About the facility
The mountain facility Idre Himmelfjäll, with operations in both winter and summer, was inaugurated at Christmas 2019 with its first 8 lifts and 18 slopes, a maximum vertical drop of 323 meters, and the longest run at 3.2 km.
As early as Christmas 2018, the facility’s ski rental and sports shop Skidboden opened in newly built premises. At the inauguration at Christmas 2019, there were about 800 beds in cabins and apartments within 500 meters of the lifts at Idre Himmelfjäll.
To secure future development in Idre/Älvdalen, many strong forces have worked together to make it possible to expand Idre Himmelfjäll (Himmeråsen): Älvdalen Municipality, the County Administrative Board of Dalarna, Idre Sami Village, several governments, authorities and ministries, Region Dalarna, and local businesses are some of the many stakeholders that have actively influenced events to make this a reality.
1987 The vision of a new year-round facility with up to 10,000 beds on Himmeråsen in Idre is born
1988 Initial project/development plan is produced
1992 Detailed comprehensive plan with the development plan included gains legal force
1993 “Joint declaration on the mountain world of Älvdalen Municipality – the Idre Declaration” is adopted by the government. The nature reserve’s boundaries are thus modified for Himmeråsen and: – “Expansion may take place after detailed planning”
1994 New comprehensive plan adopted for Älvdalen Municipality including the expansion of Himmeråsen
1994-2004 Decade of major problems in the industry as well as difficulties acquiring the entire property necessary for expansion. Development proceeds at a slow pace
2004 Älvdalen Municipality grants permission for detailed planning for Himmeråsen
2006 Idre Himmelfjäll AB is formed and acquires Himmeråsen consisting of a total of about 2,000 hectares of land
2007 A completely new development plan, “Masterplan,” is started by International Alpine Design, “IAD,” Colorado, USA
2008 Detailed plan for the first residential area and lift in the first phase gains legal force for Topphedenbacken
2009 New comprehensive plan adopted for the northern parts of Älvdalen Municipality, including the expansion of Idre Himmelfjäll
2009 Älvdalen Municipality is granted permission to expand the treatment plant in Idre, from 8,000 PE to the equivalent of 23,000 PE, and decides on an investment of about SEK 70 million
2009 After two years of work, IAD presents the final version of the detailed Masterplan for Idre Himmelfjäll to the municipality and the public at the community center in Idre. The plan provides space for about 8,000 beds in a completely new ski and year-round facility at Idre Himmelfjäll
2010 The design program “Idre Himmelfjäll – A Family Saga in Four Seasons” is completed together with the design agency Stylt Trampoli
2010 All infrastructure, the first houses, and the first lift in the first residential area are completed in Topphedenbacken
2011 Detailed plan for about 500 hectares of ski area with lifts and slopes at Idre Himmelfjäll gains legal force after a government decision. (The plan had been appealed through all instances by a private individual)
2011 County Governor Maria Norrfalk inaugurated Idre Himmelfjäll on February 25
2011 The first road to the top of Idre Himmelfjäll is completed and several slopes and lift clearings are opened using the Colorado concept as a model (relatively narrow runs with good vertical drop in varied terrain).
