The Pilgrims’ Route from Eidsvoll to Lillehammer
From Sunde; the administrative center of Eidsvoll you follow the signed route on the west cycle up a few kilometres uphill before turning left following rv. 177 east of Vorma river and through farmland. At Minnesund, follow the signposted cycle route by Lake Mjøsa to Tangen.
From Tangen the tour will mainly be on gravel and paved roads through forest. When coming out of the few hills in the woods, you reach the rolling countryside of Stange and the coastline of Lake Mjøsa.
The tour can start from Eidsvoll railway station, situated by river Vorma and close to Skibladner's southernmost port of call. From the west side of river Vorma, the sign posted route starts with a climb up to Hammerstad and further on paved rural roads towards Minnesund. After crossing the bridge over river Vorma, you´ll soon enter the disused railway line now a cycleway along the banks of Lake Mjøsa. After 22 kilometres, you see the former Morskogen station, where Hamar&Hedemarken Trekking Association has opened a non-service cabin. You need a special key to lock the house, which must be booked in advance from HHT's office: www.hht.no – tel. +47 625 22 848. The site is also nice as a picnic area.
Continue on tarmac road to Tangen village. Worth a visit is Tangen church, which is summer open.
Soon you are heading into the forest on gravel road. When the landscape opens up, you can enjoy the view of Lake Mjøsa and cycle through the scenic countryside of Stange Vestbygd. In the cultural landscape you can find old grave hills and idyllic country roads. Stange Churchis one of the oldest medieval churches in Norway, first mentioned in sagas from 1225. The curch is summer open.
Here on the western slopes towards Lake Mjøsa is where you find the big farms. Huseby Farm is described as a royal residence in the Old Norse Kings’ Sagas. Ringnes Farm is mentioned in the Saga of St Olav. Some of the farms along the route sell local produce in season, and a stop at some of the farm cafés is highly recommended.
Atlungstad Brenneri is worth a short detour. This historic distillery produces 25,000 litres of potato-based spirit, made into the flavoured Norwegian national spirit of aquavit. During summer season you can take a guided tour or enjoy local specialities in the summer café.
Stange Vestbygd is not far from Hamar city center. At Stange Bridge there is a fine view towards the Åkersvika nature reserve and the Hamar Olympic Hall known as the Viking Ship. The trail follows the beach promenade through Hamar city center, past the pier of the pilgrim’s boat Skibladner and further on to Pilgrim Center Hamar. The center is located at what once was the medieval town Hamarkaupangen, one of the 5 most important towns in Norway for about 400 years. The ruins of Hamar´s old cathedral lies at the edge of the Domkirkeodden headland. At Domkirkeodden you can experience the medieval Hamar, an open air museum, exhibitions, the ruins of the Cathedral and an organic herb garden, inspired by the Herb Garden of St. Olav monastery.
Distance Eidsvoll – Hamar: 68 kilometers.
The trail continues past the Norwegian Railway Museum to Lake Mjøsa and idyllic picnic and swimming spots. After a few kilometres make a left crossing unsecured railway tracks and continue uphill. At the top of the hillside stop for a moment and admire the view overlooking the lake before continuing through the woodland to Brumunddal city centre. Follow the route on the pedestrian street through the centre, on a walking and cycling path and then on a busier road before crossing route E6 and follow the route further north towards Ringsaker Church.
You can make a detour to the right towards Rudshøgda and follow a sign posted pilgrim path called Prestvegen (the priest's road) to Ringsaker Church. Located along the road is the Prøysen Museum, set up in memory of Alf Prøysen. This son of a cotter became one of the most popular and cherished writers and musicians in the post-war period, famous among other things for his depictions of life among poor tenant farmers. The cotters' farm has been restored to how it originally looked.
Ringsaker Church is a stone basilica, most likely built in the middle of the 1100s and became devoted to Saint Olav. The church is open weekdays during summer season.
Continue north on gravel roads towards Moelv. You will pass the Mjøskastellet citadel, said to have been built by King Håkon Håkonsson in 1234, and it was strategically located here at the point where Lake Mjøsa is narrowest.
Soon you will reach Moelv, which originated as a village with mills and sawmills. Moelv also houses Norway's oldest distillery; Strand Brænderi, founded in 1843. Seven burial ruins from the
Iron Age and one of several cultural monuments in Moelv, are located at the estate of the distillery. On Smestadsletta north of Moelv lies the Tolvsteinringen (the Twelve Stone Ring) consisting of 12 boulders placed in a circle with a cross-section of 25 meters.
From Moelv to Lillehammer the first part is on asphalt on Rv. 213 before you turn left towards Lake Mjøsa following a gravel road into the woodland. After a few kilometers you will see the St Olav's spring, which is a source of constantly open and running water, that was one of the holy springs that people went to in the Middle Ages to be cured of various illnesses. At the end of the road and after a short climb you reach Rv 213 and the last 6 kilometers to Lillehammer will be on asphalt.
Distance Hamar - Lillehammer: 64 kilometers.
