Ostersund and Lake Storsjon: Jamtland's Lake City for Visitors

Östersund is the county town of Jämtland and the gateway to Åre and the mountains. Most visitors pass through. Give it a day or two and the lake does the work: fishing, swimming and island walks in summer, and skating across the ice in late winter.

When you need this

You’re stopping in Östersund on the way to Åre, the Jämtland fells or the Inlandsbanan, or you’ve landed at Åre Östersund Airport without a car. Maybe you have a day to fill and want to know what’s worth it. Or it’s late winter and you’re wondering whether people really skate across the lake. This page covers the city itself. The lake monster has its own guide, and the rest of the county in summer is in Jämtland in summer.

The lake in numbers

King Gustav III founded Östersund in 1786 on the eastern shore of Storsjön (“the great lake”), facing the island of Frösön. The first town plan, from 1788, was a grid of 24 blocks. The town grew slowly until the railway arrived in 1879.

The lake is the reason to come. SMHI, the Swedish weather and water agency, ranks it as follows:

The level is usually at its lowest in late winter, before the spring flood.

Östersund also carries a food label. In 2010 UNESCO made it a Creative City of Gastronomy, citing a food culture built on local, sustainable produce.

Getting there and around

You don’t need a car. Two things trip up visitors, though: the buses take no cash, and the regional trains sell no tickets on board.

Buses. Länstrafiken Jämtland, the county bus company, takes a bank card on board or a mobile ticket in its app. You can’t pay the driver in cash. Two children under 7 ride free with a paying adult, and fares are zone-based.

Trains. Since 14 December 2025 Norrtåg sells no tickets on board. Buy on norrtag.se, through customer service or a reseller before you step on. For the wider network, see trains in northern Sweden and regional airports.

Jamtli and Gaaltije

Jamtli is the county museum, about a 10-minute walk from the centre at Museiplan 2. It puts three museums in one place: the county museum, Nationalmuseum Jamtli and an open-air museum. Indoors you’ll find the Överhogdal tapestries, about 1,000 years old, and the huge trap once set for the lake monster.

The open-air museum is free in spring, autumn and winter, except during special events. In summer it becomes Jamtli Historieland, where actors bring farms from 1785 to 1975 to life (22 June–16 August in 2026). Children up to 18 get in free with an adult. Hours change by season, so check the date you plan to visit. On 15 October 2026 the indoor exhibitions were open 11:00–17:00.

Gaaltije, at Köpmangatan 58 in the centre, is a Sámi museum. It tells the region’s history from a Sámi perspective, and the foundation behind it has particular knowledge of South Sámi (sydsamiska) culture. Its hours change week by week, so look them up before you go. For how to approach Sámi culture as a visitor, read our Sámi culture guide.

Frösön: half a day on the island

Frösön is the largest island in Storsjön and the airport’s home. Cross the bridge from the centre and you can easily fill an afternoon:

• The Frösö runestone (Frösöstenen) stands near Hornsberg church. Visit Östersund calls it Sweden’s northernmost runestone. Its inscription says Austmaðr, son of Guðfastr, raised the stone, built a bridge and Christianised Jämtland. The date depends on the source: Visit Östersund says about 1030–1050, its printed guide says the 1050s, and Jamtli says 1050–1080. Background in runestones in Sweden.
• Frösö church dates from the 12th century.
• The Frösö tower stands at the island’s highest point, 468 m above sea level, with views across the lake to the mountains.
• Sommarhagen, the early-1900s home of the composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, is a museum with a summer café. Concerts run there in August.

If you’re watching for the monster, the municipality lists seven official viewing spots around the lake. They run from Vallsundsbron on Frösön to the top of Hoverberget.

Storsjön in summer

Swimming. In town, Surfbukten has piers and a diving tower, and Storsjöbadet is the indoor pool. For a longer outing, Bynäset has a black sandy beach and a trail of about 7 km. Swimming in Swedish lakes covers how badplatser, public swimming spots, work.

Fishing. Storsjön is one of the large lakes where anyone may fish with a rod or other hand tackle without a permit, foreign visitors included. That comes from the Fishing Act (Fiskelagen), not from a local custom. Minimum sizes and protected times and areas still apply, and the county board, Länsstyrelsen Jämtland, publishes them. Every other lake and river around Östersund needs a local fiskekort, a fishing permit. See free fishing in Sweden.

The boat. M/S Thomée was built in 1875 and has sailed Storsjön since 1880. It takes up to 120 passengers, and its cruise to the island of Verkön takes about 1.5 hours. Two things older pages get wrong. It’s no longer a steamboat: a 2017 renovation replaced the steam engine with a diesel engine. And its future is open. The operator’s contract with the municipality ended after summer 2025, and the municipality went looking for a new one. Visit Östersund’s 2026 summer guide still advertised cruises, but check that it’s running before you build a day around it.