2011 Business owners open a 1,000 sq m sports store with ski rental for Christmas 2011
2011 The detailed plan for Maskullabacken, a new residential area with 150 plots, gains legal force.
2012 The new treatment plant with capacity for about 23,000 PE is inaugurated in Idre
2012 Laying of roads, water, sewage, and electricity is completed on 51 of the plots at Maskullabacken
2013 New plot areas at Maskullabacken are started for about 100 new plots
2014 All plots at Topphedenbacken are sold out. Sold out!
2014 Torbjörn Wallin becomes the new chairman of Idre Himmelfjäll
2015 New cross-country trail of about 3 km is completed, running from Topphedenbacken to the Burusjö trail.
2015 New roads laid out to the new plot area Maskullabacken 3
2015 Full focus on plot sales. In total, just over 100 plots are sold and around 30 houses are built or under construction
2015 Joint letter of intent regarding Sápmi Lodge between the parties Idre Sami Village and Idre Himmelfjäll AB.
2016 Successful rights issue completed for SEK 40 million with strong participation from local entrepreneurs
2016 The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth decides on SEK 25 million in development support to Idre Himmelfjäll
2016 Design program and other plans are developed for Sápmi Lodge together with Idre Sami Village
2016 Work begins on six new detailed plans for six new residential areas in cooperation with Älvdalen Municipality
2016 The board and owners decide on a timeline for a new alpine facility to open in winter 2019/2020
2016 In total, about 130 plots are sold and around 40 houses are built or under construction
2017 A project organization is now in place with a focus on the opening of the new alpine facility at Christmas 2019
2017 Founder and CEO Staffan Derning retires and hands over the baton to Torbjörn Wallin, who becomes the new CEO. Gerteric Lindqvist becomes the new chairman
2017 Via 4 new detailed plans, 169 new plots were created for upcoming sales
2018 Construction begins on the SEK 1.7 billion project at Idre Himmelfjäll
2018 Construction begins on 8 lifts, 18 slopes, and a snowmaking system
2018 Inauguration of the new ski rental
2019 Construction and planning begin for the Topphedenbacken restaurant, reception, and convenience store, scheduled to be completed by Christmas 2021
2019 New detailed plans for the Copernicus and Neptunus plot areas
2019 On December 17, inauguration of the first 8 lifts, 18 slopes, and Idre Himmelfjäll as a tourist facility
2019 About 800 beds in state-of-the-art accommodations completed
2020 New Copernicus area with 94 plots ready for construction and sales launch
2020 Skidboden invests in a new fully automatic ski grinder from Montana
2020 The off-piste slope “Stortrollet” opens for New Year’s
2020 About 1,800 beds are completed by New Year’s, and occupancy at Idre Himmelfjäll during Christmas, New Year’s, and week 1 reaches 96%
2021 8 new EV chargers are put into service in January at Skidboden
2021 In February, 23 plots are released in the new Neptunus area, where water, sewage, roads, and electricity begin to be built in spring 2021
2021 Idre Himmelfjäll and Idre Fjäll have jointly submitted an application for a planning permit as part of the process regarding the future possibility of expansion and connection between the facilities
2021 Idre Himmelfjäll is planning for future expansion and new expansion areas. Idre Himmelfjäll has submitted an application to the municipality for planning permission for future expansion and detailed plans for a number of new areas:
Future Top Lodge, Polaris – our future center area with retail, hotel, restaurants, beds, and activities, Plot Area Cressida (197 plots), Plot Area Ophelia (150 plots), and Plot Area Sirius (100 plots).
Summer 2021 is a major “construction summer”!
2021 Idre Himmelfjäll builds 3 new slopes with associated snow systems, and a range of beautification measures are carried out, including grass seeding, restoration work, etc. Signage is further developed, the snow system is expanded, a new ski square with a covered magic carpet, and a ski carousel are built at the ski square.
2021 By Christmas, the new building at Topphedenbacken with restaurant, reception, and kiosk is to be completed.
2021 An additional 24 EV chargers, new parking areas, and new shelter huts/barbecue areas are being built in the slopes.
2021-2022 During the summer/autumn/winter, about 1,300 new beds are also being built in newly constructed houses and apartments at the facility by external investors.
2023 An additional just over 600 beds are being built in cabins and apartments, bringing the total at the facility to over 4,000 beds.
Before winter 23/24, electric lighting is being installed along the cross-country trail from the Saturnus area to the Thorsliften. In addition, a lift is being built in the Polaris area, and a small Fun Park aimed at families is also being built above the gondola valley station. We are also beginning to develop the Mossa forest trail, starting at the gondola’s mountain station in the direction of Toppheden.