Rendalen: Gorges, Sølen and Pilgrim History

Rendalen offers a range of reasons to explore: an impressive gorge, the mountain landscape around Sølen and places of cultural and historical interest. Hiking through rocks and scree, you can experience the mysterious gorge landscape of Jutulhogget. Elsewhere, the focus is on mountain hikes, inland fishing and traces of pilgrims. You can plan your trip around the natural and cultural interests that matter most to you.

Jutulhogget: a gorge hike through rocks and scree

The walls of Jutulhogget are up to 240 metres high, and the gorge is between 150 and 500 metres wide. Hiking here means crossing rocky, scree-covered terrain. This defines the character of this impressive gorge landscape and sets it apart from a mountain hike at Sølen. The best way to reach Jutulhogget is via Jutulhoggveien from Barkald. This makes it easy to plan your visit as a separate excursion, rather than unverifiedly combining it with other destinations into a single route.

Sølen and the landscape around the mountain massif

The highest point of Sølen is Midtre Sølen, at 1,755 metres above sea level. Sølen and its surroundings have been protected as the Sølen Landscape Protection Area since 2011. Mefurua is Rendalen’s only state-secured recreation area and has several buildings for overnight stays. From Mefurua, you can climb Rendalssølen, which is 1,755 metres high, or hike around the mountain massif. Grøndalen and Mefurua are designated starting points for hikes to Sølen.

Another distinctive natural attraction is Store sten, also known as Otersteinen. This freestanding boulder is about 16 metres high and is considered Norway’s third largest. You’ll find it at a rest area on the eastern shore of Storsjøen, right beside Sjøliveien, County Road 237. Its precise location and approximate height give the boulder its own distinct character alongside the gorge and mountain massif.

Cultural sites, inland fishing and traces of pilgrims

Rendalstunet includes the Old Berger School, “Gammelskola,” the Bull Museum, also known as Prestegårdstunet, and Bergslia. Fiskevollen lies on Sølensjøen and is considered Norway’s largest and oldest inland fishing village. Åkrådalen is a seter at the foot of the Sølen mountain massif and near Fiskevollen on Sølensjøen. The old 1922 barn there has been converted into a community room for up to 70 people.

Rendalen also has a history of pilgrimage. The Åkresteinen bears marks carved by pilgrims and is considered one of the few surviving permanent traces of pilgrims in Norway. The Pilgrim’s Route, Pilegrimsleden, enters the southeastern corner of Rendalen and continues to Åkrestrømmen. Every July, during the Åkrestrømmen Grendefestival, a pilgrimage to a pilgrim service at Rosemaries kilde is organised.

Landscapes of national cultural and historical interest have been designated in Rendalen. These include the northern part of Rendalen Østfjell, Sølensjøen, Isteren, Unset and Unsetbrenna. This selection complements the specific cultural sites with larger landscape areas and offers another way to explore the region’s cultural history.

Choose the right focus when selecting accommodation

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can start by deciding what you want your trip to revolve around: a hike through the rocky terrain of Jutulhogget, an excursion to or around Sølen, natural attractions such as Store sten, or cultural and historical discoveries. If you have several interests, these themes can help guide your choice of location within Rendalen. More location pages: Hanestad, Sjølisand and Åkrestrømmen.

For the main travel overview: Rendalen.