Oslo – Granavollen

The starting point in Oslo is located about 1.5 km walking distance from Oslo Central Station, and you can follow pilgrim signs past the Deichman Library, the Opera House, and the Munch Museum (see pdf with map here). We encourage you to stop by the Oslo Pilgrim Center, where you can purchase a pilgrim passport and get your first stamp. The tourist information office at Oslo Central Station also sells these passports.

Visit www.entur.no for both bus and train schedules to Oslo Central Station.
From the endpoint of the route at Granavollen, it is easy to travel by bus and train both northbound and southbound. Gran Station is located 4 km from Granavollen.

The recommended hiking season is from May to September/October. If you walk outside of the peak season, remember to check the weather forecast and whether accommodations are open.
Tip: In spring, there may still be snow on the section through Krokskogen in Bærum. In that case, you can take a bus from Oslo to Sundvollen and begin your walk from there. This is also a good option if you want to make this a 3‑day hike.

At the official starting point of the Gudbrandsdalsleden path, you'll find the ruins of St. Hallvard’s Cathedral and a so‑called milestone. The stone shows that there are 643 km left to Nidaros, which was the old name of Trondheim city. 

You begin your walk through the city of Oslo. You wander through backstreets, past the Botanical Garden, across trendy Grünerløkka, over the river Akerselva, and up to Gamle Aker Kirke (Old Aker Church). Here you can rest by the second milestone of the pilgrim path and visit this beautiful 12th‑century church - today Oslo’s oldest standing building and modeled after St. Hallvard’s Cathedral.

The journey continues upward toward the Vigeland Park, Gustav Vigeland’s impressive life’s work. The park is one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions and features more than 200 sculptures. From here, you walk on to Fåbro and enter Bærum municipality. The path now climbs, so remember to turn around from time to time to enjoy the magnificent view of the Oslofjord. 
Here you can download a pdf with a map of the pilgrim routes in Oslo.

Accommodation along the route:

• Fuglesang herberge
• Gardlaus markstue
• Sæteren gård
• Bærum gapahuk

Alternatively, at the end of your hiking day, you can easily take a bus from Bærum back to Oslo city centre and find accommodation there. The next morning, you can return to Bærum to continue your walk.

A beautiful forest stage awaits you today, taking you through Krokskogen forest, where you will pass an St. Olav’s spring along the way. The charming Kleivstua offers both accommodation and meals, and after passing it, make sure to hold your pilgrim's staff firmly as you descend the steep Krokkleiva. If you have some extra time, we warmly recommend a short detour to “Kongens utsikt,” (translated The King's view) which offers stunning views of the inland fjords and the surrounding agricultural landscape. Once you reach Sundvollen, you can spend the night at the historic Sundvolden Hotel, the guesthouse Gjesvold, or the Odin and Onsakervika camping sites.

From Sundvollen, Steinsfjorden and Tyrifjorden (the latter are fjords), your walk today takes you across to the Klækken area in Ringerike. This day is rich with history and legends about Saint Olav, who grew up here as part of a family in the region once known as Hringariki. The sagas tell that Olav had a church built at Bønsnes, and of his childhood at the farm Stein. The medieval church that stands here today is open during summer, and you will find both a resting bench and a pilgrim stamp outside.

Your walk continues through fields and meadows, orchards and berry gardens, past Hole medieval church to Norderhov medieval church, and to Ringerikes Museum (open in summer, with a stamp), before heading up to Haug medieval church (stamp) in the Klækken area. Here you will find several small private accommodation options, as well as the family-run Klækken Hotel, which offers special summer rates for pilgrims. Klækken has a rural setting, though there are small shops in Haug and bus connections down to the town of Hønefoss.

Today offers a shorter walking stage, with opportunities for several interesting cultural stops along the way. You walk through Haugsbygda and Åsbygda down to the fjord village of Jevnaker, located by Lake Randsfjorden. Close to Jevnaker you will find the Kistefos Museum (featuring the famous “The Twist”) and Hadeland Glassverk, both well worth a visit.

If you are looking for simple accommodation, you will find options at several farms and former crofter’s cottages in Åsbygda, or at Sløvika Camping. You will also find Thorbjørnrud Hotel, whose historic director’s residence from Hadeland Glassverk is now part of the hotel. Jevnaker has many piers and small beaches, making Randsfjorden inviting for swimming, and there are water parks and fjord saunas.

Did you know? At Hadeland Glassverk, you can blow your own glass. They will ship it home for you, so you don’t have to carry it on your hike. You can also get a pilgrim stamp here!

Did you know? At Kistefos there is a sculpture created during a pilgrimage? The idea for Jeppe Hein’s “Path to Silence” (2016) emerged during a pilgrimage along the pilgrim path between Oslo and Trondheim, inspired by his encounter with nature and silence along the way. 

From Jevnaker, you walk past Jevnaker Church—often referred to as the “Hadeland Cathedral”—and into Hadeland’s beautiful nature and landscape, climbing gradually toward Granavollen, which sits higher in the terrain. Here, the pilgrim path follow the old Bergen King’s Road and medieval routes through the region, with Viking Age burial mounds lining the way all the way up the hill.

At Granavollen, two stone churches were built side by side shortly after the Christianization of Norway, today known as the Sister Churches. These two churches, Mariakirken and Nikolaikirken, stand unusually close together by modern standards, but this was not unheard of in the Middle Ages. Both were built in the 12th century in Romanesque style and later expanded in a Gothic style. Their solid stone walls have sheltered pilgrims for centuries and framed ceremonial services for kings and bishops. People have walked here for generations.

In summer, Granavollen is full of open doors. You can visit the seasonal churches, Granavollen Pilgrim Center, the Stone House (Steinhuset), the rectory garden, galleries, church stables, handicraft shops, farm outlets, cafés, and restaurants. Accommodation options range from hotels to farm stays, but the area is popular—so booking in advance is recommended!

Let your legs rest and enjoy the sense of completion here on historic Granavollen. The next day, you can take the train home from Gran Station, or continue your pilgrimage toward Toten, Gjøvik, and Lillehammer.

An overview of all accommodation options, the distances between them, and more information about practical details and experiences along the way can be found in our pilgrimage planner (choose Gudbrandsdalsleden west).