Porten (The Gate)

The old King’s Road across Dovrefjell ran over Hjerkinnhø until 1871. On the descent from the mountains one passes Porten (“The Gate”), which marked the old boundary between Southern Norway (Det søndenfjeldske) and Northern Norway (Det nordenfjeldske). Today it is the boundary between two counties and two municipalities. The place is called Porten because ceremonial welcome gateways were erected here when kings traveled across the mountains.

The last king for whom such a gateway was built was Karl XV during his coronation journey in 1860, but he had little pleasure from it. He passed Porten around midnight, and even if he saw the gateway in the darkness, he did not notice the greeting written on it: “Welcome to Trøndelag.” This story is told by Aasmund Olavsson Vinje in his book Ferdaminne frå sumaren 1860 (Travel Memories from the Summer of 1860). The book describes Vinje’s journey from Christiania (Oslo) to Trondheim, and here over Hjerkinnhø he is accompanied by Malene, an elderly woman from Folldal who very much wanted to see the king.

Malene and Vinje walked together toward Kongsvold mountain lodge. They grew tired and sat down on a stone to rest. From there they saw ptarmigan, telegraph poles, and Snøhetta—and a German couple passing by. The German woman was warm-hearted, moved by the magnificent nature, and asked her husband gently and singingly: “Fühlst du was, Heinrich?” (“Do you feel something, Heinrich?”) “Nein,” he answered. “Du sollst aber fühlen,” she said. (“But you should feel something!”)

Just as different were the experiences of Malene and Vinje. He found the place grand and beautiful. Malene had a different opinion. “It’s terribly ugly and desolate here,” she said. Malene could not understand how anyone could like such ugliness. Here two different views of nature meet. Vinje’s was romantic: for him nature was magnificent, an experience—it was the emotions that spoke to him. Malene viewed it more practically. There was nothing here she could use: no pasture, no firewood—nothing of any practical value. She relied on her practical sense.

Gateways were erected on several royal journeys, but not in 1685 when King Christian V traveled across the mountains. At Porten he was met by Major General Wibe, who had brought nine field cannons. Wibe had erected a pyramid there, meant to stand as a memorial that the king had taken the dangerous route across the mountains. In 1704, however, when Frederick IV traveled the opposite way and came from Nidaros, there was a ceremonial gateway here. There was also one when King Christian VI crossed Dovrefjell in 1733, and when Crown Prince Frederick (VI) crossed in 1788, the chief road engineer Krogh had ensured that a gateway was erected here with welcoming verses to the crown prince.

The place has not always been called Porten. It is said that in 1648 there stood a cross here. Gerhard Schønning writes in 1775 that the place is called the Cross because a cross once stood here. Schønning also writes that the place is called the Tower.