKRIDING • HIKING • BIKING • CANOEING • KAYAKING • SWIMMING • FISHING • SKIING • WILDLIFE • HORSEBACKRIDING

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SAFE IN THE OUTDOORS

H I G H L I G H T S I N VÄ R M L A N D , S W E D E N

FIRST THERE´S BUILDING – THEN RAFTING!

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SKIERS FAVOURITE

– ALL YEAR ROUND

Distance to Karlstad from: Stockholm 308 km Oslo 230 km Gothenburg 248 km Malmö 517 km Airports Karlstad Torsby Hagfors Oslo Stockholm

KsdArprt Torsby Airport Hagfors Airport Oslo Airport, Gardermoen Arlanda Airport

Train Connections with train to Värmland Tickets www.sj.se

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Oslo

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Karlstad

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Stockholm

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Gothenburg

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Copenhagen Malmö

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Hamburg

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Amsterdam

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London

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Frankfurt

WELCOME TO VÄRMLAND, SWEDEN! Värmland borders to Norway, Oslo is only 100 km away from the national boundary, whilst Stockholm is 250 km from the county’s eastern boundary. www.visitvarmland.se

Sweden

Norway Oslo

Karlstad

Lake Vänern

Gothenburg

CONTENT ACTIVITIES YOU’LL LOVE Värmland welcomes you to a landscape packed with adventure, challenges and loads of fun activities. The nature here is sometimes so beautiful that it is breathtaking. It's never far away, and easily accessible wherever you are.

Choose whatever you like most – the vast forests, the open landscape, the shores of Lake Vänern or life along River Klarälven.

The best way to get an idea of the wilderness of Värmland and its rich environment is to imagine yourself at the top of one of our mountains. If you look northwards, you'll see Sweden's most southerly fells.

Down in the valley, you'll follow one of our rivers or stop by a little lake surrounded by tall forest. To the south, the landscape brightens up with fertile farmland which opens up along the coastline of our own inland sea.

You're not the only one to come to Värmland for its nature. For relaxation and recuperation or for a breathtaking adventure that you'll remember for the rest of your life. There's over 1,000 kilometres of hiking trails and canoe waterways in unspoilt wilderness. We share this spellbinding environment with a rich wildlife.

Keep an eye out for their tracks. If you're lucky, you'll get the chance to get really near them in a magical moment.

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GLASKOGEN Foto: Michael Kahlow

Biking close the nature – Biking

Wilderness with an extra touch – Wildlife Värmland on the water – Kayaking and canoeing Build your own timberraft – Timber rafting A fishermans paradise – Fishing Horseback riding and activities for the whole family The snowy family wonderland – Winter Swedens best ski resort for families – Winter

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Publisher: Visit Värmland Photographers: Anders Tedeholm, Daniel Dahlgren, Joakim Lagercranz, John van Halvert, Linn Malmen, Per Eriksson, Roland Svensson, Tommie S Ohlson, Øyvind Lund.

Layout: Jenny Nohrén, Visit Värmland

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The wilderness awaits – Hiking

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HIKING

THE WILDERNESS AWAITS HOVFJĂ„LLET Nature reserve with the southernmost fjelds in Sweden. Accommodation in wind shelters, tents, caravans, campers, camping cabins, modern cabins and inns. Lots of activities all year round. Hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, culture and art. Ski slopes and ski tracks.

25 kilometres to Torsby with ski tunnel and public indoor pools. hovfjallet.se

QUALITY ASSURED VÄRMLANDSLEDER A quality assured Värmlandsled (Värmland walking trail) has been checked and approved by the Association of Värmlandsleder. It satisfies all our quality criteria such as easy to follow trail markings. Bridges, footbridges and rest points are wellmaintained. Signs are in Swedish, English and German. All landowners are in favour of the trails. varmlandsleder.se

V

ärmland’s walking trails can take you out to the Lake Vänern archipelago, to

interesting historical sites or into a mighty forest. The county is in the process

of quality-assuring its walking trails, ensuring that they have a good standard,

that they are clearly marked and that information is available in several languages.

Examples of quality-assured trails are the Järnleden Trail in Kristinehamn, the Jäveröleden Trail in Karlstad, the Sundbergsleden Trail in Sunne and the 7-Torpsleden Trail in Lekvattnet.

LÅNGBERGETS SPORTHOTEL Legendary sports hotel with an air of the 1960s. Secluded location, 630 m.a.s.l. with stunning views, exciting activities and nice outdoor adventures for the whole family or groups. Accommodation in hotel, cabin, hostel or at a camping site. The surroundings offer endless woodlands, mountains and many lakes and other watercourses. Offers a wide range of outdoor and wildlife activities. Moose and beaver safari. langberget.se

GLASKOGEN Nature reserve in western Värmland offering real wilderness. 300 km of hiking trails, 150 km of canoe trails. Staffed information centre at Lenungshammar from May to September, with small shop, camping, service house with shower and laundry facilities, cabins, canoe rental, cafeteria.

