Åre - Stiklestad
- 7 days, self-guided -
OVERVIEW
The St. Olav Path, or S:t Olavsleden, is the world’s northernmost pilgrim path, stretching 580 km from Selånger in Sweden to Trondheim in Norway. The trail leads over mountains, through deep forests and along lakes, passing historic sites connected to the legacy of St. Olav. It is often called Scandinavia’s answer to the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
From Åre the route follows dramatic landscapes past Tännforsen, Sweden’s largest waterfall, and continues into the mountains towards the Swedish–Norwegian border. After crossing into Norway, the trail descends into peaceful valleys and fertile farmland. The journey ends in Stiklestad, the historic site where Olav Haraldsson fell in battle in 1030.
01. Travel day – Overnight in Åre
Åre is the ski capital of the north - but there is lots to see and do during the summer as well. For pilgrims a visit to the Old Church is a must. Several types of accommodation are available, depending on the season.
02. Åre – Tännforsen (approx. 23 km)
Today you walk past Duved, with its impressive church and the Carolean monument into wilderness towards Tännforsen, Sweden’s largest waterfall. Today is a tough day mostly because the amount of asphalt.
03. Tännforsen – Medstugan (approx. 24 km)
Again quite some asphalt, but the beautiful views make up for a lot of that. Past historic stone bridges from the 19th century.
→ Please note: it is possible to split the next hike
The hike from Medstugan to Sul is one of the longest of the whole trail. Because you are crossing the highest point as well, so there is some ascending and descending involved. We therefore recommend splitting this day into two hikes: one of approx. 10 km and one of approx. 22 km. This includes a transfer by car. Ask us about the options. This adds a day to your itinerary.
04. Medstugan – Sul (approx. 32 km)
Today you cross the mountains into Norway. The landscape changes dramatically as soon as you cross the border. This is a long but scenic stage – but there are options to shorten this stage.
05. Sul – Vuku (approx. 32 km)
Again a pretty long hike! In the middle there is a strenuous part along a car road. The start and end of this day are quite beautiful. Through valley and pine forests into open farmland – a long and demanding hike.
06. Vuku – Stiklestad (approx. 12 km)
Today is a relatively short and easy hike to historic Stiklestad, where Olav Haraldsson fell in battle in 1030. If you have time and energy, you can visit the open-air museum and Olav church.
07. Travel day
From Stiklestad it is ca. 4 km to Verdal station, with train connections to Trondheim.
Optional
You can divide this day into two stages: Medstugan - Sul (ca. 32 km) into Medstugan - Skalstugan (ca. 10 km) and Skalstugan - Sul (ca. 22).
Summary
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Self-guided hike along the St. Olav Path, from Åre (Sweden) to Stiklestad (Norway)
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Available from June to September
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7 days, of which you walk 5, with an average of 25 kilometers per day.
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Price: coming soon!
