Norway
St. Olav's Ways
Norway's ancient pilgrimage to Nidaros Cathedral — Europe's northernmost medieval pilgrimage destination. 643 kilometres through fjords, pine forests and Viking-age landscapes in near total solitude.
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Norway
Norway's ancient pilgrimage to Nidaros Cathedral — Europe's northernmost medieval pilgrimage destination. 643 kilometres through fjords, pine forests and Viking-age landscapes in near total solitude.
Plan my journey →While millions walk to Santiago, a much smaller, quieter community makes its way north through Norway to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim — the burial place of King Olav Haraldsson, killed in battle in 1030 AD and canonised just one year later. His shrine drew pilgrims from across Europe for five centuries. The Reformation ended the tradition — but in the late 20th century, it was revived, and today St. Olav's Ways are some of the most extraordinary walking routes in Europe.
The main route, Gudbrandsdalsleden, runs 643 kilometres from Oslo to Trondheim. It passes through lush river valleys, historic towns, dense forests and — most dramatically — across the vast Dovrefjell mountain plateau at 1,300 metres, where wild reindeer still roam and the landscape feels genuinely primeval.
If you've walked the Camino de Santiago and are looking for something equally profound but entirely different — quieter, wilder, and far less travelled — St. Olav's Ways will exceed every expectation.
Flat through Oslo's valley, rising dramatically to the Dovrefjell plateau — the most challenging section — then descending through the forests of Trøndelag to Trondheim.
The crossing of the Dovrefjell mountain plateau is the defining moment of the route. At over 1,300 metres, you walk through an Arctic landscape of snow, rock and silence — and if you're lucky, wild reindeer will cross your path. It is one of the most powerful walking experiences in Europe.
Near Oslo, the route splits east and west around Lake Mjøsa — Norway's largest lake. You can walk either side, or combine them by taking the Skibladner: the world's oldest active paddle steamer, still carrying pilgrims across the lake exactly as it did in 1856. A genuinely extraordinary experience.
Much of the route passes through forests so dense and old that the light barely reaches the path. Spruce and pine stretch in every direction. You walk for hours without seeing another person — just the path, the trees, and the sound of your own breathing. For people who walk to find quiet, there is no Camino quieter than this.
St. Olav was a Viking king who converted Norway to Christianity — by force, largely — and died in battle at Stiklestad in 1030. The route passes ancient burial mounds, medieval stave churches, and sites directly connected to his life. History feels very close on this road.
Your destination: one of the great Gothic cathedrals of northern Europe. Nidaros is the burial place of St. Olav, the seat of Norway's Archbishop, and the spiritual heart of the Norwegian nation. Standing before the western facade after weeks of walking is an arrival you will never forget.
The farms and guesthouses along the route take food seriously — local, seasonal, and traditional. Freshly baked bread, cured meats, wild berries, reindeer stew in mountain huts. The food of the Olavsweg is honest, generous and deeply Norwegian. Nothing from a packet, everything from the land.
Tell us about yourself and we'll design your St. Olav's Way — the right section, the right season, the right places to rest.
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