St. Hallvard Pilgrim Walk 2026
Join us for this year’s St. Hallvard Pilgrim Walks over the long weekend May 14-16! This year’s hike is based on the theme of the National Anniversary in 2026: “Family and Society.”
The website for Norway 1000 Years states the following for the National Anniversary in 2026:
“Drawing on history, this year’s theme is Family and Society. This raises many questions relevant to the past, present, and future. Which structures have the greatest significance for our lives? What role does the family play as a force shaping society?"
During the walk we will take a closer look at family and society in the past and present. How are we connected to one another in the present, past, and future? Along the road, we will receive insights that can shed light on the theme.
You can choose whether to join for one or more days. The individual days have slightly different focuses but still form a cohesive whole.
Thursday, May 14 (12 km)
We walk from the burial mounds at Egge in Lier to St. Hallvard’s Huseby. We will meet at Lier train station, where a free bus will take us to the starting point of our walk.
We are proud and delighted to have created a brand-new hiking trail down to Huseby. In collaboration with the Cultural Office of Lier Municipality, Frogner Church, and the Lier Historical Society, we have developed a historical trail. Mayor Kjetil Kivle will be participating.
We’ll take a bus from Lier Station up to Egge and walk back. Archaeologist Lotte Carrasco will provide information about the burial mounds at Egge and the medieval church site. We’ll pass the Bergfløt Treatment Center and walk past the large burial mound at Eik and down to Frogner Church. From there, we follow the main pilgrim trail to Huseby.
The landscape and history invite us to look up. What resources were required to build this burial mounds? What kind of people and society built these monuments? What does the royal monogram on Frogner Church signify? To what extent do our surroundings shape us? How much and what can we choose? What is given to us, and what do we receive? On the way down to Huseby, we’ll have the opportunity to reflect on Hallvard’s choices and our own.
Pilgrim priest Harald Torgauten will offer insights along the way. The walk is open to all worldviews.
We’re providing a free bus from Lier train station.
The bus departs at 10:00 a.m. The train from Oslo at 9:19 a.m. arrives at 9:47 a.m. Cars can be parked at the station. We plan to finish at 4:30 p.m. at Huseby. Huseby is just a short walk from Lier Station.
Bring a packed lunch, drinks, and comfortable shoes and clothing.
Thank you to the Municipality of Lier for providing financial support for the hike!
Schedule for May 14
9:45 AM: Meet at Lier Station. The train from Oslo arrives at 9:47 AM.
10:00 AM: Departure by bus (free) to Egge.
10:30 AM: Briefing about Egge, the burial mounds, and the chapel mound. Short introduction before the hike.
11:00 AM Start of the hike toward Bergflødt (3 km, 1 hour)
12:00 PM Arrival at Bergflødt and a brief history overview from Bergflødt.
12:15 PM Hike to Haugerud (2 km, 40 minutes) Lunch break
1:30 PM: Continue the hike toward Eik (1 km, 20 minutes)
2:00 PM: Briefing on the burial mounds at Eik
2:15 PM: Continue the hike to Frogner Church (1 km, 15 minutes)
2:30 PM: Reflection, break, and restroom break at Frogner Church
3:00 PM: Continue walking toward Huseby (5 km, 1.5 hours).
4:30 PM: Arrival at Huseby. Conclusion of the day. Ends around 4:45 PM.
Friday, May 15
May 15 is the day when we celebrat St. Hallvard as the saint for both Huseby in Lier and Oslo.
This day, it is possible to participate in the entire program or just parts of the day.
Schedule for May 15
11:30 a.m. Guided tour of Old Aker Church
12:00 p.m. Pilgrimage walk from Old Aker Church to Grønland Church
1:30 p.m. Grønland Church. Organ concert at Grønland Church, followed by refreshments: baguettes and coffee.
2:30 PM City walk from Grønland Church to Hallvard Cathedral
3:00 PM Reflection on the saint Hallvard by Chaplain Hanna Barth Hake in the choir loft, Hallvard Cathedral
5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. (updated time to follow)
We follow in Hallvard’s footsteps through the city of Oslo. A city walk led by Hedvig Vollsnes from the Cultural Affairs Department. The walk goes from the Milestone at Hallvard Cathedral to City Hall.
Saturday, May 16 (11 km)
We will walk Borgleden trail from Hallvard Cathedral to Karma Tashi Ling Buddhist Center.
Every year there are about 40 different nationalities walking Pilegrimsleden from Oslo to Trondheim. With the pilgrim walk on May 16 we mark that the Norwegian society today is a multi-faith and multi-cultural society and that we are all family.
Welcome to join!
Schedule for May 16
10:00 a.m. We will meet at the Milestone at St. Hallvard´s Cathedral (Minneparken, Gamlebyen).
11:30 a.m. Ekebergsåsen and the view of Oslo (2.5 km). Break and packed lunch (departure at 12:00 p.m.)
1:00 p.m. Nordstrand Church (3.5 km). Pilgrim’s stamp and visit to the church for those who wish (departure at 1:30 p.m.)
2:30 PM Grønliåsen – Trolltoppen (2.5 km)
3:30 PM Karma Tashi Ling (2 km)
Light refreshments
The Karma Tashi Ling Buddhist Center is the headquarters of the Karma Tashi Ling Buddhist community. It consists of a temple and a peace stupa. The stupa was erected in memory of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1989.
Return by bus 71 or 77 from Nyjordet.
The walks are free all three days!
If you have any questions, please contact the Pilgrim Center.
Phone: 48052949
Email: oslo@pilegrimssenter.no
The St. Hallvard Walk is a collaboration between the St. Hallvard Pilgrimage Association of Huseby, the St. Hallvard Pilgrimage Community of Oslo, and the Oslo Pilgrim Center.