Inside one-of-a-kind McDonald’s in Sweden which became tourist hotspot

The world’s only Ski-Thru McDonald’s, which opened in 1996, has become a TikTok sensation as tourists flock to the mountains to order a fast food item from the restaurant. Skiers at SkiStar in Sweden , in the resort of Lindvallen, are able to glide up to the cosy restaurant which oozes an aesthetic Alpine atmosphere with wood panelling, exposed beams and warm lighting.

Although McSki has been operating since 1996, it has become a hot spot for Brits in recent months thanks to social media. Skiers can either order from the convenient ski-thru counter to take their hot meals away or they can sit inside and enjoy their meal in the restaurant.

The unique branch offers a full McDonald’s menu and the McCafe serves up hot chocolate and warm cinnamon buns to help skiers defrost after hours on the slopes. Menu items available in Sweden that you can’t get in the UK also include a side of falafel with a dip, sweet potato fries, the McVegan burger, and the hot jalapeño chicken sandwich.

McSki’s supervisor, Aron Johannes, attributed some of the buzz to TikTok , telling The Telegraph: ‘This season has been extraordinary because there are so many people from other countries here, so many from Denmark, Germany , the Netherlands .’ Linda Morell, head of public relations at SkiStar, which owns the Lindvallen resort, added: ‘What’s interesting this year, in particular, is that there’s been an 80 percent increase in English visitors, including the McDonald’s building.

‘We’ve never had so many English guests. It’s an all-time high.’ In 2023, one Dutch TikToker known as @travelvalley posted a video describing McSki as ‘heaven,’ and it has since clocked up a whopping 6.8 million views. In the clip, a female skier in a red jacket is seen gliding up to the ski window to take her order. The clip enticed a whole lot of viewers to add the restaurant to their travel plans with many saying they weren’t aware the unique restaurant existed.

One person said: ‘And the one and only Mcdonald’s that doesn’t have a line.’ Another tagged her friend and said: ‘i think i know where we need to go skiing next.’ Meanwhile Dutch digital creator Irene de Wit also shared a video of herself snowboarding up the the McSki window. In the clip , which gained over 7.8 million views, she slid up to the fast food chain window grab a bag of takeaway warm food. One person commented: ‘imagine ordering through the app while on the chairlift and then just picking it up at the bottom and eat it again on the chairlift.’ Another said: ‘Omg that burger would hitttt.’

Someone else wrote: ‘I’ve seen plenty of drive thrus but I have never seen a ski thru.’ It comes the fast food giant rolled out its new festive menu in branches across the UK but fans will need to be quick as seasonal additions will only be available for a limited time. The line up will see the return of several fan favourites – including a much-loved burger – as well as a new cheesy treat added to the menu. The new menu was revealed in a video by @newfoodspotteruk in an Instagram video on October 29. The clip, captioned ‘Festive menu coming 20th November,’ detailed some of McDonald’s Christmas savoury offerings, including the return of the Cheese Melt Dippers and Cheese Melt Dippers Sharebox. However, many fans all had the same complaint – saying that the menu didn’t seem ‘festive’ enough.

A new cheesy addition will also join this year’s festive line up in the form of the Cheese McCrispy. Last year, dessert fans were treated to the Galaxy Caramel Pie – this year, McDonald’s is tempting diners with a Terry’s Chocolate Orange version. Other sweet treats making a comeback include: Terry’s Chocolate Orange McFlurry (regular and mini), Galaxy Caramel McFlurry, Galaxy Caramel Latte and Galaxy Caramel Hot Chocolate. McDonald’s also announced the Big Tasty will be joining this year’s festive menu.

As an added bonus, the classic main will also be available as a Big Tasty with Bacon. Fans took to the comments to express their excitement for the Big Tasty’s return, with one person pleading: ‘Big tasty should stay permanently.’ Another wrote, ‘Thank you god for the big tasty just keep it on the menu,’ while a third exclaimed, ‘FINALLY THE BIG TASTY.’ One fan was also left elated at the prospect of Galaxy drinks making a comeback, as they commented: ‘I am so excited to have the galaxy caramel McCafé drinks back!!!!!’

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.