{"id":42716,"date":"2026-09-24T12:43:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/hiking-tours\/hiking-to-trondheim\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T12:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:44:14","slug":"hiking-to-trondheim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/norway\/trondelag\/hiking-to-trondheim\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiking to Trondheim: My Pilgrimage Through Norway"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hiking to Trondheim along ancient pilgrimage trails<\/h1>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s it like to hike for days along ancient pilgrimage trails to Trondheim? During a trip through Sweden and Norway, I hiked several sections of the <strong>St. Olavsleden<\/strong>. From the open border mountains near Skalstugan to the final kilometers along the Trondheim Fjord and the arrival at Nidaros Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"St. Olavsleden: wandelen in de voetsporen van een Viking-koning\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8czVbB31Ddc?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here you can read about my experiences from a week-long trip in September covering several stages of the St. Olavsleden, the pilgrimage route that runs from the east coast of Sweden to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. I didn\u2019t walk the entire 564 kilometers\u2014that would take about a month\u2014but I did walk the sections between the Swedish-Norwegian border and Trondheim, using transportation for the stretches in between.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42612\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0843-e1790154260784.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Guide Mattias\" class=\"wp-image-42612\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0843-e1790154260784-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0843-e1790154260784-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42479\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7027-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - Route Sign\" class=\"wp-image-42479\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42610\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0831-e1790154306143.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Tree in Autumn\" class=\"wp-image-42610\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0831-e1790154306143-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0831-e1790154306143-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#eeeee8\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Three Things That Stuck With Me<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>A pilgrimage is less arduous than it sounds, and less religious than the name suggests. Most of my fellow hikers were walking for the same reason I was: to be outdoors, to have no obligations, and to have nothing but the next hill as a goal.<\/em> <em>The moments of silence along the way were pleasant and not at all disruptive.<\/em> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The biggest challenge isn&#8217;t the distance\u2014it&#8217;s the weather. Norway in September can feel like summer and fall on the same day, and the mountain section between Sweden and Norway calls for serious rain gear, even if the morning starts out sunny. Be sure to prepare well.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The people you meet along the way\u2014from guides to innkeepers\u2014leave a deeper impression than the kilometers. Mona, who is restoring a centuries-old cross in Auskin and crafting the new doors for Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, was for me the face of this route\u2014perhaps even more so than the cathedral itself.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>What was particularly striking was how quiet the trail was. Although it was early September, we were the only pilgrims in this beautiful, varied landscape, aside from the occasional local passerby. For me, even though we were in a small group of seven and the trip lasted only one week, it felt like a real pilgrimage. Meaningful conversations and encounters with strangers provided many insights and a sense of togetherness.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the full history and route, please see my general <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/norway\/trondelag\/st-olav-trail-hiking\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/noorwegen\/trondelag\/st-olavsleden-wandelen\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">article about the St. Olav Trail<\/a><\/strong>. This is the story of what I saw, heard, and ate along the way, and of the people who told that story.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7025-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - River in Fall\" class=\"wp-image-42488\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7025-980x552.jpg 980w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7025-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 1: From Trondheim to Sweden, and the end of the ban<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ll start with a local lunch at Ersgard near <a href=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/norway\/green-city-trip-trondheim\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"8242\"><strong>Trondheim<\/strong><\/a>, a farm that has been in the same family for generations, and then continue on to Duved. We get our first pilgrim stamp in our booklet. Along the way, with our guides Mattias and Janna, we take a practice hike along the Solstigen\/Blomsterstigen trail just across the Norwegian border in Sweden\u2014test passed. As it turned out, this was actually the most challenging hike of the entire trip.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42450\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0091-e1790077412195-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Ersgard - hostess at the door\" class=\"wp-image-42450\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42451\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0097-e1790077433617-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Ersgard - Flowers on the Outdoor Table\" class=\"wp-image-42451\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42452\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0105-e1790077454245-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Ersgard - Cat Sleeping on a Chair\" class=\"wp-image-42452\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What stands out most to me on this first day is a casual remark by our guide, Mattias: in the 16th century, pilgrimage along this route was banned following the Lutheran Reformation in Norway. In the 20th century, pilgrims began returning to walk to Trondheim, and it wasn\u2019t until 1997 that the entire infrastructure was built to support the route\u2014from stamped pilgrim passports at each overnight stop to a season that runs strictly from June through early September.