Östersund is the capital of Jämtland County, located on the shores of the fifth largest lake in Sweden, lake Storsjön. With a population of 60 000, Östersund is the region’s commercial and financial centre, situated in inland Sweden near several of the country’s largest mountain ranges. Known as “The Winter City”, Östersund has a long history as a centre for outdoor activities, especially in the winter.
Östersund boasts a unique landscape with stunning lake and mountain views along several of the city’s most popular cycling routes, while the city itself is relatively flat, making it an excellent place for riding bikes both as a means of transportation and for recreation. Being a Winter City, Östersund has put a lot of work into increasing cycling all year round. The Winter Pedaler Project has for the past six years been a successful way of encouraging cycling despite icy and snowy streets.
The air in Östersund is among the cleanest in the world and the city intends to keep it that way, putting a lot of municipal resources into sustainable ways of transport. Östersund is lead partner in the Green Highway project that aims to establish a fossil fuel-free transport corridor that stretches from Trondheim in Norway to the coastal city of Sundsvall, Sweden. Östersund is also proud to have the highest number of charging points for electric vehicles per capita in the country and the city aims to be entirely free from fossil fuel by 2030. Östersund works continuously with sustainable mobility and was awarded by the EU for arranging the campaign European Mobility Week 2014.
