A wonderful ‘coast to coast’ pilgrim cycle route with a length of 565 kilometres from Selånger over the Swedish countryside and the Scandinavian highlands through the Norwegian mountains to Trondheim.
Note that the guide is in Dutch. Probably there will be an English translation in the future. Let me know via Contact if you are interested.
- Length: appr. 565 km
- Start: Church ruin in Selånger
- End: Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim
- Time needed: appr. 10 days
- Difficulty: 2 out of 5
- Best season: mid-June – mid-September
- Bewegwijzerd voor fietsers
- Highlights: the church ruin Selånger, Tännforsen, the biggest waterfall of Sweden, Stiklestad, the cultural centre with everything about Olav and the Nidarosdomen in Trondheim.
On the way to his grave in Trondheim, you cycle over asphalt, gravel and forest paths through the idyllic Swedish countryside. You pass large lakes and wide rivers, traverse deep forests and the Scandinavian highlands. Via the Norwegian mountains, you eventually descend to the Trondheim Fjord and the impressive Nidaros Cathedral.
Since 2015, the St. Olavspad has been made accessible to cyclists and it is more than just a cycling adventure: it is a journey through history, a voyage of discovery through the rugged Scandinavian countryside and an experience of a lifetime.
A pelgrimage on the bicycle
The word pilgrim comes from the Latin word peregrinus and means stranger, which is derived from peregre, a word composed of per, which means ‘across, through, along’, and an inflected form of ager, which means ‘field, land, acre’. So a pilgrim is someone who crosses through or along fields. Of course, by far the easiest way to travel across a field is on foot or horseback, but the present-day roads are well-suited for other means of transport. Luckily, there is no rule that one can only travel on foot or horseback, and a pilgrimage can very well be undertaken on a steel horse. However, because a number of stages of the hiking trail are not suitable for cycling, the Gudbrandsdalsleden for cyclists differs ca. 50% from the official Gudbrandsdalsleden. Despite this, it was possible to create a cycle route that is historically as correct as possible.
Something for you? Please read all useful information under Practical.
In the footsteps of St. Olav
The St. Olavsleden is part of the series In the footsteps of St. Olav. This series consists of:
- Kristians route (Kristiansand - Oslo)
- On the way to St. Olav (Oslo - Selånger)
- St. Olavsleden (Selånger - Trondheim)
- Gudbrandsdalsleden (Oslo - Trondheim of Trondheim - Oslo)
- Kystpilegrimsleia (Kristiansand - Egersund - Trondheim)
- S:t Olavsleden, the Swedish website of this route (in English and Swedish)
- Pilegrimsleden, the Norwegian website of this route (in English and Norwegian)
Disclaimer: the information about this route is collected with the greatest care. Opening times, routes and available accommodations can vary over time. Via Gaia can not be made responsible for any consequences and/or damages through the use of the contents of this website and the guide.