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42470\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_6941-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Mullfj&#xE4;llet Guesthouse - Candlelit Map\" class=\"wp-image-42470\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42468\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_6936-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Mullfj&#xE4;llet Guesthouse - Salad\" class=\"wp-image-42468\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42467\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_6932-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Mullfj&#xE4;llet Guesthouse - non-alcoholic beer\" class=\"wp-image-42467\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re staying at the Mullfj\u00e4llet guesthouse, a cozy 19th-century building that used to be a customs station. The rooms are great, with shared bathrooms. A delicious evening meal of bread, soup, and cheese gets us ready for the next day. The first leg of our hike toward Norway, with a packed lunch for the road.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 2: Through the highlands to \u00c5dalsvollen: Duved \u2013 Skalstugan \u2013 Sul<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>18 km hike (about 7\u20138 hours<\/em>)<em>from Skalstugan to Sul<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the second day, we\u2019ll hike the section for which the route is famous: eighteen kilometers along Kong Karls Johans veg, a wide road that was once built for a royal visit and runs straight across the barren highlands between Sweden and Norway.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-4 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42697\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0668-e1790245364669-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Hiking to Trondheim - Sun in the Forest\" class=\"wp-image-42697\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42696\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0108-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Hiking to Trondheim - Backpacks\" class=\"wp-image-42696\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0108-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0108-480x720.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 683px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"270\" height=\"405\" data-id=\"42553\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0310-e1790104699715.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42553\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll start with a visit to Sweden\u2019s largest waterfall: T\u00e4nnforsen, near the winter sports village of \u00c5re. Then we\u2019ll hike from Skalstugan up past the tree line and descend on the Norwegian side back toward Sul.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-5 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42491\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7041-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - Norway-Sweden border\" class=\"wp-image-42491\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7041-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7041-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42496\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7073-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Procession - Walkers Under Dark Skies\" class=\"wp-image-42496\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7073-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7073-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42490\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7031-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - border of Norway - stone\" class=\"wp-image-42490\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7031-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7031-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To be honest, I thought this was one of the most beautiful routes. The diversity of the landscapes is impressive. Along the way, we see beavers in the water and reindeer feasting on reindeer moss\u2014which, technically, isn\u2019t moss but a lichen: a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and an alga. Here and there along the trail, sensors are installed to monitor both nature and the number of visitors.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-6 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"42417\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0248-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Sweden-Norway border\" class=\"wp-image-42417\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0248-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0248-1-980x653.jpg 980w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0248-1-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42494\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7063-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Stones in the Highlands\" class=\"wp-image-42494\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7063-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7063-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42413\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0235-1-e1789744053733.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42413\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0235-1-e1789744053733-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0235-1-e1789744053733-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re spending the night at \u00c5dalsvollen Pilgrim Lodge, in a cabin right on the water. The building was once (in 1938) a grocery store, and later served as a bus station and a bird-watching station. Now it offers lodging for twelve pilgrims, with the option to cook for themselves.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-7 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42513\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7277-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Adalsvollen Pilgrim Lodge - Floor Plan\" class=\"wp-image-42513\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7277-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7277-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42512\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7262-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Adalsvollen Pilgrim Lodge - Guestbook\" class=\"wp-image-42512\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7262-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7262-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42511\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7108-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42511\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7108-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7108-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m lucky enough to sleep in a private cabin with a view of the water and a birdhouse outside the window. Little songbirds fly back and forth. The rest are sleeping in rooms or in a dormitory with bunk beds. The warm hot tub is a pleasant way to unwind after a long day of hiking. Dinner, featuring soup prepared by the hostess, is a delightful way to end the day.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 3: Vuku, and the Gates of Mona<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>12-kilometer hike (about 4 hours)<\/em> <em>along King Karl Johan Street and 2 kilometers from Vuku to Auskin<\/em> <em>Center<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Sul to Vuku, a twelve-kilometer walk through the woods; we stay on the old Koningsweg, which here features dry-stone retaining walls along a small stream. We take a break at the Stongbakvattan lookout point, which has its own fire pit. Further on, we pass sheep that are kept within their pasture by electronic collars that deliver a mild shock, and a suspension bridge where an old map still shows the original walking route.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-8 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42483\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7053-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s sleds - berries in the grass\" class=\"wp-image-42483\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42523\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7363-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42523\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7363-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7363-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42517\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7335-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42517\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7335-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7335-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s a rainy day, but it hardly gets in the way. In the forest, the trees provide plenty of shelter. Along the way, we observe an impressive minute of silence during King Harald\u2019s funeral. I learn about the different types of berries: the creeping blackberry, the blueberry, and the lingonberry. The fall colors are beautiful.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A minibus takes us from the end of the hike at Kleivdalen to the church in Vuku. This church dates back to 1654 and was once destroyed by fire and rebuilt. Vuku is also the place where Olav Haraldsson rested one last time before going into battle, which explains why there is a church here. From the church, it\u2019s just under 2 kilometers to our next overnight stop.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-9 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42534\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7480.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42534\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7480.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7480-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42532\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7470.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42532\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7470.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7470-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42533\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7474.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42533\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7474.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7474-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Community Work Day at the Auskin Creative Center<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re staying with Mona at the Auskin Creative Center, just a stone\u2019s throw from the church. And Mona is an inspiration. Together with her husband, she designed and built the \u201cViking longhouse\u201d in Stiklestad. She teaches woodworking and painting classes to locals, and is currently restoring the doors of the main entrance to the cathedral in Trondheim.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-10 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42461\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0406-e1790082239757-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Auskin - Seating Area\" class=\"wp-image-42461\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42458\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0375-e1790082328627-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Auskin - Dinner Details\" class=\"wp-image-42458\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42460\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0401-e1790082266833-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Auskin - Details and Art\" class=\"wp-image-42460\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the evening, Mona shows us her workshop, where she is working on the design of the cathedral\u2019s doors. Another piece is an early, Byzantine-inspired depiction of Jesus without the marks of the Passion. It wasn\u2019t until two hundred years later that the customary image of a suffering Christ on the cross emerged.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-11 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42457\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0372-e1790082350513-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Auskin - Mona in the kitchen\" class=\"wp-image-42457\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-id=\"42459\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0394-e1790082302203-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Auskin - &quot;Wave&quot; mural\" class=\"wp-image-42459\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42463\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0417-e1790082170405-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Auskin Creative Center - Wooden Balls\" class=\"wp-image-42463\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Auskin has underfloor heating and is made almost entirely from recycled materials. Only the frame of the old hay barn remains standing; the rest had to be replaced by the fire department, though the original hay drying room above it is still intact. The rooms are spacious and airy.  <\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#eeeee8\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the morning, we make breakfast together; Mona calls it<strong>\u201cdugnad<\/strong>,\u201d which literally means something like \u201ccollective effort.