Discover Vingelen: Nature and Culture

Vingelen combines excursions in Forollhogna National Park with distinctive birdlife and a rich history of churches and museums. The village is a good starting point for excursions in the national park. The information centre, Nylandstjønna and the Vingelen Church and School Museum also offer different ways to make the most of your stay. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Vingelen, thinking about what you want to focus on during your holiday may help: would you most like to explore the landscape, watch birds or learn about the village’s history?

Nature and Birdlife Around Vingelen

The Forollhogna Information Centre is located in the Bunåva multi-purpose building in the centre of Vingelen. An interactive exhibition introduces visitors of all ages to the nature and culture of the national park and the protected landscapes. This gives you a chance to learn about both topics and decide whether excursions in the national park should be the main focus of your stay.

Nature watching takes centre stage at Nylandstjønna. On the shore of the pond is a two-storey birdwatching tower offering a good view across the entire area. More than 80 different bird species have been recorded at Nylandstjønna. The pond and the surrounding wetlands are important stopover sites for birds on their way to their breeding grounds in Forollhogna National Park. The birdlife and wetlands give this part of the landscape its own distinctive character.

A short path leads from a designated parking area by the road to the birdwatching tower. The path is wet and uneven in places; visitors should also be considerate of farm activities. These details are helpful to know when planning this detour into your day.

Church and Museum as Cultural Destinations

The Vingelen Church and School Museum is open in summer and features several exhibitions. Guided tours introduce visitors to the collections and Eggenstua, an Østerdal farmhouse dating from 1697. Among the objects preserved from Trefoldighetskirka is an altarpiece from 1678. Alongside the building and collections, individual historical objects are also a focus.

Vingelen Church is a timber-framed long church with a gallery and 300 seats. It was consecrated on 17 November 1880; in 1926, Ragnvald Einbu painted its interior. Details of the church’s design, seating capacity and interior painting make it a cultural history destination in its own right, alongside the museum tours. If you are interested in church history and historic interiors, you can take both into account when planning your trip.

Getting There and Trip Profile

Tolga is the nearest railway station to Vingelen. If you are planning to travel by train, use Tolga as a reference point for the rest of your journey. Another way to reach the village is the signposted Seterveien cycling route: one stage to Vingelen is just under 50 kilometres long and fairly hilly. Its distance and terrain are practical factors to consider when planning your cycling trip.

If you are travelling with your family and want to cater to different interests, the information centre offers insights into nature and culture, while the other destinations each offer their own themes for your trip.

Back to the main travel overview: Tolga.