Ørland Coastal pilgrim place
Provided by:
Stiftelsen Nordmøre Museum
Welcome to the coastal pilgrim route, Ørland. Here you can experience the medieval church Ørland Church and Austråttborgen from the late Middle Ages. Ørland has a beautiful coastal culture with large protected areas for seabirds and wetlands. The pilgrimage route from Brekstad to Austrått is approx. 7 km, along the coast on beautiful hiking trails. You will find information posters in the area you travelling. If you come by speedboat from Trondheim or Kristiansund, you can rent a bike from Ørland Kultursenter and get a great bike ride in the Austrått landscape. From the speedboat dock to Ørland Church, it is 1.4 km. Here you can experience both the church and the stories of the archaeological excavations, that show that the area has been an important place since Viking times. In Brekstad, you will find several cafes where you can buy lunch or take a coffee break. In the summer, Borgstua is open at Austråttborgen. Have a good trip.
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Points of interest
#1
Tourists and Pilgrims – welcome to Ørland
The Coastal Pilgrim Path in Ørland starts next to the fast ferry terminal at Brekstad and goes to the key point of Austrått Manor. Along this route you will see one of Ørland’s bird reserves, the internationally protected Hovsfjæra Ramsar area. Feel free to take a walk down to the bird tower and experience the richness of the nature in this area. On the way to Austrått Manor the path runs through the Skjeggehaugan burial ground which is home to one of the most dramatic events from Olav Tryggavson’s Christianisation of Norway at the end of the 10th century. Austrått Manor is one of Norway’s few buildings from the renaissance and the most biblically ornate building in the country. The chapel in the Manor House contains a unique collection of saintly images from the Middle Ages. The mighty Ingjerd Ottesdatter, who Henrik Ibsen referred to as Mrs Inger of Austrått, resided here during the time of the reformation. If you follow the path west towards Austrått fort, you can visit the last remaining German triple tower from the Second World War. From Austrått Manor you can follow the hiking route all the way to Rusasetvatnet, a restored and recreated freshwater lake with rich bird life and from there you can follow a marked trail back to Brekstad. Feel free to also follow the route marked on the map to Ørland’s main church at Viklem. This is Fosen’s only standing stone church from the Middle Ages, and it is here that the Mighty Mrs Inger of Viklem is buried.
#2
Luther Rose, Wittenberg tree, Mrs Inger and the reformation
This Linden tree was planted here by the Mayor of Wittenberg in July 2016. In 2013 Ørland’s Mayor also planted a tree in the so-called Luther Garden in Wittenberg. These trees mark Ørland as a key place in the history of the Norwegian reformation. Around the tree is a flower bed in the shape of the so-called Luther Rose which was the symbol of the reformation. Why is it like this? Behind you are the old stone walls of Ørland Church, and the most famous owner of Austått Manor is buried in the church’s graveyard. Henrik Ibsen referred to her as Mrs Inger and that is how she became posthumously known, even though she herself referred to herself as Ingerd. Mrs Inger and her sons in law were the first prominent family during the time of the reformation in Norway to openly embrace the Lutheran doctrine. This made the family at Austrått enemies of the Archbishop of Norway Olav Engelbrektsson. The most devout of the sons in law was perhaps the sheriff of Fosen Nils Lykke, who prior to coming to Norway stayed in Wittenberg and met Luther in person. In 1533 he was publicly accused of allowing mass to be sung in Danish at his royal estate at Storfosna. He was executed at Olav Engelbrektsson’ castle in Steinvikholm in 1535. Austrått was Archbishop Olav’s last stop on Norwegian soil before he left the country in the Easter of 1537 never to return. As a final greeting to his old enemy Mrs Inger he allowed his men to plunder Austrått for a third time.
#3
Ørland Church
Ørland or Viklem church is Fosen’s last standing medieval stone church. It burnt down in 1766 and again in 1854, so none of the Church’s original fixtures are preserved, but there are detailed descriptions of the church before the fire. We don’t know when the church was built, but excavations along the walls in 1971 indicate that the nave was built in the 12th century. The chancel is so wide that it probably dates to the late Middle Ages. After the fire in 1854 the church was rebuilt in the style that it is in today using drawings by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch. Viklem was probably the main church for most of the Fosen coast from the advent of Christianity in the country well into the post-reformation era. Its strategic location at the entrance to the Trondheim fjord and the shipping lane was the perfect place for an early central church institution. The parish priest of Hitra, Johan Støren wrote about this in 1774, “There can be no doubt, that this place (Hitra), with most other parishes, have in the early Christian times belonged to Ørelandet, until later times where they became separate entities.” Åfjord and Jøssund became separate parishes from Ørland in 1588. In the 19th century the parishes of Nes, Stjørna, Bjugn and Agdenes also split off. The church that was erected here in the 12th century was therefore probably the centre of an enormous parish.
