Kongevegen over Dovrefjell

The King’s Road over Dovrefjell is Norway’s first public carriage road for horse and carriage. The first carriage roads in Norway did not appear until the 1600s. Across Dovrefjell, people had traveled on foot or on horseback for thousands of years, but what we call the King’s Road was only built from the late 1600s and throughout the 1700s.

What is a King’s Road? A king does not have to have traveled on the road for it to be called a King’s Road. A King’s Road is a main route between regions, and it is a road ordered by the king. Royal decrees were issued to raise road standards so they would be suitable for growing commercial activity, mining, and the postal and military services.

Several kings traveled on the King’s Road over Dovrefjell. They crossed the mountain during their official journeys in Norway in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. The first of the Danish–Norwegian kings was King Christian V in 1685. At that time, the road standard was so poor that he had to ride on horseback. Just two years later came the royal decree for improvements. As a result, King Frederick IV was able to travel in a two-wheeled carriage in 1704. It was even easier for King Christian VI: in 1733 he drove the King’s Road in a four-wheeled carriage.

The King’s Road was ordered by the king, but who built it? It was the local farmers, who each year had to provide labor and equipment for a certain number of days. The same system applied to maintenance of the road. The road was divided into sections, and three or four farms were responsible for each section. In the years 2018–2022, the King’s Road over Dovrefjell has been upgraded with historic bridges, repairs to stone walls, and restoration of old drainage systems. The pilgrim trail follows the King’s Road over large parts of Dovrefjell, and along the way you will find information about the King’s Road over Dovrefjell.