Tretten: Hiking Trails, Pilgrim History and Stavsplassen

Forest trails, views over Tretten and historic places give a stay in Tretten a variety of dimensions. You can combine short walks by the river with longer hikes, or explore the pilgrim path and the history of the church sites. When choosing a holiday apartment, it is therefore worth first considering which of these aspects of the area you want to shape your trip.

Hikes between river, forest and viewpoints

The Stavspromenaden is a loop of about 1.3 kilometres that starts at Stavsgutua, goes around Stavsplassen and ends at the horse statue Gjestar. It follows flat terrain along the Moksa River; the route is listed as taking approximately 30 minutes. This makes it easy to distinguish from the longer hiking options when planning your days by route length.

The Tuterudrunden starts at the intersection of Tuterudvegen and Stavsvegen in Tretten. The hike is about 4.4 kilometres long and takes approximately one hour. It includes a detour to the Langberga viewpoint, which opens up views over Tretten and towards the western side of the Lågen. In the final section, you can also see the Fossumsfallene waterfalls on the Moksa River. The viewpoint and waterfalls give this loop its own intermediate destinations.

The Øvre Stavsrunden also starts at the same intersection: it is about 2.6 kilometres long and is listed as taking approximately 45 minutes. Another option is Vassrudmoen, a shorter hiking route through mostly flat terrain in a pine forest. The Måsåbergan hike passes through varied spruce and pine forest, over low-lying rocky outcrops to Høgberget, and offers views of Losna, Stav and the centre of Tretten.

Cultural history and the pilgrim path

You can also discover Tretten’s history on foot. “Gamle Tretten” is a cultural and historical walk through 300 years of history, along easy-to-walk paths in the centre. Kjørkjehaugen offers a different historical focus: the old church site dates from the 13th century and is now used as an open-air church. Its well-preserved remains are mentioned in a medieval document from 1437. In 1728, the church was replaced by a new church in Tretten. Kjørkjehaugen lies along the Pilegrimsleden pilgrim path, which passes through Tretten and continues to Ringebu.

Tretten Church was consecrated on 12 September 1728 and named “Vår Frelsers Kirke”. A foundation stone bears the inscription “Det er Betel i Den Herres Jesu Nafn Jens Skanke 1727 d 27 May”. The consecration and the inscription provide different historical reference points: the stone gives a date in 1727, while the church was consecrated in 1728.

Stavsplassen and choosing your accommodation

Stavsplassen brings together local history and events. Its history dates back to the 19th century; originally, the Stav gard farm stood there. Many events and activities take place at Stavsplassen throughout the year. Stavsmartn is the largest annual event there and takes place every October. When choosing when to travel, you can consider this October event as a special occasion, without it being the only possible reason to visit Stavsplassen.

Your travel interests can help determine your choice of accommodation: if you mainly want to go hiking on routes of different lengths, there are several options to choose from. If you are especially interested in cultural history, Tretten offers both the “Gamle Tretten” walk and the church sites along the pilgrim path. Stavsplassen adds a venue with its own history to these experiences. You can also discover Øyer as another destination.

Back to the main travel overview: Øyer.