THE SWEDISH PILGRIM TRAIL   

A guided bicycle and canoe adventure from the valley of Mälaren to the deep forest in Bergslagen. From the trails starting point in Munktorp, along the first exciting stretches to the north. Join a historical tour in the footprints of the pilgrims   

  

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Pilgrim trail

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 Tour in Bergslagen

Köping - Smedjebacken 4 days (100 km)

During the Middle-Age many pilgrims did their pilgrimage to Holy Sankt Olav's (995-1030) grave in Trondheim. Sankt Olav's relics were kept in a case and the church Nidarosdomen was built over Sankt Olav's grave. The pilgrimages of the Swedish pilgrims were taking place until the reformation 1528. The Middle-Age pilgrim traveled mainly along lakes and rivers. They traveled by boats, by horses and by foot. The pilgrim trail is a rich trail which give the tourist pilgrim the choice to travel in many different ways. We travel with canoes and bicycles from Munktorp/Köping to Wanbo/Smedjebacken  

 Means of transport:

  Day 1) Munktorp – Uttersberg: Bicycle 50 km

Day 2) Uttersberg – Baggbron: Canoe/kayak 20 km

Day 3) Baggbron – Wanbo: Bicycle 30 km

  Day 1) We meet in the church of Munktorp. The local priest give us a welcome and a brief guiding. It was here Sankt David “The Apostle of the province Västmanland” had his base during his Christian mission (1000 century). We get a good introduction on our tour at The Sankt Olof department in the museum in Köping. Here we let to know the most of the Middle-Age pilgrim and their long pilgrimage. We cycle past the big old Viking grave Ströbohög. The grave is an ancient grave of a Viking King and has been dated to the Young Iron-Age (400 – 1050 AD). In Kolsva, we visit “The Mill” and an interesting iron exhibition. Lunch is served at the restaurant in Kohlswa manor-house. In Karmansbo we get familiar with the ancient industrial environment. Among other things we have a look in the small museum which is a reconstruction of a home of a blacksmith. We eat our dinner in the manor-house in Uttersberg. The night is spent in teepees/tents close to the river Hedströmmens murmuring water

Day 2) We begin the day with a guided tour in the Art Gallery Astley. The old pilgrims traveled along the lakes in boats. In the keel water of the Pilgrims we paddle in canoes along the river Hedströmmen. In Skinnskatteberg we stop for lunch. Here we get the chance to see the oldest preserved log-boat in Sweden. The boat is dated to the 700 or 800-century and was used during fishing and hunting trips. To the evening we reach the island Kronön in Storsjön. Here a wolf killed 20 sheep as late as 1995. Further up along the shore we stay for the night in a small guesthouse. Our dinner is served in the pensions restaurant

Day 3) We cross deep forest between the two rivers Hedströmmen and Strömsholms Kanal. Here the old pilgrims hiked or ride along winding paths through the wilderness. We will cover the same stretch with bicycles. The church in Söderbärke is located far out on a peninsula. On the Viking-Age (before the church's was built) the Vikings used the top of the peninsula as an outdoor court yard. To the evening we reach “the old stone of prayers” and the districts old execution place (which was in use between 1697 – 1858). Our acing bicycling and paddle muscles get a well deserved relaxation in pool and sauna at Wanbo manor-house. We finish the day with a delicious dinner in the manor-house restaurant and a visit to the old "cellar of dead bodies". Of course we will tell the stories and history behind this different cellar

Day 4) Breakfast and transfer

The guided tour include: Lunch and dinner day 1-3. Breakfast day 2-4. Morning snack day 1. Bicycles with bicycle bags, canoes, paddles, life jackets, water proof sacks and sitting pads. Entrances to Galleri Astley and the pool and sauna at Wanbo Manor House. Luggage transport. Transfer from the railway station in Hallstahammar and to the raiway station in Smedjebacken. Alternative return transfer to Munktorp. Lodging in manor-house, pension and in teepees/tents. Sleeping bags and sleeping mats night 1. Sheets night 2-3

Price: 5100 SEK/510 Euro. Children under 15 years 4500 SEK/450 Euro

 Number of participants: 4-15 persons 

From 4 participants, to be booked on dates of free choice   

Type of bicycling/paddling: Bicycling mainly along dirt roads through deep forest. The paddling is easy flat water paddling on water without current. The paddling is upstream. The nights are spent in small traditional villages along the Pilgrim Trail

