Orsa Grönklitt with children – a ski carousel, Bärra Blåbär and 145 kilometres of trails

Orsa Grönklitt is on the mountain north of Orsa in Dalarna and has been a family resort since the 1960s. There are 24 runs, a children's area that has made the resort well known among families with children, and up to 145 kilometres of cross-country trails, and you can see the whole area at a glance. It is a resort where the family can go downhill skiing in the morning and cross-country skiing in the afternoon on the same pass.

Orsa Björnpark – closed since 2022

Many people search for Orsa Björnpark (the bear park) before a winter week, and many travel guides still recommend it. But Orsa Rovdjurspark closed to visitors on 7 November 2022 and has since been wound up. So the park is not open at any time of year, neither in winter nor in summer. The owners of Orsa Grönklitt want to develop something new on the site.

If the children want to see wolves and lynx in their winter coats, you'll need to go to Vildriket in Järvsö, which is open every day all year round. In Grönklitt it is Bärra Blåbär, the sledging hill and the cross-country trails instead.

The children's slope and Blåbärsskogen

The children's area is by Barnbacken, the children's slope. There you will find magic carpet, a ski carousel with button lifts that slowly go round in a circle so the children learn to ride a lift at a gentle pace, and lifts at different speeds. In the same area there is a warming hut, a barbecue spot and the sledging hill. Sledges and snow racers can be hired from the sports shop if you don't have your own.

When the children can handle the blue slopes, Blåbärsskogen awaits. This is home to the mascot Bärra Blåbär, and on the blue runs you will find his storehouse and talking figures. The children can ski on the piste or turn off onto little trails in the forest, and in Bärra's off-piste an adventure trail winds between the trees. For bigger children there is a snow park on the south side and an adventure slope with a cinnamon bun on the piste.

Indoors, Blåbärslyan opens in December, a play area with children's activity leaders for children from around three years old who are out of nappies. That is also where most of the children's activities start, from film sessions to Bärra's birthday party.

Tips: Carrying children in a baby carrier or child carrier backpack is not allowed on the lifts or pistes. Sledging is only allowed on the sledging hill.

The ski school and the age rules

The alpine ski school takes children from around three or four years old, depending on the course. The group lessons are for children, and private lessons can be booked for all ages and levels. Places run out in high season, so book well ahead for the winter sports break (sportlov). For children with disabilities, there is bi-ski with an instructor.

• Children up to and including age six ski free, but only if they wear a helmet.
• Lift passes, trail passes and combined passes are cheapest online. Passes you have bought are collected with the QR code at the pick-up station below Barnbacken.
• A parent pass is a shared lift pass for two adults, handy when one of you stays with the youngest sibling on the sledging hill.
• Current prices for each age group are shown in the booking when you choose your first day of skiing.

Cross-country skiing for the whole family

Grönklitt is an official Vasaloppet centre and has up to 145 kilometres of trails in high season. Most are groomed for both classic and skate, some trails are open to dogs, and the trails are open from 6 am to 9 pm every day. The 4.2-kilometre floodlit trail is lit morning and evening, so you can ski even when it gets dark early. The cross-country season opens early, on stored snow as early as October.

For the children there is Barnens Vasalopp with Bärra Blåbär, about 900 metres of cross-country skiing with a certificate, a medal and blueberry soup at the finish. The cross-country ski school takes children in groups from the year they turn 13, and younger children can have private lessons. With the combined pass you can ski both the slopes and the trails.

Evening skiing on Tuesdays and Fridays

From 22 December, Söderbacken, the snow park, Bananen and Barnbacken are open until 7 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Since the children's slope is included, even the youngest can ski under the floodlights. On the same evenings, and on Saturdays, the Grönklitts Express runs free around the resort from 5 to 10 pm. Call to book, and you'll be picked up at the nearest stop.

The 2026/27 season

The lifts open on Saturday 19 December 2026. Until February they run from 9 am to 3.30 pm, and from 1 February from 9 am to 4 pm. The cross-country trails opened on 24 October. Dalarna has its winter sports break (sportlov) in week 9, and you can see which week your municipality is off in winter sports break 2027.

Getting to Orsa Grönklitt

• By car: about 300 km from Stockholm, 250 km from Västerås and 200 km from Gävle. Enter Orsa Grönklitt in your satnav. Some car parks are free, and in the paid ones the first two hours are free.
• Train and bus: take the train to Mora and continue on a Dalatrafik bus to Orsa. From Orsa bus station, line 342 goes up to Grönklitt. With children and skis, it pays to check the connections in advance.
• MasExpressen: on Sundays and Thursdays between 20 December and 4 April, a bus runs direct from Stockholm and Falun to Grönklitt. The bus is booked on the MasExpressen website.

There are more tips on travelling without a car in train to the mountains and getting to the ski resort.

Grönklitt, Romme or Sälen?

Grönklitt suits families who want to combine downhill and cross-country skiing and stay together without long distances. If you want a shorter journey from Stockholm, Romme Alpin outside Borlänge is closer. When the children want longer slopes and a real mountain feel, Sälen with kids is the next step, and there are more options in ski trips in Sweden. Planning for your very first trip is in the first ski trip with children, and the ski trip packing list helps you remember everything.