Östersund: the lake monster and biathlon

On Lake Storsjön in central Sweden, Östersund holds an ancient and curious legend of a lake monster alongside a solid Olympic tradition in biathlon.

The downtown, linked to the legend of the lake monster and the biathlon tradition, is comfortably walkable.

The Storsjön Lake, according to ancient local legend, would host the mysterious monster Storsjöodjuret, first sighted in the eighteenth century by several witnesses.

A few minutes away, the Frösön Island, connected by a historic bridge to the center, preserves ancient Viking ruins and one of the oldest stone churches in all of Sweden.

Heading toward the sports centers, you visit the modern facilities that have repeatedly hosted biathlon world championships in recent decades.

In the evening, local restaurants serve wild game and fresh lake fish according to the ancient culinary tradition of rural Jämtland.

The monster of Storsjön, first sighted according to some ancient local chronicles in 1635, is protected by law since 1986, making it formally illegal to harm or capture it in any way.

Östersund, often a candidate to host the Winter Olympics without ever succeeding despite numerous attempts, nonetheless remains a fixed host of the World Biathlon Championships thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities.