Theme of the St. Olav Ways

The cultural route of St. Olav Ways

The theme of the St. Olav Ways is to promote the common European heritage represented through the legacy of St. Olav, as well as the legacy of the pilgrim traffic following his death and canonisation.

Since his canonisation in 1031, Saint Olav’s shrine in Nidaros Cathedral has been the most important pilgrimage site in the Nordic countries. The Norwegian Saint King retained his status as the most esteemed Nordic Saint throughout the Middle Ages.

Today, St. Olav Ways is a network of historical trails that feature beautiful nature, cultural landscapes, and historical sites. The trails lead to St. Olav’s burial place, Nidaros Cathedral, the northernmost pilgrimage destination for Christianity throughout the Middle Ages.

The cultural route consists of several smaller routes through Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, all connected and leading to Trondheim under the name St. Olav Ways. Our map provides an overview of the physical routes: Map of St. Olav Ways.

In addition to the physical paths, the cultural route of St Olav Ways also consists of places and organisations with a thematic connection to Olav’s heritage or pilgrim tradition.

History of St. Olav

Here, you can read all about the history of St. Olav – the viking king Olav Haraldsson: https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/articles/vikingkongen-og-helgenen-olav

In Nidaros, Trondheim, the pilgrimages to St. Olav’s shrine started right after his death at Stiklestad in 1030. It quickly became known that he was a holy man, and in 1031, he was declared a saint. The first witness about this is a poem by Torarin Lovtunge from 1031-35. He was the bard of King Olav’s enemy, the Danish king Knut. He encouraged the king to pray for St. Olav’s intercessions and described the holy king this way: “Thus Olav sinlessly saved his soul before his death.” Within a few years, the pilgrimage to St. Olav’s shrine was so firmly consolidated that it became known far out in Europe.

When the Lutheran Reformation reached Norway in 1537, pilgrimages were banned. Only in the 20th century did people start coming to Trondheim as pilgrims again. Especially after the 1970s and 1980s, more pilgrims appeared.