Sälen or Grövelsjön – what’s the difference between them?

Sälen or Grövelsjön is not a comparison between two ski resorts, but between two completely different ways of experiencing the mountains. Grövelsjön, at the very top of northern Dalarna, is a mountain resort on the border with Norway, featuring bare mountain slopes, reindeer, cross-country skiing and hiking trails – but in practice, hardly any downhill skiing to speak of. Sälen is a fully-fledged ski destination with ski lifts, a ski school, restaurants and facilities.

If you’re looking for unspoilt mountain scenery and tranquillity, Grövelsjön is the clear winner. If you’re looking for ski lifts, comfort and something for everyone in your group, Sälen is the winner. Here we’ll go through the differences between winter and summer, and what they mean for your choice of summer residence in Sälen or a mountain cabin in the Grövelsjö area.

Quick answer: Sälen or Grövelsjön – two completely different mountain experiences

This is how the two differ fundamentally:

• Downhill skiing: Sälen has four interconnected resorts – Grövelsjön has virtually no downhill skiing.
• Mountain characteristics: Grövelsjön is situated on the bare mountain near the Norwegian border – Sälenfjällen is lower and more wooded.
• Service: Sälen has shops, restaurants and a full range of services – Grövelsjön has a mountain lodge and a limited range of facilities.
• Winter activity: Grövelsjön is all about touring skis, cross-country skiing and mountain excursions – Sälen is about ski-lift skiing.
• Summer: Grövelsjön is one of Sweden’s best hiking destinations – Sälen offers walking trails, cycling and swimming.
• Journey time from Stockholm: Sälen approx. 4.5–5 hours – Grövelsjön approx. 6 hours.

The location and journey time from Stockholm and the Mälardalen region

Grövelsjön is situated at the very top of northern Dalarna, above Idre, right next to the Långfjället Nature Reserve and the border with Norway. From Stockholm, it is about a six-hour drive – just over an hour longer than to Sälen – and the final stretch takes you along a mountain road through sparsely populated countryside. The road is good, but amenities are few and far between – fill up with petrol and do your shopping in Idre. Sälen can be reached in four and a half to five hours via roads of a higher standard throughout the journey. For those wishing to combine the two, it is perfectly possible to stay in Sälen and take a day trip to Idre and the Grövelsjö area, although it will be a long day.

Winter: ski lifts versus touring skis and cross-country trails

Here, the difference is stark. Grövelsjön has no downhill facilities in the modern sense – the winter experience consists of cross-country trails, ski touring on the bare mountain, snowmobile trails in designated areas and mountain treks towards Långfjället and the Norwegian border. It’s a fantastic winter for those seeking precisely that, with views stretching for miles and a silence you won’t find on any ski lift slope. It also demands more of you: mountain experience, the right equipment, the ability to read the weather and to turn back in good time. Sälen offers the opposite – four resorts with ski lifts, groomed runs, a ski school and the chance to ski without any prior experience. If you have children who are learning to ski, the choice is a simple one.

Summer: hiking, trails and bare mountain slopes

In summer, things even out a bit – but Grövelsjön is still in a league of its own as a hiking destination. The area offers authentic high-mountain hiking with marked trails, day trips up to the summits, longer hikes towards Långfjället and Rogen, reindeer roaming the landscape and a mountain atmosphere that is hard to find this far south. Sälen has a growing range of trails, mountain biking, swimming and summer activities, but the landscape is lower-lying and more wooded. If you’re looking for bare mountain peaks and long hikes, choose Grövelsjön; if you’re looking for a varied summer holiday with children and good facilities, choose Sälen. We’ve put together walking trails in Sälen for anyone who wants to compare, and an overview of to walk in Sälenfjällen.

Accommodation and services – what’s available on site

Grövelsjön has a mountain resort, a number of holiday cottages and smaller accommodation options, as well as limited commercial facilities – there’s food and a roof over your head, but not much choice. Many people stock up on supplies in Idre or Mora before they arrive. Sälen has a full range of amenities: several grocery shops, a liquor shop, sports shops, restaurants in all price ranges and accommodation ranging from simple cottages to large mountain lodges with saunas and spas. For a larger group, or for those who don’t want to plan every meal in advance, this difference is more crucial than the landscape.

Families, dogs and accessibility

With young children, Sälen is easier in almost every respect: shorter distances, more facilities, activities that don’t require mountain experience, and the option to cut a bad day short without it turning into a drama. Grövelsjön works well with slightly older children who are up for a walk, and offers them a nature experience that no ski lift can match. If you’re travelling with a dog, both are excellent – Grövelsjön with its open terrain and plenty of space, and Sälen with plenty of dog-friendly accommodation and trails. Please note, however, that the reindeer herding area requires dogs to be kept on a lead and for visitors to show consideration for much of the year; always check what the local regulations are. Dog-friendly holiday cottages in the mountains are available in both areas, but the range is considerably wider in Sälen.

When Grövelsjön is the right choice for you

Choose Grövelsjön if you’re looking for authentic mountain wilderness and don’t need ski lifts. If you’re a hiker, backcountry skier or cross-country skier seeking open mountain terrain rather than a network of marked trails. If tranquillity, reindeer and views stretching for miles are the very reason for your trip. If you’re experienced enough in the mountains to navigate safely across open terrain, and see limited facilities as an advantage rather than a problem. It’s a genuinely different experience to Sälen, and anyone seeking that should not compromise. We have described the natural beauty of our own local area in the nature reserves near Sälen – They’re lovely, but Långfjället is something else.

Summary – Sälen or Grövelsjön: do you prefer the mountains or a ski resort?

The question of whether to choose Sälen or Grövelsjön is best answered as follows: if anyone in your group is going to use the ski lift, choose Sälen; if no one is, give Grövelsjön serious consideration. Grövelsjön offers the mountains in the truest sense of the word – bare mountain slopes, silence, reindeer and a sense of self-reliance – and for the right group, it is in a league of its own. Sälen offers variety, facilities and a week that works even when the weather doesn’t, plus a range of accommodation on a different scale. Incidentally, many people do both in the same year: a skiing holiday at Sälen in winter, and hiking in Grövelsjön in summer. If you’d like help with accommodation for either, please do get in touch.