There’s a Ski-Through McDonald’s® on a Mountain in Sweden ⛷️🍟

How McSki Actually Works

McSki sits directly beside a ski run at Lindvallen, part of the larger Sälen ski area in central Sweden. It operates like a normal restaurant with indoor seating, tables, and large windows looking out over the slopes, but it also has something else: an outdoor ordering window positioned so skiers can approach it straight from the snow.

Image credit: McDonald’s® Lindvallen | Official Instagram @mcdonaldssverige

On busy days, skiers queue up outside with skis still on, place their order at the window, collect it when their number is called, and slide back onto the run. Others step inside to sit, warm up, or eat more slowly. Both options exist. The ski-up window simply makes eating feel like part of the mountain rather than a break from it.

The restaurant is operated by McDonald’s®, and the menu is familiar, with hot drinks, burgers, fries, and other standard items, plus McCafé beverages during the winter season.

Image credit: McDonald’s® Lindvallen | Official Instagram @mcdonaldssverige

Not a Gimmick, Just a Choice

What makes McSki memorable isn’t that it exists, but how little effort it makes to explain itself. There’s no spectacle built around the idea, no framing of it as a stunt. It has been part of Lindvallen since the 1990s, and over time it has simply become another piece of infrastructure, like a lift or a warming hut.

That long history matters. McSki wasn’t designed for social media or novelty tourism. It was designed to solve a very specific problem: lots of skiers, heavy winter gear, limited daylight, and everyone getting hungry at the same time. Letting people eat without fully stopping turned out to be an efficient solution, and once that became normal, there was no reason to undo it.

Image credit: McDonald’s® Lindvallen | Official Instagram @mcdonaldssverige

If you’re going to put a fast-food restaurant on a ski slope, naming it McSki and letting skiers glide right up to the window feels like the logical conclusion. Lindvallen made that call decades ago and leaned fully into the “have it your way” philosophy. So if you ever find yourself skiing in Sälen, you already know where lunch is happening.

Above image and main image credit: McDonald’s® Lindvallen | Official Instagram @mcdonaldssverige

Where is McSki located?


McSki is located at Lindvallen ski resort in Sälen, Sweden.

Is McSki the official name of the restaurant?


Yes. The building is labeled McSki.

Is it really the only ski-through McDonald’s in the world?


It is widely reported as the only McDonald’s® location with a dedicated ski-through ordering window.

Do you have to ski to use McSki?


No. The restaurant also has indoor seating and standard access. Skiing up is optional.

When did McSki open?


The ski-through setup has existed since the mid-1990s.

Is McSki open year-round?


No. It operates during ski season and closes when the snow melts.