The Glaskogen Pass gives you access to all services, such as wind shelters, picnic areas, cabins, trash cans and fire wood. The money goes directly to the care and maintenance of the nature reserve. Fishing licence is available. glaskogen.se

visitvarmland.se

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BIKING

KLARÄLVSBANAN 90 kilometers of car-free outdoor adventure on asphalt which meanders straight through the landscape of Värmland, from Karlstad in the south to Hagfors in the north. Klarälvsbanan is a disused railway embankment.

Perfect for biking! klaralvsbanan.se

BIKING CLOSE TO NATURE The Värmland countryside and its network of forest roads is a dream for mountain bikers. Throughout the county are companies that rent out bicycles and make sure you get all the advice you need to find new routes for your adventures.

The Klarälvsbanan started out as a railway line, but is now a 90-kilometre stretch of tarmac completely free from motor traffic.

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Perfect for in-lines, bicycles or walks. The route is a sheer delight, with straightaways through deep woods, across farmers’ fields and alongside lovely watercourses. There are rest areas at regular intervals when you need a break, and if you’d like to spend the night, keep an eye out for the B&Bs along the route. It’s easy to divide up the 90 km into shorter stages.

ARVIKA KANOTCENTER Discover Värmland by bike, on mountainbike or roadbike. With dense forests, lakes and steep hills, the landscape is as challenging as varied. Trails cover all fitness levels and degrees of difficulty and you will pass both farming landscapes and forests. You’ll find different tours with opportunities to seek out campsites for overnight stays or to camp freely.

You can rent bicycles and equipment for trips of one or more days. arvikacanoe.se

ABBAS MOUNTAINBIKE ADVENTURE At Abbas Stugby & Camping you can make your day complete by heading out on the marked trails on the bike. Together with a guide you can explore some of the best mountainbike tracks in the beautiful nature around Vägsjöfors.

The tour takes about 4-5 hours. The MTB trails in the area have a total length of 180 km and go through varied terrain. All tracks can be reached by the 100 km long main trail. abbasstugby.se

langberget.se mountainbikeadventure.se bikeinarvika.com

GUESTHOUSE ELEVEN For keen cyclists and mountain bike enthusiasts, the possibilities are endless. Whether you prefer winding roads or rocky paths, you are guaranteed a unique experience. To help choose between the wide variety of trails and round trips. The scenic routes have been chosen for their stunning natural beauty and cultural experiences, while the mountain bike trails offer everything from easy rides to rocky terrain. The racing routes are aimed at road cyclists wanting to stretch their legs on surfaced roads. Day trip suggestions vary between 30 and 150 kilometres.

elevenarvika.se

WILDLIFE NATURBYN Sleep in a cabin 12 meters up in the spruces with panoramic view over lake Eldan or in a cabin floating on the lake. During the day you can take a canoe trip on the lake where there are lots of small islands and bathing places. It is plenty of fish in the lake, so why not try to catch a perch for lunch? You prepare all yourmeals over the fire at the outdoor kitchen.

In the evening you take a bath in the wooden heated sauna and jump in the lake. naturbyn.se

In Värmland's forests, wild animals live such as moose, roe deer, lynx, wolf and bear. Beavers thrive in lakes and streams and if you're lucky, you'll get a glimpse of them yourself. It is also possible to go on a safari tour. Several establishments offer safaris. Most operators also offer some form of refreshments during the tour.

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WILDERNESS WITH AN EXTRA TOUCH MOOSE AND WILD LIFE SAFARIS Alevi Camping alevi-camping.com L책ngbergets Sporthotell langberget.se Valfj채llsbyn valfjallsbyn.se Vildmark i V채rmland vildmark.se MOOSE PARKS V채rmland's Moose Park moose-world.com

KAYAKING AND CANOEING

VÄRMLAND

ON THE WATER

T

here are 11,118 lakes in Värmland,

with Lake Vänern, as large as

an inland sea, in the south. Vänern

is the biggest inland lake not just in Sweden, but in all of western Europe, with 22,000 islands and skerries. 800,000 people get their drinking water from it. Boating is a way of life here and there are around 16,000 pleasure boats. Other well-known waters are the River Klarälven - which winds its meandering way for some 300 km through all of Värmland – Lakes Fryken (consists of 3 lakes actually), Glafsfjorden, Bergslags Canal and Dalsland's Canal.

The archipelago in the northern part of Lake Vänern with Lurö archipelago is a holiday paradise. With all its islands, islets and skerries, it's easy to find a natural harbour to spend the night. Discover your own little strip of private beach or enjoy the warmth from the flat rocks. Sunbathe, play or go for a little swim. Lake Vänern's water is clean and crystal clear! River Klarälven flows through Karlstad before emptying into Lake Vänern by means of eight channels, forming the world's largest freshwater delta.

