Best Landmarks in Östersund

Perched atop Frösöberget on the island of Frösön, Frösötornet is an observation tower offering sweeping panoramic views over Storsjön lake, Östersund city, lush forests, fields, and the majestic Jämtland mountains including Oviksfjällen and Åreskutan. An elevator ascends 14 meters to an enclosed viewing platform, while the base houses Café Frösötornet, renowned for homemade pastries baked with local, organic ingredients like seed-covered rolls, carrot cake, oat squares, and vegan raw food treats served on floral china. Open seasonally from mid-May to early September, it provides a perfect blend of scenic vistas and rustic Swedish fika in a natural setting.

Sommarhagen is the idyllic summer home and museum of Swedish composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, built in 1914 on Frösön island. Overlooking vast forests, lakes, and mountains, this national romantic and Jugend-style house features original interiors, a cozy cafeteria, and sweeping views of Storsjön. Explore the composer's dream home filled with artistic legacy and natural inspiration.

Stora kyrkan, Östersund’s monumental parish church on Rådhusgatan, is a 20th-century brick basilica designed by Lars Israel Wahlman and consecrated in 1940. Noted for its high nave, sculpted granite portal, copper‑clad tower spire and Sweden’s largest altarpiece — a 170 m² al fresco mural by Hilding Linnqvist — the building blends regional motifs, crafted textiles and figurative sculpture to create a distinct, locally rooted sacred interior.

The Frösö Runestone stands as the northernmost raised runestone in the world, erected around 1030-1050 AD on Frösön island in Jämtland, Sweden. This singular monument commemorates Austmaðr, son of Guðfastr, who raised the stone, built a bridge, and Christianized the entire region of Jamtaland. Carved by Trjónn and Steinn, its runes in ancient Jamtish mark the first written record of Jämtland's name and dialect. Featuring a serpentine dragon biting its tail—linked in legend to the Storsjöodjuret lake monster—the stone evokes Viking-era transitions and local independence. Now positioned before the historic Landstingsborgen on an unnamed road in Frösön, it offers a tangible portal to Scandinavia's runic heritage amid serene lakeside landscapes.

Gamla Kyrkan is Östersund’s historic old church, an early 19th-century neoclassical stone building set in Kyrkparken at Kyrkgatan 41. Built between 1834 and 1846 and taken into use in 1839, the church sits in a tranquil park near the town centre and carries intimate architectural details, simple classical lines and a compact, contemplative interior that reflects the city’s early civic and spiritual life.