– We are planning a couple of days ahead. The focus is on where we will sleep, food and getting our clothes washed. It’s an incredible feeling of freedom. That’s what Ilona Kramarova (26) from the Czech Republic says. Together with her boyfriend Marek Skotnica (33), she has traveled to Norway to walk the pilgrimage route to Nidaros, known as the Gudbrandsdalsleden. Last night they slept in a hollow a few kilometers outside Lillehammer. With rain-soaked shoes from the day before, the journey continues, she says, over a crackling telephone line. – We release the everyday worries from life at home. Here we live as if in “survival mode”, and it’s lovely. BOAT TRIP: Ilona Kramarova and Marek Skotnica took the boat Skibladner from Eidsvoll to Gjøvik, before the walk continued to Lillehammer. Photo: Privat Ilona usually studies immunology at the university, while Marek works in IT. They are not particularly religious, says Ilona, but still wanted to walk the pilgrimage route rather than “just” a walk. 15 to 20 percent more every year In Norway, you see an increase in the number of pilgrims of 15 to 20 percent a year, says Mattias Jansson, senior adviser at the National Pilgrims Centre. There are a total of nine pilgrimage leaders in Norway. These are formally approved by the Council of Europe, like the well-known pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela and Rome and several others in Europe. The National Pilgrim Center in Norway is regularly in contact with pilgrim organizations in the rest of Europe, and all report the same. – Pilgrimage has had a renaissance and has become more popular throughout Europe. There are several walkers along the well-known pilgrimage routes in Spain and Italy, but also local leaders in Great Britain, Germany and southern Europe, says Jansson. Mattias Jansson, Senior Adviser at the National Pilgrims Centre, believes that many people want to walk the pilgrimage routes in Norway because they are less visited than the classic routes in Spain and Italy, and because they want to experience Norwegian nature and culture. Photo: Nidaros Pilgrimsgård The Gudbrandsdalsleden, which runs from Oslo to Trondheim, is the most popular trail in Norway. Last year they welcomed 1,500 pilgrims in Nidaros from Norway and abroad. All received a letter from Saint Olav. The number of Sankt Olavsbrev issued is the most important parameter for counting how many pilgrims there are in Norway. In addition, 18 electronic counters have been placed along several of the pilgrimage routes. Accommodations along the trails report how many people are sleeping there. Regional pilgrimage centers also report how many walkers pass through. At the end of June this year, what is called Tunsbergleden was completed, when the pilgrimage route in Drammen was opened. The Tunsbergleden runs from Larvik in Vestfold, to Haslum church in Bærum. Long-term plan for pilgrimage in Norway 2020–2037 Read the entire long-term plan here. – Commissioned by the Ministry of Culture, the Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Work and the National Pilgrim Center have prepared a long-term plan for pilgrimages in Norway for the period 2020–2037. – In recent years, the number of walkers on shorter and longer trips along the pilgrimage route has increased by approximately 20 per cent each year, parallel to the fact that more and more pilgrimage routes have been established. – Pilgrimages include long-distance walkers, organized groups and those who go on short trips in their immediate surroundings. – The local population uses “their” joint for, among other things, recreational purposes, in educational programs and as a religious education initiative. – The long-term plan for pilgrimage in Norway is based on a consultation round with a total of 52 consultation responses. – Municipalities, county councils, dioceses, regional pilgrimage centres, tourism operators, voluntary organisations, and the National Archives have been involved in the work on the long-term plan. – Central points in the work on the long-term plan have been local anchoring and sustainability. ACCOMMODATION: The first night Ilona and Marek slept in a tent in the old vicarage at Gjøvik. Photo: Private – A bodily protest Researcher Nanna Natalia Jørgensen has interviewed over 50 Norwegian and foreign pilgrims who have walked the Gudbrandsdalsleden. She investigated the health effects of going on a pilgrimage. In Norway, we often associate pilgrimage with something religious, says Jørgensen. Among those she interviewed, however, far from all were religious. – Many of those who go seek simplicity. They want to get more in touch with themselves, nature and the people around them. Basic things about being human, simply. Jørgensen believes that the increase in today’s pilgrims can be interpreted as a protest against the achievement society, and a rapidly changing world. – Nobody rings the doorbell at each other’s houses anymore, it never fits. Many people spend a lot of time behind a screen, and we lose much of the spontaneous contact between people. Pilgrimage stands in contrast to all this. The researcher believes that the way we live has consequences for the mental health of many people. – That many people go on pilgrimage, both in Norway and in Europe, is a physical protest against the society we live in. Nanna Natalia Jørgensen is an associate professor at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at the University of Southeast Norway. She has researched the motivations of pilgrims in Norway. Photo: Høgskolen i Volda Rent data, telephone, internet and media Anna Runesson is a pilgrim priest and general manager at Oslo Pilgrimssenter. In her daily work, she is often in contact with both Norwegian and foreign pilgrims. Anna Runesson, general manager at Oslo Pilgrimssenter. Photo: Student priests in Oslo She supports Jørgensen’s findings. – I think that today there is a protest movement. You are tired of data, telephone, internet and media. Many hikers put their phones at the bottom of their packs, and disconnect from society, Runesson learns. Czech Ilona Kramarova walked the Camino de Santiago four years ago. Here she met people of all possible ages and life situations, she says. Many had been through upsetting life experiences, such as a breakup or illness. Some were overworked. LUNCH: Simple food on a pilgrimage. Photo: Private – I think it’s about going far in new and unfamiliar surroundings. Then you don’t fall into a downward spiral of thought. On a pilgrimage, you can meet other people with exciting stories to tell. What they all had in common was that they wanted to change something in their lives, says Ilona. Revenues for the districts According to the National Pilgrims Centre, the numbers speak for themselves. There will only be more pilgrims in the years to come. The pilgrims buy food, and they need accommodation. This can provide good income opportunities for the districts, points out Anna Runesson at the Oslo Pilgrims Center. – It is estimated that a pilgrim leaves around NOK 800 to 1000 per day. So if you want to start a hostel, this is something that will increase by 20 per cent.
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Pilgrimage increasingly popular – 20 percent more people go on pilgrimage every year – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