Landscape description: Pine forest. Some open fields at the beginning of the tour

 Equipment: The bikes are substantial Yosemite Cruisers with broad tires. Paddling in canoes with kayaks as option. The canoes are founded in the strong hard plastic material polyethylene and are in very good shape. The kayaks are stable sea kayaks with broad waist constructed to manage big waves and strong wind in sea conditions. More information about the equipment (link)

Personal equipment: Equipment that are not needed during the day will be transported overland to each nights accommodation

Clothes to bicycle and paddle in: Shorts, sport clothes, swimming gears, rain gears with rain. Hat and sunglasses with sunshine

To bring in the bicycle bags: Rain gears, swimming gears, towel, sun block, camera and warm "summer clothes". Day one all participants will receive a full bottle with drinking water which suites to a strap on the bicycles. The bottles will be refilled along our trip at restaurants and place of accommodation

Food on the trip: We eat good food prepared by experienced and professional chefs. The chefs are using local products especially from the forest with a traditional Swedish touch. E.g. Moose meat, rainbow trout, herrings, chanterelles and blue berries. We custom made all meals and eat the same food together. Therefore we need to know if there are participants who are not eating all kind of food. The dinners are two course meals. Every morning we have an breakfast buffet to choose from

Accommodation: Night 1) Tent or teepees in Uttersberg. Night 2) Guesthouse in Baggbron, double rooms. Night 3) Manor House in Wanbo, double rooms

Evening dress: Jeans and sport clothes are recommended  

Information: At the starting point we provide information about the tour. At each dinner detailed information about the next days program is provided

Toilets: In connection to the places where we have our meals

Safety: The guide has very good experience and is a certified life guard after passing all tests on the Swedish life guard associations life guard education. A firs aid kit is brought on the tour

Day temperatures: June - August 15 - 30 Centigrades. May and September 10 - 25 Centigrades

Alcohol: Is not included but is usually possible to order at the dinners

The tour starts 8:30 AM when the straight train from Stockholm and Västerås arrives at the railway station in Hallstahammar

The train departs from Stockholm: 7:06 AM

 The train departs from Västerås: 8:15 AM

 The tour finish 10:18 AM when the straight train to Västerås and Stockholm arrives at the railway station in  Smedjebacken  

 The train arrives to Västerås: 11:45

 The train arrives to Stockholm: 12:53

Straight train from Stockholm to Hallstahammar 1,15 minutes. From Västerås 15 minutes

 Straight train from Smedjebacken to Stockholm 2,5 hour. To Västerås 1,5 hour 

 Train connections. Read more on time chart 55 >>  

The tour can also be booked as a daytour with overnight and breakfast. Price: 1700 SEK/170 Euro. Children under 15 years 1500 SEK/150 Euro

 THE PILGRIM TRAIL - BUDGET

A guided trip on which the participates bring their own food and sleep in their own tents. The trip include: Bicycles with bicycle bags, canoes, paddles, life jackets and sitting mats. Entrances to Galleri Astley and the pool and sauna at Wanbo manor-house. Luggage transport. Transfer from the railway station in Hallstahammar and to the raiway station in Smedjebacken. Alternative return transfer to Munktorp. Price 3000 SEK/300 Euro per person. Children under 15 years 2400 SEK/240 Euro From 4 participants, to be booked on dates of free choice

 The trip can also be booked as 1 or 2-day trip. Then you deselect one or two of the days in the program. Price: 1000 SEK/100 Euro per day. Children under 15 years 800 SEK/80 Euro. From 4 participants, to be booked on dates of free choice 

QUESTIONS AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PILGRIM TRAIL

Please write to: Mikael.Nilsson@naturarvskompaniet.se

 BOOK THE PILGRIM TRAIL ONLINE

Nordic Discovery - Naturarvskompaniet

Mikael.Nilsson@naturarvskompaniet.se

Handelsbobacken 2

Phone: +46 (0)580 31007 

Kloten

Cell phone: +46 (0)70 2551984

714 91 Kopparberg

 www.nordicdiscovery.se 

Sweden

www.naturarvskompaniet.se