#4
The Interior of Ørland Church
Until the fire in 1766, the church chancel was decorated as a memorial gallery of the many notable owners of Austrått who were buried there. On one wall hung a commemorative board with large relief sculptures of landowner Åge Bjelke (died 1603) and his family kneeling beside a depiction of Jesus’ crucifixion. The board had on it a long memorial text, a coat of arms and symbols. Above this was another commemorative board depicting a painting of five women in foaming sea in a half sunken boat. This was a memorial to the overthrown Mrs Ingjerd Ottesdatter. Whom Henrik Ibsen called Mrs Inger of Austrått, and those of her family who perished in a shipwreck on Syltefjorden in Sunmøre in 1555. We know that the bodies were recovered from the wreck, because there is a tombstone in front of the altar, where before 1766, it was still possible to read the text: “and they stay on Sunmøre and they were found MDLV (1555)” The memorial to Mrs Inger and her family also confirms they were recovered and ends with a little satire about the god hungry women of Astrått: ‘And their bodies were found again and laid here, with their Fathers underground their souls in Heaven dwell, there by God we are found together and so you and we have something good. Amen’ The only commemorative plaque that can be found in the church today is in memory of the men from Ørlend who died during the Napoleonic war’s first battle for Denmark/Norway, namely the battle of Copenhagen Red in 1801. The original burnt in 1854, but it has been recreated based on descriptions of the original. In the church yard you can also find the graves of the famous tapestry weaver Hannah Ryggen and her husband Hans Ryggen.
#5
Archaeological history of Viklem
When Viklem became the central church for most of the Fosen coast it was already a very important place. The oldest part of the churchyard is round, and such a form can indicate that the church was built at a former pagan shrine. One of Norway’s largest burial grounds Viklemhaugen which is over 50 metres in diameter is still visible in the landscape next to the church. Until the early 20th century there was a large burial ground consisting of oval and smaller round mounds in the field east of the church and towards the nearby construction area. According to Gerhard Shønning the old name for the burial mound was ‘’ Tim or Tinghaugen” (Assembly mound) and the meadow below it was referred to as ‘the meeting place “Tingvollen”. Numerous archaeological excavations have been carried out around Ørland church in connection with the expansion of the cemetery. Numerous longhouse tufts have been found next to the vicarage, which show traces of a considerable farm that was on the site throughout the Iron Age. In 2014 when the graveyard was being further expanded the most sensational find was made. Under the remains of the Vicarage’s demolished outbuildings archaeologists from NTNU Science Museum found tufts of the only Guild Hall dating from the Viking and Middle Ages to be found north of Dovre.
#6
Viklem’s Guild Hall
A wealth of longhouses have been found across the whole of Nordic Norway including in Viklem. These are all divided into rooms with specific features, such as a barn, sleeping area, kitchen and a Guildhall. The special thing about the two halls that were found here at Viklem in 2014 was that both were free standing buildings with only one large room for official purposes. The first was erected at the end of the 9th century and stood here until around 1020 when it burnt down, and a new and larger hall was built. This was maintained on site until the 15th century. Post holes clearly show that there was a very tall building here because the foundations were far deeper than those commonly built to withstand considerable weight. The stone church, burial mound and the hall must have all been visible together for over 300 years. Could Viklem have been the seat of government for Fosen as well as the central seat of the church until the 15th century? Is this what the names ‘Tinghaugen’ , ‘Tingvollen’ and the remains of the hall tell us? Future investigations may give us the answer.
#7
Hovsfjæra
Welcome to Hovsfjæra. Welcome to a world heritage site. This is one of Ørlands so called four RAMSAR areas. These are bird scanctuaries that are protected under the international treaty for the conservation of wetlands. This natural area is richest for birdlife during the spring and autumn migrations, but you can discover a rich diversity of species here year round. One of the world’s most endangered and at the same time richest habitats are wetlands. In fact, there is no other type of natural habitat where so much life can be found in such a small area. The richest type of wetland is the one that you see before you, namely long shallow mud flats where the farmland meets the fjord, sea, lake, or river. It can be taken as a rule of thumb that our most important food producing areas usually border important grazing, moulting, and breeding grounds for migratory birds. People and animals are attracted by the same rich nutrients. Nearly all the world’s most important wetland areas are under pressure from, development, draining, changes in agriculture and other interventions. Therefore, if we are to save the world’s species diversity from destruction, all remaining wetlands must be preserved, and natural biotopes restored. In 2021 the UN declared the start of a decade of salvage and repair of destroyed eco systems. This is a part of their vital work to save creation from climate and environmental collapse.
#8
Austrått Fort
Austrått Fort is a former German fortress with a giant five story canon tower. This construction had an important strategic position at the entrance to the Trondheim Fjord. Today, the facility is a museum. A guided tour of just under an hour, will take you underground, where you can discover ammunition stores, engine rooms, and barracks built to house several hundred soldiers, just as the Germans left them in 1945. The German triple-turret canon from the German battleship Gneisenau is trained down the mountain. The canon is a national fortification and was erected by the occupiers between 1942 and 1944. Around 70 Yugoslav prisoners of war died during the construction of the fort. And just as many died fleeing Austrått prison camp. Today, this is the only remaining triple turret of its kind in the world. Austrått fort consists of close quarter defences, generators, emergency generators, water cooling room, boiler room, barracks, a mess, toilets, ammunitions stores, corridors, and other storage rooms. At the entrance there is a shooting hole with a steel hatch. The canon and its platform are in good condition, all the machine parts are preserved and are in theory functional, but they were welded in connection with decommissioning early in the 1990s.