\u201d It\u2019s a beautiful word that was once named the Norwegian Word of the Year. I\u2019ll definitely be coming back to this place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 4: Stiklestad, where the story of Olav comes together<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A 6-km hike from Stlklestad along the Verdal River and a 6-km hike from Skgosjale to Munkeby<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the way to <a href=\"https:\/\/stiklestad.no\/nl\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/stiklestad.no\/nl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Stiklestad<\/strong><\/a> we pass a lookout point overlooking the valley where Norway\u2019s largest landslide, the Verdalsraset, occurred in 1893\u2014at night\u2014claiming many lives. Mattias explains that such mudflows occur more frequently when the soil doesn\u2019t contain enough salt, and that climate change is increasing the risk of new landslides, with recent incidents near Oslo and Bergen. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Further on, we walk through a wetland area where migratory birds spend the winter, and where there is currently debate over the construction of oil platforms in the vicinity.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-12 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42654\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0464-1-e1790173056703.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - Mailboxes Along the Way\" class=\"wp-image-42654\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0464-1-e1790173056703-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0464-1-e1790173056703-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42652\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0456-2-e1790173018323.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Horse\" class=\"wp-image-42652\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0456-2-e1790173018323-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0456-2-e1790173018323-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42659\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0443-1-e1790173672184.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - The Yellow House on the way to Stiklestad\" class=\"wp-image-42659\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0443-1-e1790173672184-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0443-1-e1790173672184-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#eeeee8\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stiklestad itself is a museum, hotel, and national cultural center all in one. It\u2019s definitely worth taking a guided tour of the Viking and cultural center. Guide Arnstein brings Olav\u2019s story to life with a precision that reveals he has told it hundreds of times\u2014and still means every word:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Olav came to power in 1016 and wanted a single law for all of Norway, with Christianity as the only permitted religion. In doing so, he stripped the established powers\u2014spread among local chieftains who still worshipped the old gods\u2014of their authority. They sided with the Danish King Canute. Olav fled via Sweden to Kiev in present-day Russia. When he returned a few years later to reclaim his kingdom, he avoided the coast, which was guarded, and marched inland to Stiklestad, where he thought he could count on allies. There were none, or too few: his army, partly supplemented by mercenaries from the area around present-day Belarus, was too small. He was quickly defeated and killed there in 1030.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-13 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42658\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0508-1-e1790173454542-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Stiklestad - Church and Pilgrim Stone\" class=\"wp-image-42658\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42651\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0475-1-e1790172758614.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42651\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0475-1-e1790172758614-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0475-1-e1790172758614-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42641\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7752-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Church in Stiklestad - Viking longhouse - sculptures\" class=\"wp-image-42641\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reconstructed Viking longhouse (designed by Mona) is 36 meters long, which, according to the guide, is still smaller than some Viking ships from that era. Here we learn how a chieftain\u2019s authority worked: anyone who accepted a gift from him was henceforth under his protection and owed him a debt of gratitude.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We also hear some lighter facts, such as that the fork became common throughout Europe within seventy years of its introduction in Italy, that drinking glasses were made with bumps so that greasy fingers wouldn\u2019t slip while eating with their hands, and that the horned Viking helmets are a nineteenth-century invention, not a Viking reality.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can spend the night here at the hotel (which also serves as a cultural center) or in one of the beds at the Viking House. The guide explains that most Dutch pilgrims start at the Baltic Sea in Sweden and take about three and a half weeks to walk to Trondheim.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-14 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42645\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7800-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden Stiklestad - Exhibition\" class=\"wp-image-42645\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42646\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7721-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden Stiklestad - Museum - Hotel\" class=\"wp-image-42646\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42640\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7740-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden Stiklestad - Box Bed\" class=\"wp-image-42640\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is particularly striking is just how little is still known about everyday life back then. There are many gravestones here, but almost nothing is known about who is actually buried beneath them. After his death, Olav himself was initially buried along a river, not in a church as is often assumed. It was only later that the veneration of him shifted to Trondheim, and it wasn\u2019t until 1513 that this region became Protestant.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-15 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42648\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7774-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Church in Stiklestad - Frescoes in the Church\" class=\"wp-image-42648\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42642\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7776-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Procession in Stiklestad - Golden Chalice in the Church\" class=\"wp-image-42642\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"588\" data-id=\"42699\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_9546-1024x588.jpg\" alt=\"Hiking to Trondheim - Munkeby Inn\" class=\"wp-image-42699\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_9546-980x563.jpg 980w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_9546-480x276.