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Pilegrimage route from Valldal

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Fjord kommune

Valldalsleia is a pilgrimage route that follows in the footsteps of St. Olav. For Olav, it was an escape route, but for today's hikers, it is an experiential path. When St. Olav fled the country in the winter of 1028-1029, he beached his ships in Valldal and from there he walked over the mountain to Lesja and Dovre. From Dovre, one can join the Gudbrandsdalsleden, which leads to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. For more information, please visit https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/trails/valldalsleden.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

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Points of interest

#1

Sylteormen

High up on the vertical rock face in Syltefjellet, you can see a bright spiral or worm-like drawing. This is a rather special natural phenomenon and has always been noticed, almost becoming a landmark of Valldal. In several legends, explanations have been made about the white Worm in Syltefjellet. When Saint Olav arrived with his ships in Valldal in 1029, a large sea serpent approached the king's ship and tried to prevent them from reaching land. It is said that King Olav climbed up to the bow of the ship, grabbed the serpent, and after a hard struggle, he defeated it and threw it with his oar so hard against the mountain wall that the mark is still visible today. This is actually a quartz vein formed by volcanic activity about 500 million years ago.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#2

Start pilgrimage trail

Here starts Valldalsleia, a pilgrimage trail that follows in the footsteps of King Olav Haraldsson, later known as Saint Olav. King Olav Haraldsson ruled Norway from 1015, but had to fight to maintain his kingdom. After the murder of Earl Erling Skjalgsson, the situation became critical. Erling's sons gathered a large fleet and at Christmas time in 1028, Olav had to flee north along the west coast. In Trøndelag, Earl Håkon also gathered a large force and sailed south. It was in this struggle between two powerful fleets that King Olav came to Sunnmøre and fled with his ships and men into Storfjorden. King Olav and his men landed in Valldal and fled up the valley, over the mountain to Lesja, and towards Sweden and Russia. Valldal pilgrimage trail goes from Valldal to Dovre, and from there you can follow the Gudbrandsdal pilgrimage trail to Trondheim and Nidaros Cathedral. Valldal pilgrimage trail is divided into 9 day stages. For planning your trip, you can read more in the "Guidebook for Valldalsleia" or visit the website https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/trails/valldalsleden

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#3

Frescopaintings at Sylte Hotell

You are now standing at Sylte hotell. The hotel was established in 1870 and had many English salmon lords as guests. In 1936, King Haakon VII also had lunch here in connection with the opening of the road over Trollstigen. A real gem in this building is the frescoes in the hall, which depict King Olav's journey through Valldal in 1029. Fresco painting is a technique where wall paintings are made on newly plastered, still damp walls. The artist Johannes Smogeli came in the summer of 1935, worked through the autumn, and was finished by Christmas 1936. He was a productive artist with education from the State Craft and Art Industry School in Oslo.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#4

Sylte church

According to legend, Sylte was once a church site, chosen for its easy accessibility by boat along the coast and fjords. In 1679, a massive avalanche hit the area, causing the river Valldøla to dam up and flood the village of Sylte, which was destroyed. The old church and graveyard were washed away by the sea during the flood, and any traces of them have since disappeared. The medieval cross that Saint Olav is said to have erected near the fjord has also been lost to time. In 1851, a new law was passed in Norway that required churches to accommodate three-quarters of the congregation, leading to the construction of over 600 new churches in the latter half of the 19th century. Sylte Church is one of these new churches, built in 1863 as a wooden long church that faces east to west. The architect of the church is unclear, but the builder was Gjert Lien from Nordfjord, and the timber used for construction was harvested from Selboskar in Fjørå. The altar in the church is a large stone slab from the old Døving chapel, which dates back to Catholic times. The altar painting depicts Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his arrest, while the church bell was cast by John Warnes & Sons in London in 1866. The church was restored in 2000.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#5

Korsbrekka

Langbrekka, as this place was called back then, was the first stop for King Olav's entourage. Here stands the most important historical monument of Saint Olav in Valldal. The king walked up the steep hill on foot together with 400 soldiers and horses carrying weapons, food, and equipment. The local farmers helped out, led by the chieftain Bruse. At that time, there was no forest at Langbrekka, and the king turned around and looked towards the fjord and the landing site below. According to Snorri's sagas of the kings, the king sat down here to rest. Two crosses were erected right where the king sat, and the place was called Korsbrekka from that time on. In ancient times, this was a gathering place for the people of Valldal and was often used as a meeting place even before Saint Olav had crosses erected here. There are also two burial mounds from pagan times here. The tradition of the cross at Korsbrekka has been maintained for almost a thousand years. In 1839, there were hardly any remains of the cross. The people of Valldal decided to erect the cross again, this time in the form of a stone monument with an iron cross on top.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#6

