Can't choose between sports, music, history and great cafés? Book a trip to Ostersund and you'll get the works.
Ostersund awaits with a host of exciting experiences, attractions and events. The city is said to have of the highest number of cafés per capita so if you enjoy the traditional Swedish "fika", a chat over a coffee and a pastry, you'll be spoilt for choice here. Ostersund also hosts a number of festivals and concerts throughout the year, and there's plenty to see if you're into sports and culture.
Ostersund was founded in the 18th century, and the city has since grown to 44,000 inhabitants. However, that number is a lot higher during certain parts of the year. Ostersund has several nicknames and is often referred to as "The Winter City" and "The centre of Sweden" the first refers to the ubiquitous practice of winters sports whenever there's a hint of snow and freezing temperatures in the city, whereas the second, unexpectedly, is due to its geographical location.
You won't have to spend many minutes in this charming town to pick up on the locals' predilection for frittering away the hours of the day in one of the many coffee shops. Two popular cafés are Torners on Storgatan and Wedemarks Konditori on Prastgatan. Here you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee and a delicious pastry or grab a fresh salad for lunch.
Afterwards, be sure to check out some of the museums and landmarks around town. Jamtli is the official museum of Jamtland county and its collections include more than 2,000 works of art. You will also find the South Sami Culture Centre Gaaltije, in Ostersund , where you can experience this fascinating indigenous culture while browsing the numerous exhibitions. Don't miss out on a day excursion to Froso Zoo on the island of Froson the northernmost zoological park in the world has a lot of exciting experiences in store for its visitors, but the exotic animals are naturally the main attraction, among them lions, zebras and Siberian tigers.
Travellers often choose to visit Ostersund due to the town's many festivals and cultural events. Ostersund is part of the annual tour of the Biathlon World Cup every winter, whereas in the summer the music festival Storsjoyran transforms the city into one big party. If you're driving to Ostersund the main motorways to follow are E14 and E45 (in this region they merger into one). The railway is also an excellent option as there are short and mid distance trains to and from Ostersund, as well as night trains from Swedish cities further afield.
If you enjoy culture and new experiences, you're bound to find something special in Ostersund!