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That evening, we&#8217;ll spend the night at the Munkeby Inn, a farm with red buildings near the monastery ruins.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 5: Monastery Ruins, Levanger, and Hilsegata<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A 15-kilometer hike from Munkeby via Levanger to Alstadhaug<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We walk along the Levanger River, where many salmon swim in July (fishing is not allowed), back past the ruins of the Munkeby monastery (dating from the twelfth or thirteenth century). The monastery was in use for only 10 years. It burned down and was never rebuilt; it proved to be too damp so close to the water.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-16 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42585\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0645-e1790104887395.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - Munkeby Abbey\" class=\"wp-image-42585\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0645-e1790104887395-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0645-e1790104887395-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"1215\" data-id=\"42698\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0670-e1790245385625.jpg\" alt=\"Hiking to Trondheim&#x2014;Levanger River\" class=\"wp-image-42698\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0670-e1790245385625-810x720.jpg 810w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0670-e1790245385625-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 810px) 810px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42588\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0659-e1790104909379.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Dew on the Bridge at Munkeby\" class=\"wp-image-42588\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0659-e1790104909379-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0659-e1790104909379-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Farmers from the surrounding area used to store their seeds there. At the newly rebuilt monastery, 1.5 kilometers away, you can still spend the night with the monks, who sell homemade cheese\u2014though that\u2019s for men only.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the town of Levanger, through which the old royal road runs, we visit the Levanger Kirke, built in 1902, designed by architect Karl Norum in the Art Nouveau style and constructed of stone. This is the third church on this site after its two predecessors burned down. A local organist plays for us on the Romantic-style organ from 2003 and also demonstrates the older organ from 1876 with a folk hymn called \u201cSunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-17 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42670\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7901.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Levanger Green Church\" class=\"wp-image-42670\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7901.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7901-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42444\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0765-e1790076882682-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Levanger Church - exterior of the tower\" class=\"wp-image-42444\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42445\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0767-e1790076902799-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Levanger Church - Art Nouveau detail of a pew\" class=\"wp-image-42445\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We walk down Hilsegata Street\u2014which literally means \u201cGreeting Street\u201d\u2014and actually strike up a conversation with a man from Levanger who is genuinely interested in our pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-18 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42604\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0778-e1790154412646.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Parade - Levanger - Hilsegata Sign Greetings\" class=\"wp-image-42604\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0778-e1790154412646-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0778-e1790154412646-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42606\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0788-e1790154378635.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav Sleds - Levanger Bakery\" class=\"wp-image-42606\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0788-e1790154378635-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0788-e1790154378635-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42605\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0782-e1790154394128.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Procession - Levanger - A Conversation on the Street\" class=\"wp-image-42605\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0782-e1790154394128-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0782-e1790154394128-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From here on, the river water is salty, and it doesn&#8217;t freeze in the winter. The landscape sometimes looks more like Tuscany than a part of Norway. There is a mix of grain fields, apple orchards, and rolling hills.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-19 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" data-id=\"42573\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0562.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Grain Fields\" class=\"wp-image-42573\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0562.jpg 810w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0562-480x320.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 810px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A little further on, we come to the church at Alstadhaug, with its tower dating from 1170 and an Iron Age burial mound, situated side by side.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-20 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42608\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0815-e1790154349968.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Levanger Bridge\" class=\"wp-image-42608\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0815-e1790154349968-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0815-e1790154349968-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42653\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0459-e1790173040789.