Monastery hiking trail over the Sylte mountain

Here from Hogsta, you can hike the Klosterstien trail over Syltefjellet to Ytterli, then descend to Vika and through the tunnel back to Valldal center. The trail ascends steeply in switchbacks, on the left side of a power line and southward just inside the edge of the cliff. There is a safe distance between the trail and the cliff, but younger children should not walk alone. Along the trail, you have a great view of the town center. The trail passes through Storura before winding up through a pass. From here, there is a small detour to "The Monastery Plot," where the nuns at Ruset farm are working to realize their plans for building a monastery. At the top of the pass, there is a short detour to "Kamben," which is a great viewpoint where you can see all of Valldal center, Norddalsfjorden, and inwards to the world heritage fjord Tafjorden. From Ytterli, follow the road a short distance to a marked trail down to Vika or Rusetbugen, and back to Valldal center through the tunnel. The hike takes 2-3 hours and ascends up to 380 meters above sea level.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#7

Døving Chapel memorial monument

This monument was erected on St. Olav's Day in 2007, at the site where Døving Chapel stood. Døving Chapel was built in Catholic times in the Middle Ages and stood here for about 500 years. This was probably the first church in the old Norddal municipality and 10 farmers were responsible for its maintenance. It is not unlikely that this church was built precisely in connection with King Olav's journey past here in 1029. Perhaps he made a brief stop here? Often churches were built in places where the king visited. In 1812, this chapel was taken down and moved to Sylte, where it stood until the current church was built in 1863.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Norsk bokmål

#8

Strawberry farming

Valldal is known for its sweet, delicious strawberries. Many of the farms in Valldal make a living by cultivating these well-known berries. Strawberries came to Valldal early in the 1900s. The natural conditions with climate and soil make the conditions for strawberry production particularly favorable here. Because of the long spring in the area, the berries have plenty of time to develop the famous taste and aroma that characterize Valldal berries. The farmers in Valldal have, through generations, gained knowledge and experience in growing strawberries of great size, and which become extra sweet and juicy. Most of the berries are delivered to the producer-owned company Valldal Grønt, which then takes care of reception, quality work, refrigeration, freezing, sales, and distribution. In addition to strawberries, large quantities of raspberries are also produced. Several local companies further process the good raw materials into juice, preserves, and freeze-dried products that you can buy all year round.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#9

The Olavs spring in Alstad

Olav's Spring here in Alstad is a small stream that originates at the foot of Alstad Mountain. According to Snorre, King Olav stayed here for two nights when he was fleeing through Valldal with his men in 1029. Snorre writes that the king washed himself in this spring. It is said that the king blessed the water, and the spring became known for its healing power. According to Snorre, if sick livestock drank from the spring, they became healthy. In local tradition, this became a holy spring and a health water for both people and animals. The water in Olav's Spring is said to be somewhat alkaline, and therefore have a certain bactericidal effect.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#10

The Olavscave in Alstad

According to tradition, King Olav spent two nights in the stone cave at Alstad, which was named Olavshelleren (Olavscave). The cave has large stone slabs for flooring and is dry and comfortable. He had to stay here because it took time to clear a path through Skjervsura. Skjervsura is actually a giant rockslide, several thousand years old. The rockslide became a real obstacle for Olav and his men. Initially, the soldiers and farmers had to give up clearing the path. In the evening, they went to sleep, exhausted and discouraged. While the soldiers slept, King Olav stayed awake all night and prayed. At daybreak, he ordered the men to go up to the rockslide and continue clearing it. But by noon, they had not made much progress. Then the king took off his coat and said they should all follow him and try again. And now, 20 men moved as far as they wanted the stones that a hundred men before them had failed to budge from the spot! The path was cleared, making it possible for both people and packhorses to pass through. After this, the trail through the rockslide was called Olavstien (Olav's path).

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

Pilegrimage route from Valldal

Points of interest