“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Henry David Thoreau!!!!
Genuine pilgrim trail Göta älv
The Pilgrim Trail Göta River is the obvious choice for those who want to combine your nature experience with history, or for those who just want to hike for a while or longer. In addition, being able to relax and discover the genuine Göta River Valley is for many people a luxurious moment.
You can hike one stage or more to finally make the entire trail. It’s easy to get here, find accommodation and eat – the trail offers good public transport and service. Most of all, it is a personal hiking trail, where consideration is at the center and each stage offers different experiences and local hidden gems.
Walking through the Göta River Valley
The Göta River pilgrimage extends from the Masthugg church in Gothenburg via Nylöse church and Lärjeån. Continue through Vättlefjäll to Ale Municipality’s forests and rural idyll and to Lödöse as a historical hub. Through Little Edet you cross the beautiful river and up to charming Hjärtum. Here, the road from Utby carries through troll forests to Trollhättan and Vänersborg where the trail connects to the pilgrim trails in Dalsland.
The work is carried out in the project Pilgrim Trail Göta River which is a Leader project, the project is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Ale municipality is the project owner with the support of involved districts such as Gamlestaden, Östra Göteborg and Angered, Lilla Edet municipality and Trollhättan city and Vänersborg municipality. In the steering group, the Swedish Church, the Pilgrimage Center Gothenburg and Västarvet also cooperate.
Work ahead
Quality assurance. We secure stage by stage as part of making accessible and lifting both cultural heritage and nature for both residents and visitors. In the same spirit as in the past – as a powerful and prominent place. Not only in the river valley, but also in Europe and the world. Of course, according to the principle of a sustainable destination. Now we want to continue the work of connecting the routes between Gothenburg and Trondheim. Here, the pilgrimage to the Göta River has an important role to play.
Imagine a continuous footpath where you take a walk between Gothenburg and Trondheim. Also along the Göta River with all its rich history and varied nature.
Many hikers have already embarked on this journey, sooner than now. What will happen in the next few years is that the routes between Gothenburg and Trondheim are being refurbished, linked together and allowing even more people to safely travel all the way. Maybe you too?
How you hike is up to you. Make it your hike. Bring a good heart and nice shoes.
Hope we see you on the pilgrimage Göta river!
The Pilgrim Trail Göta River is not any kind of trail
Hiking trails are quality assured. In addition to the criteria that apply to today’s lowland trails, the award of pilgrimage means another dimension.
There’s two specific criteria that make Pilgrimage Göta River to be a pilgrimage trail, rather then a regular hiking trail.
1. The pilgrimage Göta River is based on the ancient roads via Lödöse as an historical junction.
2. The trail includes both nature- and culture pieces from the Midle Age and a connection to Olofstraditionen.
A “Jacobsmussla” was found in Lödöse from Santiago de Compostela dated to 1100’s. (Picture below)
Long and strong history of pilgrimage
Lödöse is one of Sweden’s foremost places of pilgrimage.
Eleven pilgrimage marks from the major pilgrimage targets have been found here. They are from Santiago de Compostela, Riga, Cologne, Canterbury, Einsiedeln, Noblat, Vadstena and Skara. In addition to pilgrimage marks, archaeologists have found over half a million finds in Lödösejorden. Several hundred years ago, Lödöse was one of Sweden’s first and largest medieval cities. During the menu selection History you can explore more in the rich history of the Göta River valley.
As the pilgrimage path is considered, the concept is further developed in collaboration with the Pilgrim Center Gothenburg and Pilgrim Center Sweden. Pilgrim in Sweden is a national coordinating body for local and regional pilgrim associations.
In the runic script on a medieval scalpel, you can read a rare love greeting from the Middle Ages
The Pilgrim Trail Göta River joins the past with the present
Many people who walk the pilgrimage route of the Göta River take the opportunity to write a letter. By hand. Mediated in envelopes, on postcards or on trimming knife.
Great opportunities to get to and from the pilgrimage path
Getting to the pilgrimage trail of the Göta River is easy! You can easily get to the stage you want thanks to very good public transport accesibility.
All stages have service
Along the trail there are barbecues and rest areas. If you want to find somewhere to eat and stay, this is available for all stages.
We are working on updating all the service available along the route. You can find it under the respective stage information.
Before leaving for your hike: Feel free to plan and explore the conditions that apply to each stage. It can be about the length of the stage, the level of difficulty and its range of services. Depending on the stage, it can vary and it gives each stage its own personality.
Welcome to the pilgrim trail Göta river!
