Selbustrand – Rock Art, Cross-Country Skiing and Pilgrim Route

Selbustrand offers a range of reasons to visit: a group of rock art sites by Lake Selbu, the cross-country ski trails of Selbuskogen Ski Centre and a section of the Romboleden pilgrim route. There is also Selbustrand Church, with its historic furnishings. Depending on whether your interests lie in culture, pilgrimage or outdoor activities, different aspects of the place will take centre stage.

Rock Art with a Short Window of Accessibility

The Selbustrand rock art group is located on the north shore of Lake Selbu, near its eastern end. Twenty engraved stones are known there today. Most were found on the Solem and Grøtte farms. This connects interest in the engravings with specific place names and a clearly defined location on the lakeshore.

For many of the rock art stones, the timing of a visit is particularly important: they are accessible for only a short time each spring, after the ice on Lake Selbu has melted and before the mountain snowmelt really begins. The lake’s regulated water level means that the stones are flooded every year. The alternation between flooding and brief accessibility has a greater influence on planning a visit than simply choosing any date in spring. If you want to make Selbustrand’s rock art the focus of your trip, you should take this limited window into account when planning.

Cross-Country Skiing and Other Activities at Selbuskogen Ski Centre

Selbuskogen Ski Centre offers 75 kilometres of groomed cross-country ski trails for ski tours. The trails lead east towards Gråvatna, Kvitfjellhytta, Holman, Vekta, Prestøyan and Ånvatna. These destinations give the skiing options a clear sense of direction: if you want to include ski tours in your trip, you’ll find an extensive network of groomed trails and several named destinations here. The figure of 75 kilometres describes the ski centre’s offering, not the length of a single tour.

Selbuskogen Ski Centre can also be used in summer, but only by prior arrangement with the board. Possible activities include hiking, roller skiing, inline skating and skateboarding. Summer use is therefore quite different from the focus on cross-country skiing: instead of groomed trails for ski tours, there are several different activities to choose from, and use requires prior arrangements.

Pilgrim Route and Church Furnishings

The Romboleden includes a mapped section of pilgrim route from Skarvdörrsfjället to Selbustrand. Those interested in pilgrim routes can consider this section as a reason to visit in its own right. Selbustrand Church is also located on the north shore of Lake Selbu. With the exception of the organ and one bell, its principal furnishings date from when the church was built. These furnishings offer a different cultural perspective on Selbustrand than the engraved stones: here, the focus is on the historic furnishings of a church building.

For the rock art, the short spring window is an important factor; for cross-country skiing, the 75 kilometres of groomed trails at Selbuskogen Ski Centre are relevant. The pilgrim route and church furnishings, in turn, appeal to travellers interested in pilgrim routes and culture.

Discover more local pages: Selbu and Mebonden.

Go to the main travel overview: Selbu.