Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [231]
Also on the island are the animals at Frösöns Djurpark (51 47 43; www.frosozoo.se; adult/child/family Skr180/90/500; 10am-4pm mid–late Jun & Aug, 10am-6pm Jul) and the restored, late-12th-century Frösöns kyrka (8am-8pm summer, Mon-Fri rest of year), with its distinctive separate bell tower. Buses 5 and 3, respectively, will get you to these sights. If you are a skier there are both slalom and nordic ski runs on the island at Östberget, where there is also a viewing tower (adult/child Skr10/5; 11am-6pm mid-May–mid-Sep, 9am-9pm mid-Jun–mid-Aug) and a cafe.
GLÖSA ROCK CARVINGS
Glösa, 40km northwest of Östersund and by the Alsensjön lake, has some of Sweden’s finest Stone Age rock carvings (admission free; 24hr, souvenir shop & guided tours 11am-4pm Tue-Sun Jul & Aug). The carvings, on rock slabs beside a stream, feature large numbers of elk and date from 4000 BC. There’s also an excellent reconstruction of a Stone Age hut and replicas of skis, snowshoes, a sledge and an elk-skin boat.
Nearby are some displays about elk hunting using traps (prohibited since 1864) and more modern methods. There are roughly 13,000 fängstgropar (pit traps) in Jämtland, set in lines across migration routes; a short walk through the woods (follow the sign saying Fornminne) will take you to four of them.
Take bus 533 from Östersund (two or three daily), then follow the sign from the public road (a 500m walk).
Sleeping
STF Vandrarhem Jamtli (12 20 60; vandrarhemmet@jamtli.com; Museiplan; dm Skr140-160, s/d from Skr235/280; ) Inside the gates of Jamtli museum park is this comfortable hostel, housed in a low, barnlike wooden building with a huge kitchen. There are two- to five-bed dorms, and facilities are all top-notch. Reservations are recommended. Take bus 2 to get here.
STF Vandrarhem Fornborgen (13 91 00; micke2@algonet.se; Fornborgsvägen 15; dm Skr140-170, s/d from Skr230/280; ) Out on the island of Frösön, this large hostel in a beige apartment block won’t be winning the Charming Building Awards any time soon, but it has plenty of room and top-notch facilities, and it’s super handy if you want to explore the island. Cycle hire is available. Reservations are recommended October through May.
Frösötornets Vandrarhem (51 57 67; www.frosotornet.se; Utsiktsvägen 10; dm per adult/child Skr150/75; ) This quiet hostel in the trees next to the Frösön viewing tower has dorm beds in small, cabinlike grass-roof huts.
Hotel Jämteborg (51 01 01; www.jamteborg.se; Storgatan 54; hostel d/tr Skr440/660, hotel s/d from Skr520/690; ) This place offers accommodation in just about every possible form – hostel beds, B&B or hotel – in several centrally located buildings. The hotel section has cheerful rooms in bright colours that defy Sweden’s ‘earth tones only’ rule; all hotel rooms include private bathrooms and breakfast. Rooms across the street in Pensionat Svea have shared shower and bath but include breakfast; the summer-only hostel rooms don’t include breakfast.
Hotel Emma (51 78 40; www.hotelemma.com; Prästgatan 31; s/d from Skr895/995, discounted to Skr650/750; ) Emma couldn’t be better located: it’s on the main pedestrian shopping street, right above a whisky bar. The hotel has all the comforts of a fancy chain but with personality: its rooms are nestled into crooked hallways on two floors, with homey touches like squishy armchairs and imposing ceramic stoves; some rooms have French doors facing the courtyard and buttery wood floors. Parking costs Skr35 per overnight stay.
Eating & Drinking
You’ll be tripping over kebab and pizza joints. For street snacks, try the food carts at Stortorget; recently a Thai cart’s noodle plates (Skr30 to Skr55) were drawing crowds.
Ost & Vilt (51 01 12; Prästgatan 19; 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm Sat) As much a gift shop as a self-caterer’s delight, this tiny gourmet outlet sells handmade jams, cheeses, sausages and other special delicacies from Jämtland.
Törners Konditori (12 96 60; Badhusparken; snacks Skr23-50; 8am-6pm May-Sep) This cute cafe at the water’s edge serves coffee, cakes and ice cream in a