Skiing is the main draw. The Sälen ski area is the largest in Sweden, split between four SkiStar resorts — Lindvallen, Högfjället, Tandådalen and Hundfjället — and the independent Stöten further west. A single SkiStar lift pass covers all four SkiStar mountains and they are linked by free shuttle buses.
The skiing is mostly intermediate forest cruising, with some steeper pistes higher up and large beginner zones. None of it is dramatic alpine terrain — Sälen tops out at around 1,000 metres — but the snow is reliable from December through April and the family infrastructure is unmatched in Scandinavia.
In summer the mountains turn green and quiet. The Vasaloppet starting line is a popular hiking trailhead, and the Kungsleden (King's Trail) passes nearby. North-west, Fulufjället National Park draws hikers to Sweden's tallest waterfall and one of the oldest trees on earth.