Vikingaleden - Stage 4

Stage Description

Stage 4 stretches from Häverödal to Sanda, a total of 14.9 km. The route is varied and easy to walk on forest trails and gravel roads passing beautiful old farms. Parts of the stretch follow the old country road parallel to Highway 76, and along this route you can see beautiful mossy milestones. The stage is classified as easy with 47 meters of elevation gain and 48 meters of elevation loss. Estimated walking time is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Häverödal — the starting point — was once a station on the Rimbo–Sunds railway. Häverödal's court house, now in private ownership, is worth a stop along the way. It is recommended that you refill water at the station hotel and shop at the store before departure, as service points are sparse along the route until Sanda.

Pilgrimage Tradition and History

Vikingaleden is the Swedish land section of St Olav Waterway, the medieval pilgrimage route that connects Turku in Finland with Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim — a total of approximately 1,200 kilometers. The route is recognized as a cultural route by the Council of Europe. The old country road that stage 4 partly follows is a tangible legacy from the time when pilgrims, merchants and farmers traveled on foot or by horse through the inland of Uppland.

The well-preserved milestones along the way are concrete reminders of the historical road network and of the routes used for communication and trade during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Practical Information

The route is marked with Vikingaleden's red-rust markings and the St Olav Cross. Parking at Häverödal station. Refill water and shop in Häverödal — next service is in Sanda. More information and maps can be found at paxwalk.se and stolavwaterway.com.