Stories

"In 2017, my mother told me about the St. Olav’s Path — an old Scandinavian pilgrimage route. She had read a short article in a magazine about spirituality and happiness, and she had made her decision: she was going to walk through the Swedish wilderness. Alone. At that time, my mother was 80 years old, and less than a year earlier she had undergone major surgery for intestinal cancer. I was not too enthusiastic about the idea. In fact, I was quite worried. Fortunately, she a

A pilgrimage is the act of deliberate travel — traveling outside while traveling within. It is a chance to reconnect with the earth, to listen, to face your inner self, to actively commune with a greater power. A pilgrimage is a refuge from the din and clutter of the outside world. It is a unique dimension in which to appreciate life’s wonder and revel in its minutiae. It is the heady aroma drifting from fields of thyme or the drone of bees in a sun-dappled forest. It is autu

"I was one of the first pilgrims to set out on the S:t Olavsleden in 2023. My journey began in early May, in Sundsvall, and ended more than a month later in Trondheim. Starting that early in the season meant one thing was certain: the weather would be unpredictable. And it was — everything from warm, sunny days to snowstorms in the mountains. Before I left, I knew the conditions could be difficult, so I prepared carefully. I trained at home in rough weather with a full backpa

The S:t Olavsleden (St. Olav Path) is best known as a hiking trail, but cyclists can also follow in the footsteps — or rather, the tire tracks — of Olav. With a new travel guide for cyclists coming just published, even more people will soon discover this unique journey. But how do you approach a pilgrimage route by bike? We asked Suze and Ton from the Netherlands, who cycled the route in June 2024. How did you come up with the idea of doing the St. Olav Path by bike? We first

Mireille from Belgium walked the St. Olav’s Trail from Sweden to Norway in 2023. She loved one of the accommodations she stayed at so much that she returned a year later — this time as a volunteer. "In August 2023, I walked from Östersund to Trondheim. The trip exceeded all my expectations. I had always wanted to travel to Norway and Sweden, and I also wanted to experience a pilgrimage route. S:t Olavsleden turned out to be the perfect combination of both! Together with two A

Over the years, we’ve met quite a few people who, after completing their hike, became interested in moving to Sweden, Norway, or Finland. It’s not surprising — there’s so much space, unspoiled nature, and a sense of peace. There are also plenty of professional opportunities, and in rural areas, houses can still be quite affordable. Still, not many people actually take the leap and move. Mees, from the Netherlands, did. After hiking the S:t Olavsleden in 2023, she decided to b

Karlijn from the Netherlands hiked the Gudbrandsdalsleden in the summer of 2025 — the Olav Path in Norway. With her hike, she raised money for an ocean conservation charity. "I’ve been in love with Norway ever since my very first visit back in 2013 — it was truly love at first sight. Since then, I’ve returned almost every year, mostly exploring the coastal regions because of my work. But I’ve always dreamed of discovering more of the inland, and when I came across the differe

Stephen Crist from the United States is no stranger to long-distance hiking: he has done eight over the last fifteen years, including the S:t Olavsleden from Sweden to Norway. When hiking the St. Olav Waterway in Finland he was not alone, however: his daughter joined him. “When comparing the S:t Olavsleden and the Waterway, it is mostly about time and distance: the Waterway is ‘only’ twelve days, whereas the St. Olav Path is almost a month. The terrain of the Waterway is fair

In August, I walked the St. Olav Waterway over the course of two weeks, crossing the Turku archipelago and the Åland Islands. I truly enjoyed the silence, the ferry trips, and the beautiful nature. This was my first multi-day hike, but it certainly won’t be my last. The St. Olav Waterway has deepened my love for nature and walking — this journey marks the beginning of many future hiking adventures. Through the book Onderweg by Francine Postma, about the S:t Olavsleden, I came

On July 19, 2024, we left for Finland for our walking holiday. After spending a day and a night in Helsinki, we began our pilgrimage in Turku. The St. Olav Waterway stretches from Turku to Eckerö and passes through the Finnish archipelago and the Åland Islands. The route is approximately 340 km long, of which about 220 km are walked, with the remaining distances covered by boat. We had never walked for so many consecutive days before, so we started this challenge a bit tense