Experiences along this route
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60.300859Cultural Heritage
The Eidsvoll Manor
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60.3299570253Cultural Heritage
The pilgrim boat Skibladner – port at Eidsvoll
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60.3285198532Supplies
The city of Eidsvoll
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60.6155356Transport
Tangen stasjon
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60.617931666865Church
Tangen Church
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60.6139315Accommodation
Tangenodden Camping
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60.6176684708Supplies
Spar Tangen
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60.621681580441Cultural Heritage
Fredheim - cultural center of Ingeborg Refling Hagen
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60.63029892302Accommodation
Husmannsplassen Skomakerbakken
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60.66389176979Accommodation
Gørdammen
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60.6876997869Cultural Heritage
Store Re
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60.6916074189Cultural Heritage
Lille Re
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60.67956786981Cultural Heritage
The Rå-farms
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60.7101614973Church
Stange church
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60.714333699671Restaurants or cafés
Fredheim´s farmshop
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60.6924267009Cultural Heritage
Såstad
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60.711810284084Cultural Heritage
Gillundstranda
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60.732394899423Restaurants or cafés
Søndre Elton Gård
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60.737937562271Cultural Heritage
Ringnes farm - and St. Olav
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60.7378637Accommodation
Herkestad farm
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60.7375585Accommodation
Husmannsplassen Møyrud (Cotter´s farm)
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60.720689646721Cultural Heritage
Huseby farm
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60.7594339901Cultural Heritage
Atlungstad Distillery
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60.7621526Accommodation
Fjetre farm
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60.759172080413Cultural Heritage
Pilgrimsboat Skibladner - port at Atlungstad
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60.784564891662
Information board about the Pilgrim way
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60.789147976
Åkersvika Nature Reserve
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60.7931659732Cultural Heritage
Hamar Olympiahall - the Viking Ship Arena
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60.795110371586Accommodation
Hamar Hostel Vikingskipet
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60.7916108736Supplies
Narvesen Hamar Jernbanestasjon
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60.7945331
Hamar city center
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60.794418824982Restaurants or cafés
Lokal - Bazar - Hamar
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60.792920661Cultural Heritage
Pilgrim boat Skibladner – port at Hamar
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60.795246428223
Hamar Cultur Center
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60.7932622Accommodation
Clarion Collection Hotel Astoria
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60.795243Restaurants or cafés
Kai og Mattis Café
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60.793813120601Restaurants or cafés
Heim Gastropub
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60.795433517644Church
St.Torfinn Catholic Church
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60.7966724496Church
Hamar Cathedral
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60.792930457629
Koigen
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60.7889175938Cultural Heritage
Tjuvholmen
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60.7939991194Church
Korskirken/hospital church - church ruins
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60.792966061977Pilegrim Center
Pilgrim Center Hamar - visitor and information center
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60.7985554371Supplies
Maxi Hamar
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60.792351184Restaurants or cafés
Victoriahaven Restaurant
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60.819466304364Accommodation
Hedmarktoppen Camping and Cabin Rental
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60.7927062541Cultural Heritage
The carillon in Mjøsa
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60.795899794595
Kirsten Flagstad Museum
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60.7985837Accommodation
Seiersted Pensjonat
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60.792810961122Cultural Heritage
Flood stone at Lake Mjøsa
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60.7924968391Cultural Heritage
Artist bench by the pine
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60.792681234308Accommodation
The pilgrim hostel at the Pilgrim Center of Hamar
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60.792050911805Church
Hamardomen
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60.792779680069Cultural Heritage
Domkirkeodden
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60.7989206761Cultural Heritage
Martodden
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60.799393422Restaurants or cafés
Restaurant carriage «Kari-Sofie»
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60.8002338149Cultural Heritage
Norwegian Railway Museum
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60.610087128Cultural Heritage
Korsødegården
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60.8350473Accommodation
Atelier Lefstorvet
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60.8410404475Church
Furnes church
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60.8489595853Cultural Heritage
Sunken road at Jevanol
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60.869675Accommodation
Kongsvegen Pilegrimsherberge
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60.8780984Accommodation
Pax Guesthouse
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60.87667386714Accommodation
Wood hotel - Frich's hotel and eatery Brumunddal
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60.8809476
Brumunddal village
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60.876899440447Cultural Heritage
Pilgrimsboat Skibladner - port at Brumunddal
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60.8850108Restaurants or cafés
Matfatet in Brumunddal
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60.8853036Restaurants or cafés
Brumunddal Sushi Tuan Dat Le
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60.918763564233Accommodation
Konfirmantsalen Pilgrim Hostel
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60.8795258Accommodation
Topcamp Mjøsa - Brumunddal
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60.871124Accommodation
Kvarstad guest farm
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60.898012749103Accommodation
Homestead Hesthagen
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60.912317266469Accommodation
Frich`s motel and diner Rudshøgda
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60.914456078579Cultural Heritage
Prestvegen
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60.9123174852Cultural Heritage
Prøysenhuset museum
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60.9127171914Cultural Heritage
Prøysenstua
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60.898690056202Restaurants or cafés
Café Fru-G
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60.902780980843Church
Ringsaker Church
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60.9072266491
Stein Naturreservat
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60.9064271905Cultural Heritage
Mjøskastellet
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60.9158586423Accommodation
Steinvik Camping and Cabins
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60.9299461Supplies
Moelv
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60.9243610407Cultural Heritage
The pilgrimage boat Skibladner - port Moelv
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60.944680897Cultural Heritage
Tolvsteinringen
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60.9525482Accommodation
Hostel at Vea - Norway’s State school for gardeners and horticulturists
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60.9582678Accommodation
Ringli
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60.8998924279Cultural Heritage
Bauta stone at Mariendal
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61.024519692067Accommodation
Brøttum Camping
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61.039485Accommodation
Johannesgården in Brøttum
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61.0535293255Cultural Heritage
St.Olav Spring
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61.0282620927Church
Brøttum Church
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61.029604833598Supplies
Joker Brøttum
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60.995825112532
Kløvstadhøgda - protected natural area
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61.114723
Lillehammer
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61.1075172486Cultural Heritage
Pilgrim boat Skibladner – port at Lillehammer
Gudbrandsdalsleden