CANOE edaoutdoor.se glaskogen.se nordicecotours.com nordkanot.se vildmark.se ISLAND HOPPING visitkristinehamn.se karlstad.se/ Karlstadsbuss/Batbuss/ SAILING LAKE VÄNERN elvinamarin.se ARVIKA KANOTCENTER 5 km south of Arvika by Lake Glafsfjorden. A well-established meeting point for outdoor activities. Offers activities and events based on canoeing, kayaking, cycling, boating and fishing. Assembly hall, outdoor gear shop, outdoor hot tub, high ropes course, Jacob’s ladder and much more. arvikacanoe.se

TIMBER RAFTING

BUILD YOUR OWN

TIMBERRAFT

T

he river has been of great im portance for forestry in Värmland

and was used for log driving well

into the 1990s. Today, you can build your own timber raft and slowly drift southwards at the pace of the river. Try it out with a day tour or live life in the wilderness along the river for a whole week. You spend the night on land in a tent or in one of the permanent wind shelters. You cook over an open fire or on a camp stove. Things never taste so good as when cooked outdoors in nature where a suitably shaped stone becomes your chair.

VILDMARK I VÄRMLAND Build your own raft of logs and ropes and float down the river Klarälven in Värmland. During your timber-raft tour, you are certain to have some memorable and occasionally exhilarating experiences. If you like spending your time outdoors and don’t fear a trip not planned in every second – and for which you will have to do some physical hard work, but also have a respite – this timber raft tour will suit you very well. National Geographic 50 Tours of a lifetime 2013. vildmark.se

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FISHING

A FISHERMANS PARADISE In a landscape with many lakes and streams, it's easy to find good fishing grounds. You can be more or less alone here with your fishing rod and feel the relaxing atmosphere around water. There are pike, perch and trout just waiting for you to land them. On Lake Vänern, you can even catch zander and salmon.

FISHING IN VÄRMLAND fredrosgard.com alevi-camping.com

HORSEBACK RIDING

HORSEBACK RIDING AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! Riding horseback, you feel like you're part of the wilderness. On small forest tracks and paths, you can experience nature at close quarters. Sun Dance Ranch has made western-style riding in a natural way their speciality, from riding lessons, riding trails and day trips in the forest.

HORSEBACK RIDING sundanceranch.eu

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WINTER

THE SNOWY FAMILY WONDERLAND Winter and Värmland are an excellent combination. When the snow falls and the ice is holding, the whole region is a giant activity centre for red-cheeked fun.

High-speed challenges on the ski slopes.

Peaceful touring on snow or on ice.

Värmland has thousands of lakes with many bays and islands, so it’s no surprise that ice touring is having a renaissance. They say that once you’ve tried ice touring, you can never get enough! nordicecotours.com

E

ven in the warmer seasons,

Värmland is the place to go for

snowy fun. The Torsby Ski Tunnel

has winter temperatures yearround and the ski trails are always ready.

This is where the national ski team and ski clubs from around the country get the snow training they need all year. And if you love cross-country skiing – perhaps you’ve got your sights set on the famous Vasaloppet Ski Race? – this is the best possible place to train. Of course the contrast with summer fun makes things extra exciting – sunbathe all day, then go for a ski before dinner!

LÅNGBERGETS SPORTHOTELL lies 630 metres above sea-level and has a fantastic view over Värmland's forests. There is kilometre after kilometre of cross-country ski tracks as well as a little slalom ski slope for beginners all waiting for you here. langberget.se

TORSBY SKITUNNEL AND SPORTCENTER 1,3 km long and follows the natural topography, so there are both hills and slopes along the way. The temperature is always at a comfortable -3 degrees Celsius. You can choose between the skate or classic cross-country skiing style. In Torsby Ski Tunnel, you are able to improve your skiing skills, whether you are a professional, an amateur, or a beginner.

Try the latest equipment, improve your technique or just get a good workout. You can rent a complete outfit with well-prepared skis in the tunnel. skitunnel.se

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WINTER

BRANÄS in the northern parts of Värmland is one of the best complexes for families with children who want to enjoy spending time on the ski slopes. Children have their own after-ski events with an ice-cream party, warm juice on the slopes, a playroom and video games in the restaurants, top-of-the-mountain snowmobile tours and really good skiing of course. On the slopes, the children may come across the mascots "Björnbusan" and "Björnbusen" (Björn = bear).

For the adults, besides skiing, there are many fun activities. branas.se

SWEDENS BEST SKI RESORT FOR FAMILIES

HOVFJÄLLET There are 15 downhill runs here offering varied skiing for all the family. There are also well-prepared cross-country tracks and accommodation on the hillside. hovfjallet.se SKI SUNNE There are hills here for everyone looking for real skiing thrills, from simple green slopes to more complicated black ones. skisunne.se VALFJÄLLET With southern Sweden’s highest vertical drop we offer varied skiing for the whole family with 5 lifts and 12 runs. valfjallet.se/winter

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LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN We travel to explore new places. Driven by a longing for beautiful surroundings and unexpected, exciting experiences.

To simply be together and escape the everyday.

www.visitvarmland.se