Storsjön in winter: the skating track

From about February to early April, a track of up to about 15 km is ploughed on the ice. It runs from the harbour and Vinterparken across to Frösön, then along the island’s shore to Härke and Kungsgårdsviken. The track page states no fee.

It is ploughed, not inspected. Visit Östersund’s page says all skating and walking is at your own risk, and the track can close in mild weather or poor ice. Check its status on the day.

Off the track, follow the rules of Issäkerhetsrådet, the Swedish ice-safety council:

• Clear core ice (kärnis) at least 10 cm thick
• Never go alone
• Always wear ice claws
• If someone falls in, call 112. The council says the chance of getting out alone is very small unless you are strong and fit.

Read ice safety before you step onto any lake, and skating on natural ice for the gear.

Dates that moved

Two big events don’t fall where older pages put them.

Biathlon. Östersund opened the 2025–26 biathlon World Cup with a nine-day event from 29 November to 7 December 2025. That’s why many pages describe it as the season opener. The IBU’s 2026–27 calendar puts Östersund on 11–14 March 2027 instead. For how to watch, see watching sports in Sweden.

Storsjöyran. The city’s music festival runs at the end of July in the centre. In 2026 it ran on 31 July and 1 August, with the ten-day Yranveckan from 24 July and the Krogstråket food-and-music street in the harbour. The organiser announces 30–31 July 2027. Visit Östersund dates the festival to 1983, not the 1960s some listings claim. More festivals in summer festivals in Sweden.

Practical information

FAQ

Is Östersund worth visiting?

Yes, for a day or two, especially on the way to Åre or the Inlandsbanan. The lake is the draw: free rod fishing, beaches and piers in summer, a ploughed skating track in late winter. Add Jamtli, the Sámi museum Gaaltije and an afternoon on Frösön with its runestone, medieval church and lookout tower, and the city fills two days easily.

How do I get from Åre Östersund Airport to the city?

Take bus line 4, which runs between the airport on Frösön and Östersund city centre in about 30 minutes. It follows its own timetable rather than flight times, so a delayed arrival can miss it. Pay in the Länstrafiken Jämtland app or by bank card on board; cash is not accepted. By road the airport is about ten minutes away.

Can you skate on Storsjön in winter?

Yes, usually from February to early April. A track of up to about 15 km is ploughed from the harbour and Vinterparken across to Frösön and along its shore. It can close in mild weather or poor ice, and all skating is at your own risk. Off the track, follow the ice-safety rules: 10 cm of clear ice, never alone, ice claws.

Do I need a fishing licence for Storsjön?

No. Storsjön is one of the large lakes where anyone, foreign visitors included, may fish with a rod or other hand tackle without a permit. Minimum sizes and protected times and areas still apply, so check the county board’s rules first. Other lakes and rivers around Östersund need a local fishing permit, a fiskekort.

When is Storsjöyran?

At the end of July. In 2026 the festival ran on 31 July and 1 August, with the ten-day Yranveckan starting on 24 July and food and music in the harbour. The festival’s site announces 30–31 July 2027. Visit Östersund dates the festival to 1983. Tickets and the programme are on the festival’s own site, yran.se.

What is there to see on Frösön?

Frösön, the largest island in Storsjön, has the Frösö runestone, which Visit Östersund calls Sweden’s northernmost, Frösö church from the 12th century, the Frösö tower at 468 m above sea level with views toward the mountains, and Sommarhagen, the composer Peterson-Berger’s home and museum. The airport is on the island too.

Does the boat on Storsjön still run?

Check before you plan. M/S Thomée, built in 1875 and on the lake since 1880, takes up to 120 passengers on cruises of about 1.5 hours to Verkön. Its operator’s contract with the municipality ended after summer 2025 and a new operator was sought, though the 2026 summer guide still advertised cruises. It now runs on diesel.

Related guides

• Storsjöodjuret, the lake monster — the legend, the trap and the 1986 law that protected it.
• Jämtland in summer — Åre, Tännforsen and the hut walks west of Östersund.
• Inlandsbanan — the summer train that starts and ends its guided runs here.
• Åre ski guide — winter in the mountains, a train ride west.
• Ice safety — read it before the skating track.

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Facts verified 2026-10-15. Sources: SMHI, Sveriges riksdag (Fiskelagen), Länsstyrelsen Jämtland, Östersunds kommun, Jamtli, Gaaltije, Swedavia, Länstrafiken Jämtland, Norrtåg, IBU, Visit Östersund, SVT — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.