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Sleds - Apple Tree\" class=\"wp-image-42653\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0459-e1790173040789-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0459-e1790173040789-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42671\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7935.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Little Church\" class=\"wp-image-42671\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7935.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7935-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The day ends at Ersgard, where we also started Day 1. Now the owner tells us the whole story of the farm: the estate dates back to 1840 and was split in two by a river in 1864. His parents bought it, and the farm has been part of the pilgrimage route since 1997.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stones and foundations from the Viking Age and the Middle Ages have been found on the property\u2014presumably from malt drying houses\u2014and this legacy lives on in the annual beer festival that the farm now helps organize. For dinner, there\u2019s delicious salmon on the table, and Tr\u00f8ndelag flatbread with the soup\u2014exactly the kind of simple, locally sourced food that the entire route seems to revolve around.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-21 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42539\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7983-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42539\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7983-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7983-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42538\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7980.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42538\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7980.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7980-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42537\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7978-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42537\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7978-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_7978-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#eeeee8\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Route 26<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A group of 26 collaborating farms along the route near Ersgard, united under the name <a href=\"https:\/\/route26.no\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/route26.no\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Route 26<\/a>, organizes its own beer festival in the fall, among other events. The route brings culture and income to remote farms and helps spread tourism away from the crowded cities. Some host families also use the route to help new Swedes\u2014immigrants who have just moved to the region\u2014integrate, for example by picking berries together.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 6: Along the fjord to Nidaros Cathedral<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We drive past the town of \u201cHell,\u201d which literally means \u201coverhanging rock,\u201d but which provides international visitors with hilarious photo opportunities. We begin this final day of hiking in Ranheim, at a branch of the Trondheim Fjord. Part of the route takes you past residential neighborhoods near the water. At Leangenbukta, the trail curves around a bird sanctuary.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-22 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42619\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0932-e1790153886145.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Hell Station\" class=\"wp-image-42619\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0932-e1790153886145-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0932-e1790153886145-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42622\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0954-e1790153827513.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - Trondheim Coast\" class=\"wp-image-42622\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0954-e1790153827513-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0954-e1790153827513-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42621\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0953-e1790153847577.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - Trondheim Coastal Path - Tree\" class=\"wp-image-42621\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0953-e1790153847577-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0953-e1790153847577-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just outside Trondheim, the route winds through a beautiful park along the fjord and across the grounds of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ringve.no\/en\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/ringve.no\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ringve Music Museum<\/a>. Beautifully landscaped plants, flowers, and trees, and a friendly squirrel.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-23 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42500\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8014-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Music Museum near Trondheim\" class=\"wp-image-42500\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8014-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8014-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42627\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_1016-e1790153750349.jpg\" alt=\"Trondheim - gardens near the music museum - squirrel\" class=\"wp-image-42627\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_1016-e1790153750349-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_1016-e1790153750349-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"540\" height=\"810\" data-id=\"42628\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_1025-e1790153717928.jpg\" alt=\"Trondheim - Gardens at the Music Museum\" class=\"wp-image-42628\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_1025-e1790153717928-540x551.jpg 540w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_1025-e1790153717928-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 540px) 540px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final stretch leads downhill through historic Bakklandet, across the old city bridge, to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our guide at the cathedral turns out to be the bishop\u2019s daughter. She recounts the history of the cathedral\u2019s construction as if it were a story with many layers: built starting in 1070 over Olav\u2019s tomb, initially in the Romanesque style, then expanded in the Gothic style beginning in 1170 to allow for more light, \u201ccloser to God,\u201d until the cathedral largely took on the form it still has today around 1320, at a time when Olav was immensely popular as a saint.