One of the most remarkable St Olav routes has to be the St Olav Waterway in Finland. You cycle and sail from island to island through what is perhaps the most beautiful archipelago in the world. The route takes you from Turku Cathedral on the Finnish mainland through the Finnish archipelago, via the Åland Islands to Sweden. Once in Sweden, you can choose from various alternative routes to reach your final destination, Trondheim in Norway.
St Olav is the patron saint of Åland, and along the route there are churches dedicated to him in both the Finnish archipelago and on Åland, suggesting that Olav himself may well have travelled through this area on his journey from Novgorod to Sweden.
What makes the St Olav Waterway so special is the combination of cycling and sailing: a pilgrimage that takes you both over land and across the sea, offering breathtaking views, tranquil island villages and a deep connection with Nordic cultural history.
As well as cycling, there are other ways to explore the St. Olav Waterway. You can walk, or even sail or kayak part of the route. You can organise the pilgrimage yourself, or you can let Nordic Pilgrim arrange it for you. They organise individual pilgrimage trips in the far north for both walkers and cyclists. For the organised cycling tour, you don’t need to bring your own bike. Click here for more information: St. Olav Waterway on a bicyle.
- Distance from Turku to Eckerö: 200 km (+100 km by ferry)
- Starting point: Turku Cathedral
- End point: Eckerö harbour. From here, you can continue cycling via connecting routes to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. For example, along the coast to Sundsval and then via the St Olav’s Way to Trondheim.
- Time required: approx. 4–5 days. If you make it a round trip, then approx. 8–10 days.
- Difficulty: 1/5
- Best season: April–October
To make it a complete loop, you can choose to start in Eckerö and cycle along the top of the islands to Turku. This route follows Finland’s national cycle routes. You then cycle back to Eckerö via the St Olav Waterway (along the south part of the archipelago). This adds an extra 175 km to your journey.
You’ll find a travelogue of the route on On Two Wheels, written in the summer of 2026.
There is no cycling guide of this this route. All the information can be found on this website and on the website of the St. Olav Waterway.
Disclaimer: The information about this route is collected with the greatest care. Sailing times and routes 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.
