Nordleden

Nordleden pilgrim trail leads from Grong to Stiklestad. The trail starts at Gløshaug kirke (Gløshaug church). This place was situated as an outermost point for the country roads heading north in the Middle Ages, because almost all communication between north and south took place along the coast. It was not until 1924 that a continuous inland road was established, linking the counties of Trøndelag and Nordland.

Nordleden runs through a diverse and beautiful landscape, both natural and man-made. The path is strongly connected to the heritage of St. Olav through churches and holy water sources. Perhaps the most prominent is the Megard church site in Snåsa, approximately 60 kilometers from the starting point of the path. There you'll aslo find an "Olavskilde", a holy spring. 

From Stiklestad it is possible to follow the St. Olavsleden pilgrim path on to Trondheim and Nidaros Cathedral.

The Nordleden trail has long stretches without accommodation and is only suited for hikers who prefer a tent and sleeping bag, and who can orient themselves using a map and compass. It's also recommended to bring a GPS, and you'll find a GPX track that you can download at the bottom of this page.

Anyone who walks Nordleden must be competent to make their own route choices and find their way. The trail has varying marking. Some new parts of the trail has pilgrim symbols and other signs to mark the trail, but there is also long sections without marking. There are also slightly different routes marked on the digital map than on physical maps, and some old trail parts that is no longer in use still have markings.

In some places, the unmarked Nordleden trail follows the highway (E6). Here, it might be a good idea to have a yellow rain cover on the backpack, and preferably a yellow vest for increased traffic safety. 

Mobile phone coverage is poor along several parts of Nordleden. Especially in parts of Imsdalen and Roktdalen. Charging opportunities for electronic devices are sparse.

The National Pilgrims Center will start a project to improve the situation on the Nordleden in the coming years.

The main season for pilgrimage in Norway is from 1st June to 1st September. Sometimes the snow can last for longer than 1st June in mountain areas. You should not cross if there is still snow, as the trail markings may be hidden, and you could encounter problems due to snow and meltwater.

Read up on safety on pilgrimages in Norway here.

You'll find a packing list for pilgrimage with tent here.