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-24 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42664\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_1049-1-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Trondheim Nidaros Cathedral - Organ Tour\" class=\"wp-image-42664\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42506\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8040.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Church - Niadaros Cathedral - Olav&#039;s Tomb\" class=\"wp-image-42506\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8040.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8040-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"577\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42507\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8046-577x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Church - Niadaros Cathedral - Sami Altar\" class=\"wp-image-42507\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8046-577x1024.jpg 577w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8046-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 577px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the Reformation of 1537, the church became Protestant, and pilgrimages were banned until the nineteenth century. The exact location of Olav\u2019s grave has still not been determined with certainty: in 2014, a scan revealed a charred cavity in soapstone, possibly the spot where his coffin once stood. Since 2017, the cathedral has also featured a S\u00e1mi altar, unveiled on National S\u00e1mi Day\u2014a sight well worth seeing.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then, at the doors on the west side of the cathedral\u2014which are currently being painted red\u2014the name comes up again: Mona, the same artisan we saw at work a few days earlier in Auskin, is crafting the doors for Norway\u2019s most important church together with her husband.  <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-25 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42462\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DSC_0409-e1790082204992-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olavsleden - Auskin - Mona in the Studio\" class=\"wp-image-42462\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"567\" height=\"1008\" data-id=\"42503\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8029.jpg\" alt=\"St. Olav&#039;s Trail - Trondheim, last stamp\" class=\"wp-image-42503\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8029.jpg 567w, https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8029-480x853.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 567px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"42665\" src=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_8059-1-1-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Trondheim Nidaros Cathedral - St. Mary&#039;s Chapel - stained glass\" class=\"wp-image-42665\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll take a guided tour of the cathedral, including a special visit to the Chapel of Our Lady at the very top of the church with its beautiful stained-glass windows, where we\u2019ll receive our final stamp and our pilgrim\u2019s certificate. It\u2019s the reward for all the kilometers we\u2019ve walked. In the evening, we\u2019ll wrap things up with a farewell dinner in Trondheim.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical Info: Hiking to Trondheim\u2014This Was My Route  <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hiking to Trondheim along various sections of the St. Olavsleden is largely an experience of diverse natural scenery and encounters with wonderful people. The places to stay are interesting because of the stories behind them. Don\u2019t expect the long lines of people you find on other pilgrimage routes. Here, you\u2019ll mainly be walking with yourself and your fellow pilgrims. Read here for more <a href=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/norway\/trondelag\/st-olav-trail-hiking\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/noorwegen\/trondelag\/st-olavsleden-wandelen\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">information about <strong>the entire St. Olavsleden<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This hike is also perfectly suitable for solo hikers. Keep an eye on the weather and make your lodging arrangements in advance. You can always contact the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stolavsleden.com\/contact\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/stolavsleden.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">St. Olavsleden organization<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Day 1: Ersgard to Duved, overnight stay at Mullfjellet Pensionat (Sweden)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Day 2: Hike from Skalstugan to Sul along Kong Karls Johans veg (18 km), overnight stay at \u00c5dalsvollen<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Day 3: Hike from Sul to Vuku (12 km), overnight stay in Auskin at Mona\u2019s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Day 4: Stiklestad, museum, church, and Viking longhouse; overnight stay at Munkeby Herberge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Day 5: Munkeby monastery ruins, Levanger, return to Ersgard for the night<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Day 6: Hike from Ranheim to Trondheim, arrival at Nidaros Cathedral, pilgrim certificate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Want to learn more about the entire route, the history of Olav Haraldsson, and the 2030 anniversary? Read my general article about the <strong>St. Olavsleden<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My walking trip to Trondheim on the map<\/h2>\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1MQSsprMJq4xQzQGt0TveuGEZftGdVkA&#038;ehbc=2E312F&#038;noprof=1\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/iframe>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hiking to Trondheim along ancient pilgrimage trails What\u2019s it like to hike for days along ancient pilgrimage trails to Trondheim? During a trip through Sweden and Norway, I hiked several sections of the St. Olavsleden. From the open border mountains near Skalstugan to the final kilometers along the Trondheim Fjord and the arrival at Nidaros [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":42717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[345,230,232,239,191],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trondelag","category-norway","category-central-norway","category-sweden","category-hiking-tours"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42716"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42718,"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42716\/revisions\/42718"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naturetravellab.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}