Mireille from Belgium walked the St. Olav’s Trail from Sweden to Norway in 2023. She liked one of the accommodations she stayed at so much that she returned a year later as a volunteer.
In August 2023, I walked from Östersund and Trondheim. The trip exceeded my expectations. I always wanted to travel to Norway and Sweden. I also wanted to walk a pilgrimage route. S:t Olavsleden was the perfect combination!
Together with two American, two German and a Dutch pilgrim, I arrived in Hållandsgården – near Åre, Sweden – after a few days of walking. We received a warm welcome from hostess Sara and I found the atmosphere in the hotel cozy. It was the evening before Storm Hans, which would hit both Norway and Sweden hard. The next day we were supposed to continue towards Åre, but we were advised against it. That’s why we stayed longer in Hållandsgården. At one point I was sitting next to a fireplace reading with an American pilgrim. Wonderful! A moment I will never forget.
This year I really wanted to go back to Sweden and especially the province of Jämtland. I thought of offering myself as a volunteer at Hållandsgården. And that offer was accepted immediately. For almost four weeks last summer I was in one of the coolest places in the world for me!
It was great fun to chat with pilgrims. Their enthusiasm, their energy – my enthusiasm for the path was back immediately! I could tell hikers that there were still many beautiful stages to come. Sometimes these conversations lasted for hours. The Dutch-speaking pilgrims were also happy to speak in their native language. Before a pilgrim left, I tried to be there to wave goodbye.
My tips that I gave pilgrims and that I also want to give future pilgrims: plan your trip well. Sweden and Norway are bigger than Belgium and the Netherlands, so there is not always a bus or a shop on every street corner. If you want more support or have questions, contact Nordic Pilgrim and your journey will be a lot easier.
And also: walk a few times before your trip with your backpack and good walking shoes. Walking poles are useful. And remember: the weather is unpredictable. It can be warm, but also chilly. The nights are often chilly. Also look carefully to the left AND to the right. Once I looked to the right for too long and got lost.
Guided group tour 2025
We are very proud to introduce a guided group hike from Sweden to Norway in the summer of 2025. Over mountains, through forests and along the Trondheim fjord. Plus: a visit to the annual St. Olav Play in Stiklestad.
My Finnish dream
My special bond with Finland started four years ago. I had been a big fan of the Nordics for over twelve years and that is why I had decided to move to Finland. Once there, I immediately fell in love with the nature and the peace that the country radiates. Unfortunately, after a while I developed severe physical complaints that made it impossible for me to walk or stand on my legs. The Finnish doctors could not help me and I could not take care of myself, because of these physical problems. For that reason, my Finnish dream fell apart and after a year I had to move back to the Netherlands.
Moving to Sweden
Over the years we have met quite a few people who were interested in moving to Sweden, Norway or Finland after completing their hike. Not surprising: there is a lot of space and unspoiled nature, there are a lot of (professional) opportunities and in the countryside houses can be affordable.
Exploring Gudbrandsdalsleden
In August and September 2024, we had the opportunity to explore parts of the Gudbrandsdalsleden - the pilgrim route from Oslo to Trondheim.
St. Olavsleden on bicycle
The St. Olavsleden (St. Olav path) is mainly known as a hiking trail, but cyclists can also follow in the footsteps/tire tracks of Olav. And with the arrival of a new travel guide (link) for cyclists at the end of 2024, more will soon follow. But how do you approach something like this, a pilgrimage route by bike? We asked Suze and Ton from the Netherlands.
Happy hikers
One of the best things of running a company like Nordic Pilgrim, is to see people arriving at their final destination, often after a long journey. Take Sue from the USA, for example. She started her hike in Selånger on June 1st. After almost one month of hiking she arrived in Trondheim on the 28th and wrote:
10 years of Nordic Pilgrim
In the commotion of the coming hiking season, we almost forgot our own anniversary: Nordic Pilgrim has been around for ten years! In 2013, founder Ruben was asked by the Swedish St. Olavsleden project to ‘test’ this route
Learning languages
So you are going on a trip through the Nordic countries and you would like to understand the locals. What is the best way to learn basic language skills? There are real language courses you can follow, of course. Some bigger cities offer real, physical classes. If you want to learn digitally, you could use learning apps, like Duolingo and Babbel. If you are too busy (or lazy) to learn, you could always use the Google Translate app to translate in real time by using the microphone on your telephone.
What are the Inner and Outer Route?
We receive a lot of questions about the Inner and Outer Route. Here follows a short explanation. The St. Olavsleden (from Selånger to Trondheim) splits into two for the last part in Norway: at Munkeby you can choose to take the Inner or the Outer road to Trondheim. What are the differences between these two routes?
Some important dates
Every season there are some dates on which it might be difficult to find lodging along certain trails. Something to keep in mind when planning your trip. Here are some of these dates.
