The St. Olavsleden is the world's northernmost pilgrimage route, stretching from Selånger/Sundsvall on the Bothnian Sea in the east to Trondheim in Norway on the Atlantic Ocean in the west. Here you follow in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims who traveled to Nidaros Cathedral, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Christian world alongside Jerusalem and Rome.
The trail is the Scandinavian equivalent of El Camino de Santiago de Compostela and offers a cycling experience filled with both natural and cultural history. You cycle through forests, over mountains, along lakes and through small communities where history is ever present.
The substrate consists of a mixture of asphalt, gravel roads and small forest pathswhich makes the trail best suited for hybrid, gravel or mountain bikes. The total length is around 580 km, but the route is divided into day stages, so you can choose to cycle a shorter section or the entire coast-to-coast route.
You can travel by train and bus to the start in Sundsvall. From the station, follow the St Olavsleden signs towards Selånger. Along the trail there are train stations in Sundsvall, Stöde, Torpshammar, Fränsta, Ljungaverk, Erikslund, Ånge (by bus to Borgsjö), Bräcke, Stavre, Gällö, Pilgrimstad, Brunflo, Östersund, Krokom (by bus to Nälden), Mörsil, Järpen, Undersåker, Åre and Duved. In Norway, stations close to the trail are in Stjørdal, Hell, Vikhammer and Trondheim. Trains from the north stop in Verdal.
Inlandsbanan runs between Kristinehamn and Gällivare and stops in Östersund. A beautiful and slightly slower alternative.
You can bring your bike on Inlandsbanan (pre-booking required) as well as on the regional train Norrtåg (max 4 bikes per carriage). On SJ trains, the bike must be folded and must not exceed the dimensions 140x85x30 cm or weigh more than 25 kg.
The hill up to Helleberg. Photo: Ulf Dahlberg
