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Pilgrim's Route
The Pilgrim's Route, (Norwegian: Pilegrimsleden) also known as St. Olav's Way or the Old Kings' Road, is a pilgrimage route to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. The cathedral is the site of the medieval tomb of St. Olav, who brought Christianity to Norway. The main route is approximately 640 kilometres (400 mi) long. It starts in the ancient part of Oslo and heads north along the lake Mjøsa, up the Gudbrandsdalen valley, over the Dovrefjell mountains, and down the through the Oppdal and Gauldalen valleys to end at the Nidaros Cathedral.
Nidaros Cathedral is a popular place of Evangelical-Lutheran Christian pilgrimage, with several thousand pilgrims visiting it each year. Mass and the Divine Office, according to the Evangelical-Lutheran tradition, are celebrated daily at Nidaros Cathedral, in addition to other prayer services that are held there throughout the day for pilgrims. Those who complete the Pilgrim's Route receive a pilgrim certificate that is granted by Nidaros Cathedral.
Although the Pilgrim's Route over the Dovrefjell mountains is only one of several pilgrimage routes in Norway, it is arguably the most famous. It connected the historically important Norwegian cities of Oslo and Nidaros (now Trondheim).
The oldest known route over the Dovrefjell mountains which followed the Lågen river valley at the Kongsgården (lit. 'King's Farm') at Tofte, just past Dovre Church in Dovre Municipality (slightly south of present-day village of Dombås). It followed a lower and more easterly route which followed the drainage to the east of Tofte, and then proceeded over the Dovrefjell mountains to join the route in Oppdal Municipality.
The "King's Way" traveled up through the Gudbrandsdalen valley and left the Lågen river valley at Tofte Kongsgården (lit. 'King's Farm') shortly past the Dovre Church in Dovre Municipality (just south of present-day village of Dombås). This route went more directly over the Dovrefjell mountains into Oppdal Municipality.
The historically heavy stream of pilgrims which visited the shrine of St. Olaf in Trondheim annually prior to the Reformation resulted in the erection of mountain stations (Norwegian: fjellstue) where the pilgrims could find food and shelter. Stations were erected at Kongsvoll, Drivstuen, Fogstuen, and later at Hjerkinn.
In speaking of the route, Knut Gjerset quotes Peder Claussøn Friis as writing in the late 16th century, "But in the winter people of high estate, as well as members of the court, travel mostly this way, because however high and deep the snow may fall, it blows together on the high mountains and becomes so hard men and horses can walk on it. The bonder [farmers] run over it on skis and snow-shoes. There are three stations: Drivstuen, Herdekinn and Fogstuen built on this same mountain in order that travelers may find lodging there...at the stations there are implements and dry wood, so that the traveler may build themselves fire, and not suffer from cold, when they have to remain over night, and cannot find the way across the mountain."
There is clear evidence that this route had seen heavy use in the early Norwegian Iron Age. Oppdal on the route was located at a crossroads for traffic from Trondheim, traffic over the Dovrefjell mountain range, and the Sunndal on the west coast. At Oppdal there are over 700 Viking Age grave mounds indicating that Viking trade routes passed through these valleys.
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Pilgrim's Route
The Pilgrim's Route, (Norwegian: Pilegrimsleden) also known as St. Olav's Way or the Old Kings' Road, is a pilgrimage route to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway. The cathedral is the site of the medieval tomb of St. Olav, who brought Christianity to Norway. The main route is approximately 640 kilometres (400 mi) long. It starts in the ancient part of Oslo and heads north along the lake Mjøsa, up the Gudbrandsdalen valley, over the Dovrefjell mountains, and down the through the Oppdal and Gauldalen valleys to end at the Nidaros Cathedral.
Nidaros Cathedral is a popular place of Evangelical-Lutheran Christian pilgrimage, with several thousand pilgrims visiting it each year. Mass and the Divine Office, according to the Evangelical-Lutheran tradition, are celebrated daily at Nidaros Cathedral, in addition to other prayer services that are held there throughout the day for pilgrims. Those who complete the Pilgrim's Route receive a pilgrim certificate that is granted by Nidaros Cathedral.
Although the Pilgrim's Route over the Dovrefjell mountains is only one of several pilgrimage routes in Norway, it is arguably the most famous. It connected the historically important Norwegian cities of Oslo and Nidaros (now Trondheim).
The oldest known route over the Dovrefjell mountains which followed the Lågen river valley at the Kongsgården (lit. 'King's Farm') at Tofte, just past Dovre Church in Dovre Municipality (slightly south of present-day village of Dombås). It followed a lower and more easterly route which followed the drainage to the east of Tofte, and then proceeded over the Dovrefjell mountains to join the route in Oppdal Municipality.
The "King's Way" traveled up through the Gudbrandsdalen valley and left the Lågen river valley at Tofte Kongsgården (lit. 'King's Farm') shortly past the Dovre Church in Dovre Municipality (just south of present-day village of Dombås). This route went more directly over the Dovrefjell mountains into Oppdal Municipality.
The historically heavy stream of pilgrims which visited the shrine of St. Olaf in Trondheim annually prior to the Reformation resulted in the erection of mountain stations (Norwegian: fjellstue) where the pilgrims could find food and shelter. Stations were erected at Kongsvoll, Drivstuen, Fogstuen, and later at Hjerkinn.
In speaking of the route, Knut Gjerset quotes Peder Claussøn Friis as writing in the late 16th century, "But in the winter people of high estate, as well as members of the court, travel mostly this way, because however high and deep the snow may fall, it blows together on the high mountains and becomes so hard men and horses can walk on it. The bonder [farmers] run over it on skis and snow-shoes. There are three stations: Drivstuen, Herdekinn and Fogstuen built on this same mountain in order that travelers may find lodging there...at the stations there are implements and dry wood, so that the traveler may build themselves fire, and not suffer from cold, when they have to remain over night, and cannot find the way across the mountain."
There is clear evidence that this route had seen heavy use in the early Norwegian Iron Age. Oppdal on the route was located at a crossroads for traffic from Trondheim, traffic over the Dovrefjell mountain range, and the Sunndal on the west coast. At Oppdal there are over 700 Viking Age grave mounds indicating that Viking trade routes passed through these valleys.