Pilgrim passport and the Olav Letter

The tradition of pilgrim passports dates back to the Middle Ages. The passport was originally used to document that you were a true pilgrim when you came to a new place as a stranger. Today, pilgrims carry on the tradition as a way to document the trip. Each stamp becomes a unique memory, and the passport itself becomes the "memory book" from the walk. Many pilgrims hang it on the wall when they return home.

Pilgrims can recieve stamps at the pilgrim hostels, the regional pilgrimage centers, in some churches, as well as some museums or other stops along the way. At accommodations that does not have a stamp, you can ask the host to give you a simple endorsement in the passport.

The Olav Letter is a confirmation that you have walked the last stage, minimum 100 kilometers, of any of the St. Olav Ways into Trondheim, or biked the last 200 kilometers. You need to present your pilgrim passport in person with stamps as documentation, in order to recieve the Olav Letter. The only place the Olav Letter is issued is the Nidaros Pilgrim Center (Norwegian: Nidaros Pilegrimsgård), which is located close to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

Recommended walks that qualify for the Olav Letter are Berkåk to Trondheim on Gudbrandsdalsleden, Stiklestad to Trondheim on St. Olavsleden, or Tynset to Trondheim on Østerdalsleden.

If you want to qualify for the Olav Letter by bicycle we recommend that you take the trip from Åre, Sweden to Trondheim on St. Olavsleden.

Along Kystpilegrimsleia, our coastal route, the qualification rules are a bit different: A pilgrim who has traveled along the coast and collected at least 6 stamps from the various official key places (26 in total) along the route, as well as a recent stamp from the Nidaros Cathedral, is entitled to the Olav letter. The coastal pilgrimage route is not a continuous marked hike, so you must combine boat, bus and bicycle to get to a new key location. Read more about the route and the keyplaces on the main page of the route.

We encourage and hope that all pilgrims visit the pilgrim reception on arrival at Nidaros Cathedral. In the pilgrim reception at Nidaros pilgrim centre (located only 2 minutes from the cathedral), the Olav Letter is handed out, the pilgrim passport is finalized, the completed pilgrimage is registered in the statistics and the "Pilgrimage town of Trondheim's gold coin" is given.

The pilgrim reception is primarily staffed by volunteer pilgrim hosts who are passionate about the St. Olav Ways. They take good care of all pilgrims who visit the pilgrim reception at Nidaros Pilgrimsgård. They always offer coffee, a piece of chocolate and a chat.

For groups of more than 6 people, it is desirable that they fill in the group registration form that is attached here, and send it by email to trondheim@pilegrimssenter.no, in advance of arrival. This way, the volunteers in the pilgrim reception can prepare any Olav Letters and statistical work so that the visit to the reception will be easier for both the group and the hosts.

There is also a very nice pilgrim diploma, for pilgrims who do not qualify for the Olav letter.

You find more information about the pilgrim reception centre here: Nidaros pilgrim centre, pilgrim reception