The largest ski area in northern Europe, Arefjallen is Sweden's best known resort, boasting 100kms of quality ski runs, long sunny days and an enviable après-ski. Situated next to a large frozen lake, it is here in April that the world's largest downhill race, Skutskjutet, is quickly followed by the Freeride and Redbull Big Air competitions.

Arefjallen is a beautiful resort made up of five distinct villages full of old buildings and a busy après-ski scene. Its typical Swedish character and abundance of the country's jet set make the resort an appealing choice for those who enjoy a little revelry in a fine setting. Perfect for families too, the resort caters for children and adults alike with excellent ski schools and facilities.

You'll find 17 mountain restaurants, as well as 35 restaurants and cafés, 15 discos and several cafés at the resort. Arefjallen offers 23,000 beds in unique lodgings, from the traditional to the modern, with the village of Björnen catering especially for families with children. The resort boasts some particularly interesting non-ski alternatives such as ice-fishing; dog-sledding; paragliding; hang-gliding; snowmobile touring; horseback riding, ice-climbing and windsurfing on snow.

There is an impressive, well organized system of slopes and lifts at the resort with great facilities for boarders too. There are 99 pistes, totalling 100kms of runs, consisting of 12 green, 42 blue, 35 red and five black, with the longest being 6.5kms.

There are a further 56kms of cross-country trails and a snowboard park, fun parks, five quarter-pipes and a half-pipe for snowboarders. The area is serviced by 43 lifts with an uplift capacity of 48,000 skiers per hour. The highest piste sits at an elevation of 1,274m and the total vertical drop is 890m. Night skiing is a must at this resort; the slopes have an excellent floodlight system.

An alternate location perfect for a daytrip is the resort of Vemdalen, 1 hour, 30 minutes from Östersund, one of Sweden's oldest ski regions. Its ski school has been rated among the best in the world and the resort has twice hosted World Cup races.

The season runs from early November till the end of May, with excellent snow conditions and long sunny days due to the resort's location. Stockholm is 620kms from the resort and is the main gateway to the country. Flights are available from the UK, via Stockholm, to Östersund Airport, located just 100kms from the resort from where you should pre-book a transfer bus or hire vehicle.