- Area Trondheim
- Distance 797.9 km
- Difficulty Multi-day
- Terrain Rolling
National Cycle Route 7 is a great ride from Trondheim to Halden. Parts are not recommended for those who do not feel safe on roads with car traffic at high speed. One example is from Oppdal to Dombås. There, the route across Dovre is largely on the E6, where car traffic is occasionally heavy and at high speed. We recommend that you cycle this stretch early in the morning or late in the evening (or at night with a headlamp and reflective vest).
Down the Gudbrandsdalen valley, there are also a few short stretches where there are no other options than cycling on the E6.
Close to towns and villages, the route is largely on pedestrian/cycle paths and roads with little traffic. For the most part, the surface is asphalt, but some stretches are on gravel roads.
However, most of this route offers plenty of nature and great cycling. The section from Lillehammer to Minnesund, which coincides with Mjøstråkk, is easy to cycle and can be recommended as a weekend trip for everyone. The entire Pilgrim Route runs close to the Trondheim Railway or the Østfold Railway. This makes for easy transport if you want to cycle shorter sections of the route.
We have not yet certified and described this route, as our route mappers have not mapped this stretch. We therefore lack sufficient information about safety, signposting, ferries, tunnels and other infrastructure to be able to recommend this route as optimal. However, to give you easy access to the GPS track on the route, we have chosen to post the GPX file on SykkelNorge.no. It can be used as a good starting point for planning your cycling trip in the area.
We recommend loading the GPX file into a digital mapping platform to plan your trip in detail. Ride With GPS is a platform used by the Cyclists’ Association. If you’re going on a long bike ride, it’s well worth spending some time learning how to use this service to easily plan your trip in detail. It will probably provide an even better travelling experience.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Veivesen) is responsible for the National Cycle Routes with regard to routing and signposting.
This is what the Norwegian Public Roads Administration writes about the route:
«The 800-kilometre route from Trondheim to Halden via Oslo offers a diversity of nature and experiences. The scenery on the route is varied, with rugged mountains and wide views of valleys and cultural landscapes. National cycle route 7, Pilgrimsruta is part of EuroVelo Pilgrims Route (eurovelo.com), which runs between Nidaros and Santiago de Compostela.
The route is not signposted from Trondheim to Lillehammer. It is signposted from Lillehammer to Svinesund.
If you start in Trondheim, the first third of the route is in the mountains. First you have to cross Dovre and then the mountain from Dombås to Vågåmo on Slådalsveien. In both places, the highest point is over a thousand metres above sea level. From Otta and southwards, the route is almost flat, and apart from a long climb north of Fåvang, it’s easy to cycle all the way to Halden.
Traffic conditions on the route vary greatly. Most of the route is on quiet back roads with little car traffic, but from Oppdal to Hjerkinn you cycle on the E6 motorway. The route is mainly paved, but there are also longer stretches of gravel roads, which are usually of a good standard.
You’re never far from the nearest train station, and you can easily plan a trip where you cycle parts of the route.
With the exception of the mountainous areas in Trøndelag and Inland, you’re always close to settlements where you can get food and spend the night. Please note that there are no grocery stores on the 80 kilometres between Oppdal and Dombås.
Del