Borgund - Vindhella - Sverrestigen
Round trip from Borgund Stave Church
The King's Road over Filefjell was opened in 1793. At Tyin Filefjell, you are ideally located with easy access to several of the finest sections of the road.
At Borgund Stave Church begins Vindhellavegen, the most spectacular section of the King's Road over Filefjell. The road passes through Vindhellaskaret and winds in magnificent curves on high walls steeply down to Husum. The road is a prime example of the efforts made to create a carriageway between Bergen and Oslo before the era of dynamite. Horses and carts were the means of transport when the road was built in 1842-43.
The road is grass-covered, and it's not a long walk from Borgund Stave Church, which is one of Norway's best-preserved stave churches and also worth a visit.
If you stay with us and book one of our King's Road packages, transport to and from the starting point of the tour is included.
The hike along Vindhellavegen starts from the parking lot at Borgund Stave Church Visitor Centre, passing the church entrance and continuing uphill into the forest.
First, a short section on a path before you reach the historic King's Road. The King's Road has a grass-covered and even surface. The road ascends gently to the top of Vindhellaskaret (approx. 500 meters) and then slopes gently for a couple of hundred meters, until it becomes dramatically steeper, continuing in magnificent curves on walls up to 15 meters high down towards Husum.
Instead of returning the same way, follow Sverrestigen from Husum back to Borgund. It follows a southerly arc. History tells that King Sverre used this path in 1777 to bypass the farmers who had entrenched themselves in Vindhella, intending to throw boulders at him and his men to kill them.
Map and more details
The map and tour description show the hike over Vindhella and Sverrestigen, starting from Borgund Stave Church. The hike can be combined with a visit to the stave church center.