#9
Skjegghaugan – a drama
You are now standing in a landscape for the dead. On the pastures between Austråttlunden and the road, as well as amongst the boulders around you are burial mounds dating from Pre-Christian times. We only know the name of one person who was buried here. The whole burial area is named after the powerful farmer Skjegge Asbjørnsson, known as ‘Iron beard from Opphaug’. After Earl Håkon’s death, Skjegge is said to have emerged as a leader for the ‘great men of Trønderlag’ who opposed Olav Tryggvason’s Christianisation of Norway. Iron beard we killed by the King’s men during a sacrifice at the temple at Mære around the year 1000. Snorre writes about the importance of this event: «...after the fall of Skjegge there was no leader within the peasants’ army to take on King Olav…and thereafter all the people in Trøndelag were baptised» After that King Olav is said to have tried to make the peace with Skjegge’s relations by marrying his daughter Gudrun. But on the wedding night Gudrun tried to stab the King to avenge her father’s death and after that she was sent away. According to the Sagas, Skjegge’s body was buried at Austrått. No one knows which one of the dips in the landscape holds the Chieftain. But maybe, the future will provide answers as to where one of Norway’s last Pagan burials took place.
#10
Austrått Manor – A key point on the Coastal Pilgrim Path
Austrått Manor has been a landmark at the mouth of the Trondheim Fjord for 1000 years. The farm is first mentioned about 1020 as the seat of the King’s lieutenant. From the Middle Ages it was owned by some of the country’s foremost noble families. The first church was probably constructed here in the 11th century. The tower at the East end of the main wing is from a 13th century stone church that was built as a symbol of power facing the strait of Trondheimsleia. In the Middle Ages women could also wield the power. Mrs Ingjerd Ottesdatter, or Mrs Inger of Østeraad as she was referred to by Henrik Ibsen, ran the farm and its enormous estate after she was widowed in the 1520s. She was also the only women in the country who served as a King’s governor or Lord in several provinces. Mrs Ingjerd and her sons in law were the first family of significance in Norway to embrace Lutheran doctrines. Their motives for the change of faith are disputed, but more than half of the sources relating to Lutheranism before the reformation relate to this family. Chancellor Ove Bjelke gave the main building the characteristics that it has today in the middle of the 17th century. He was Mrs Ingjerds great great grandson. According to the tastes of the time, Bjelke adorned his building with two of the 17th century’s most influential sources: the bible and antiquity. The chapel houses one of the country’s largest collections of medieval holy wood carvings. Welcome to Austrått!
#11
The pyramid at Austrått
You are now looking at what is probably Europe’s first known park pyramid, and the centre of Norway’s first Baroque landscaped park. The Pyramid was constructed here in 1665 as a memorial to Austrått’s then owner Ove Bjelke’s Father - Jens. According to tradition it marks Jens Bjelke’s birthplace which was the old Manor house at Austrått. This was apparently torn down in 1650 by Ove Bjelke when he started work on erecting the main building. In comparison to many of the inscriptions on the main building, which are in Greek and Latin, the memorial text on the pyramid honouring Jens Bjelke is written in both Latin and Danish. Therefore, accessible to a wider audience than just those who were let in behind the gates of the Manor. From 2017 – 2019 the Cultural Enterprise at Ørland and NTNU science museum conducted geophysical surveys at Austrått and found many building tracks around the pyramid. Right before the information board you can see what looks like the remains of a typical medieval stone house. This, together with the other construction lines in the ground can give us an insight into the probably complex and self-built Manor from pre-1650. If there is no wind you can try going up to the pyramid and calling out the text written there towards the main building. Strangely, the echo here is so strong that the main building repeats your words in full. According to garden historians, this may have been planned to surprise the public.
#12
Welcome to Rusasetvatnet!
You are now entering one of Norway’s largest restored wetlands. There was originally a small lake here that was dammed in the 17th century for use as a reservoir for the mill house at Austrått Manor. Waterworks were built here during the Second World War and this was Ørland’s source of drinking water until 1983. After that the lake was drained for agricultural reasons amidst strong protests from the nature conservation authorities. For the thousands of wading birds who graze in the saltwater flats around Ørland, Rusasetvatnet was a very important source of fresh water. Here they were able to wash the saltwater and mud off themselves, and the area was also a breeding area for several different bird species. After the draining the birds have had to look for similar biotopes across the fjord in Agdenes municipality. Between 2014 to 2017 the lake was restored by the Ørland Cultural Centre with a south bank adapted for public use. Whilst the North bank is reserved for wildlife. The islands in the Northern part of the lake have been built as breeding zones for the bird life. If we are to save our ecosystem from collapse, then projects such as this must not be unique. Every village in Norway has destroyed natural biotopes that can be repaired to provide life support to the diversity of our endangered species. Be inspired by Rusavatnet and do the same in your own municipality!