The village of Sälen is situated among the forests, bogs and mountains of far west Sweden near the border with Norway. In fact, its nearest international airport is in Oslo, 137 miles away. The small settlement stands along the banks of the Västerdalälven River, one of Sweden's longest that flows for 2 miles. The community of Sälen comes alive in the winter months when it becomes a leading Swedish ski resort. The nearest city is Malung, which, if you rent a car in Sälen is under 2 miles away.
Sälen grows from its summer population of a few hundred to many thousands during the skiing season. It hosts, for example, the annual 56-mile cross-country skiing race. This is the longest and oldest such race in the world and attracts more than 15,000 competitors. Hire a car and you can visit all seven of the Sälen ski centres with all the different types of accommodations spread around the slopes surrounding the village. It gets busy at peak winter times but the atmosphere is still relaxed as many of the visitors are Swedish families with children. It's not a venue for wild après ski night life.
