Steinkjer: Cultural Heritage and Outdoor Trails

Steinkjer brings together impressive traces of the past and trails through landscapes that can be explored on foot. At Eggevammen, the Egge Museum is set in a landscape shaped by cultural heritage, where traces of the entire history of humankind can be found. Here, archaeology meets farm history; farther afield, viewpoints and marked trails offer other perspectives on the region.

Burial Ground, Farm History and Church Art

The Iron Age burial ground at Egge stretches for 1.3 kilometres and includes 33 burial monuments. The Sigridstien trail starts at Eggetunet and runs along both sides of the western burial ground. Information boards tell the story of Steinkjer and its local geology—a walk where archaeological traces and the landscape come into view together. At the Egge Museum’s open-air museum, a maid or farmhand tells visitors about the buildings and life on a Trønder farm towards the end of the 19th century. The tractor exhibition adds to this insight with agricultural machinery, including tractors from several historical periods of development.

The churches also offer contrasting features. Steinkjer Church stands in the town centre; its freestanding, square tower is 38 metres high. A five-metre-high altar decoration by Jakob Weidemann is mounted on the back wall. In Mære, an early medieval Romanesque grey-stone church stands on a pre-Christian place of worship. Its historical objects include a 13th-century crucifix, several 15th-century chairs, and an altarpiece and pulpit from the mid-17th century.

For contemporary art, Telegrafen offers a different way to experience Steinkjer’s culture: the gallery hosts changing exhibitions of contemporary art and local artists, around eight to ten per year. It can also be used for book talks, lectures and small concerts. As individual exhibitions and events change, it is worth checking the current programme if you would like to plan your visit around them.

Trails, Views and Outdoor Experiences

Oftenåsen is home to Peilehytta and the world’s largest garden chair. From there, views stretch over central Steinkjer, west towards the mountains of the Fosen Peninsula and east towards the border mountains along the Swedish border. Carved trolls and fairy-tale figures appear along the hiking trail, making the walk especially interesting for children. For a longer hike, you can reach Elnanslottet via a signed circular route of about 5.8 kilometres; from the summit, there are views over Beitstadfjord and the valley.

Follaheia lies above Follafoss. The six-kilometre return route offers views over Innherred and is well developed with stone steps and boardwalks; it is considered suitable for the whole family. A different scale is offered by Elvepromenaden, a 1.7-kilometre circular route in the rebuilt town of Steinkjer, starting at Torget and near Rismelen Activity Park. This means scenic hiking trails and a shorter circular route in town are available as different options.

A guided mine tour from Mokk Gård leads through the forest to 18th-century copper mines. The route follows a timber walkway; with flashlights, you can explore the mine shafts, which have remained unchanged for 300 years. Mokk Gård is a traditional mountain farm in natural surroundings, close to the treeless high-mountain landscape and the border of Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Park. This combines a hands-on underground experience with the distinctive landscape around the farm.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

Those choosing Steinkjer for culture and history will find a wide range of subjects at the Egge Museum, the churches and Telegrafen. For days outdoors, there are viewpoints, family-friendly trails and the guided mine tour. The Kystriksveien also begins in Steinkjer and runs 650 kilometres along the coast to Bodø; several ferries connect its sections. If you are planning a longer journey, it is a good idea to check the ferry timetables separately. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can start by considering which of these experiences you would like to shape your stay: cultural history, hikes and views, or continuing along the coast.

Discover more destinations: Sparbu, Namsskogan, Stjørdal, Frosta, Snåsa, Fosnes, Vikna, Mosvik.

For the regional travel overview: Nord-Trondelag.