Luca Bruschi, director of the European Association of the Via Francigena ways, is an expert pilgrim who sets off on foot as soon as he has time. He recently walked the last 170km of the St. Olav’s Way in Norway spending a week along the beautiful Nordic route. rurAllure partners also experienced few stages of the itinerary during the latest General Meeting of the project. 

Inaugurated at the end of 90s, the St Olav way received the label of the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in 2010 just like the Via Francigena, Camino de Santiago and Via Romea Germanica, all participating in the rurAllure project.   

In a short interview we asked Luca a few questions to learn how best organize a walk along the Saint Olav.  

What legs of the route did you cover? 

I arrived in Trondheim at the end of June and, before starting the journey, I picked my credential, the pilgrim’s passport which has a great symbolic value in every pilgrimage in the Nidaros Pilgrims’ Center.  

I started the journey in Oppdal, easily reachable by train from Trondheim, and covered the last 170 km, with stages 21 – 28 km with many uphill and downhill slopes and quite long distances.  

What are the things that impressed you the most? 

The first impact we had was the climate: on the first day it was rainy, windy, cold, sunny, and hot all concentrated in a few hours! Nature in all its beauty to be the protagonist of the journey from the first km. Stretches of plains and rolling hills alternate with lakes, pleasing your eyes, while numerous steep climbs and marshy places test your endurance. What is also striking are the perfumes that constantly accompany the steps of the travellers. We meet a few pilgrims on foot, while many overtook us on bicycles. However, you are never alone: you are in the company of birds, sheep, horses, cows at many points along the way. There is certainly no shortage of animals! 

How was the accommodation during the journey? 

I will never forget the welcome and warmth of the hosts. Along the way, a pilgrim might sleep in very different accommodations: from the regional pilgrim centres, (there are 12 along the main route), to farms managed by private families, religious structures, hotels and B&Bs. Prices vary a lot, on average from 15 euros for spartan structures to 35 euros for those with more services. It is often possible to take a complete package with breakfast, dinner and packed lunch for the following day at a price ranging from 50 to 90 euros per day. However, you can often cook independently in many receptions. Also, you can camp in the middle of nature, pitching your tent wherever you want. Along the way there are also numerous Gapahuker (open shelters and sheds) where you can stop to eat, rest and sleep. 

We started with the Langklopp farm which also has a horse school and stables, and on the second day we stayed at the Meslo farm, welcomed by Inger, who cooked us a fantastic dinner based on her farm produce. The third night we arrived at Å (like the first letter of the alphabet, but with a dot on top) and slept in a a traditional 18th century smoke house, built all in wood with a warm fireplace. We continued then to Lokken Vert, a town with a mining town where there is a small hotel that hosts pilgrims. Then it was Skaun‘s turn, in the parish seat next to the beautiful, well-preserved Protestant church. On the 6th day we were welcomed in Sundet, reachable on a small boat across the Gaula river with John Wanvik carrying pilgrims from one bank to another.  

In Trondheim, on the other hand, hospitality has a particular flavor: here is the beautiful Pilgrim Center | Nidaros pilegrimsgård where Ingeborg Collin, director of the center, welcomed us giving the pilgrimage certificates. 

What difficulty does the route present? 

It is a path studded with natural beauties, forests, authentic landscapes, sometimes wild and uncontaminated. But be careful, commitment and effort are also needed since several stretches require a minimum of experience and training. A variable to manage well is the climate, for which you need to be prepared for rain, wind, cold, sun and heat. The suggestion is to have good technical equipment. The ideal time to travel it is June, July and August, where, among other things, you can enjoy an explosion of light that envelops travellers practically 24h/7. 
 
For more info: Association for the Route of St. Olav Way (ACSOW)