When
June - September
Written by
Matthew Tolley
Distance
798km
Days
5-13
High point
1193m
Difficulty
5.5/10
Unpaved
<10%
Total Ascent
8247m
Ferries
Tunnels
1
Saint Olav’s holy shrine in the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim has been an important pilgrimage site ever since the former Viking king was canonised in 1031 AD. There are several hiking routes stretching over 3000km around Scandinavia that all lead to this one cathedral.
People have walked these routes for centuries but why use foot when you can now cycle! The cycling alternative runs from the Swedish border, past Oslo, and then follows the beautiful Gudbrandsdalen valley, which spans 230 kilometers to Trondheim. Unfortunately, it misses out on some of the more remote hiking parts but does its best to follow the old road used in the Middle Ages. The ride will pass historical and cultural landmarks, and there are medieval farms offering accommodation and unique culinary experiences. If you have an eye for Scandinavian history and culture, this route won’t disappoint.
Norway’s pilgrim route is part of the much bigger eurovelo 3 route that stretches from northern Spain through mainland Europe and then follows Denmark and Sweden to the Norwegian border at Svinesund. The first part of the route is signposted from Svinesund to Lillehammer. You will find the first 500km reasonably flat as you follow Gudbrandsdals on quiet side roads or cycle paths.
One of the biggest advantages of this route is the close proximity to the railway that follows a similar path through the valley. It’s easy enough to jump on and bypass sections making the route more manageable for most cyclists. Accommodation and food are relatively easy as the route passes many towns and villages all the way from the border to Trondheim. The only exception is Dombås to Oppdal where there are no food shops for 80km.
Some of the highlights include cycling along Norway’s biggest lake, Mjøsa, visiting the Olympic town of Lillehammer, and climbing over Slådalsveien which gives you incredible views of Dovre National Park. The route is mainly paved but there are a few tough and rewarding gravel sections including Dombås to Hjerkinn which is part of the Tour de Dovre route.
From Hjerkinn to Oppdal, you have, unfortunately, the main E6 road which will not be comfortable for many cyclists. Instead, jump on the train at Hjerkinn (must book a bike in advance) and get off at Oppdal to skip this road.
Trondheim is a cool laid-back town and finishing at the very impressive thousand-year-old Nidaros Cathedral is the perfect end stop. Pay your respects to the Viking King whose footsteps you have just followed. Then go grab a burger and a beer at one of the trendy microbreweries or restaurants full of young and hip people!
We have given this a rating of 5.5/10. The first part of the route is reasonably comfortable on mainly quiet roads. After Lillehammer you start to gradually climb and there are some hilly gravel sections which are slightly challenging in places. However, the hardest part is Slådalsveien, a demanding 1100 meter gravel road over the mountains. After the summit its mostly downhill to Trondheim. If you prefer, you can skip the big climb with the help of the train network. We believe this route or parts of it should be manageable for most cyclists and there are no tunnels to be concerned about.
If you're looking for a really cool grave route, this 160km detour bypassing the E6 to Oppdale is fantastic to ride. It crosses a remote area over a wide open plateau. There are some single-file or dirt tracks in places and one shallow river crossing. I had a lot of fun cycling this.
In the middle of Lake Mjøsa is a small island called Helgøya. The island and connecting area is a cycling dream, with well-maintained gravel roads and fantastic views of Norway's largest lake. There are several farmhouse accommodations and great places to eat and visit. Read more about it here.
A great half-day gravel ride from Vinstra. Excellent to add as a small detour. https://cyclenorway.com/routes/peer-gynt-seterveg/
Ferries: There are none on this route
Mjøsa Cruise: The world’s oldest paddle steamer from 1888 cruises up and down Norway’s biggest lake from 20.6 – 13.8. A bike cost 100kr extra and on certain days you can travel from Hamar to Lillehammer skipping a section of the route while you enjoy a beer or glass of wine on a boat fit for Kings.
There are no tunnels to be concerned about. The route keeps away from the many long ones on the main road. You will cycle around many many or be on a side road away from the danger.
On the southern end of lake Mjøsa (Tangen–Minnesund), there is a lovely cycle path that includes a cycling tunnel with lights. It’s very cool to cycle through! You can see a photo if you scroll down on this page.
The dreaded E6: There is only one section but it’s one of the worst roads in Norway. You have no other option but to jump on the main E6 road between Hjerkinn to Oppdal. Twenty-five kilometers of unpleasant cycling. It’s not that busy on this section but expect cars to be traveling very fast and if you cause a hold up it might get very stressful. Pull over where you can to allow traffic to pass. A better option is to jump on the train and skip this section. You will need to book in advance for your bike.
Oslo, Hamar, Lillehammer, Trondheim: There will be plenty of traffic as you enter the city areas. Luckily most have cycle paths and you should find it safe to get into the cities on designated cycle lanes.
The southern part of this route is one of the warmest and driest parts of Norway. You should expect comfortable temperatures during the day and night. Once you get past Lillehammer the mountains appear and the valley gets deeper. It will start to get colder further toward Dombås and Dovre National Park. Weather changes quickly here, and I have been caught in many quick downpours followed by sunshine. You will notice when it might start to rain. Find cover and you may find 10 minutes later it’s fine again. Trondheim is considered a wetter-than-average region but every time I’ve visited it’s stayed dry!
Finnmark too has a certain mystique. Being about the same distance from Oslo as Istanbul, in some ways, it’s basically the last stop before the North Pole. The undoubted highlight of the journey is simply cycling the wild expanse of Europe’s last great wilderness. It will feel very lonely up here but isn’t that a reason to cycle it? The cycling heat maps of the world are full of well-ridden roads. Here you will join a small group of cyclists seeking something extraordinary. Passing wild herds of reindeer and perhaps not seeing another human for many hours is why you came – right? The ride comes to an end in the town of Kirkenes which has Russian road signs. This will indicate you have reached the boundaries of the Western world!
Finnmark too has a certain mystique. Being about the same distance from Oslo as Istanbul, in some ways, it’s basically the last stop before the North Pole. The undoubted highlight of the journey is simply cycling the wild expanse of Europe’s last great wilderness. It will feel very lonely up here but isn’t that a reason to cycle it? The cycling heat maps of the world are full of well-ridden roads. Here you will join a small group of cyclists seeking something extraordinary. Passing wild herds of reindeer and perhaps not seeing another human for many hours is why you came – right? The ride comes to an end in the town of Kirkenes which has Russian road signs. This will indicate you have reached the boundaries of the Western world!
All cycling routes published on CYCLENORWAY.com are simply a planning resource to be used as a point of inspiration in conjunction with your own due-diligence. All route guidelines were prepared under diligent research. However, we can never for certain insure the complete accuracy of the routes. Cycling in Norway is in general very safe. Nevertheless, should you choose to cycle this route you do so at your own risk.
Check out this helpful video to see how the routes can be uploaded onto your mobile device and cycling computer.
Cycling long distance is tough, and you should not attempt routes that are beyond your level.
If you discover any inaccuracies on this page, please let us know so we can correct them.
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