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Breakfast at Sygard Grytting pilgrim farm in Gudbrandsdalen, Eastern Norway

Sygard Grytting pilgrim farm in Gudbrandsdalen.
Photo: pilegrimsleden.no

Lunch at Sygard Grytting in Gudbrandsdalen.
Photo: pilegrimsleden.no

The St. Olav Ways to Trondheim

Culinary experiences at Sygard Grytting

Pilgrimage with a medieval flavour. Sygard Grytting treats hungry pilgrims to meat and fish from nearby forests and mountains, homemade bread and cakes, and marmalade made with berries from the garden.

pilegrimsleden.no

Pilgrimage in Norway

The St. Olav Ways – the pilgrim paths to Trondheim – consist of nine pilgrim routes, all leading to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. The routes make up a total of around 3,000 kilometres of tranquil scenery through picturesque villages with a strong cultural heritage.

Visiting Sygard Grytting is like going back in time. Both the guest house and the family tradition date back to medieval times, and it has been run by the same family for about 700 years. The current owner Stig Grytting is the 16th generation at the farm.

Wooden sticks with troll faces carved into them at Sygard Grytting, Gudbrandsdalen, Eastern Norway

Sygard Grytting.
Photo: pilegrimsleden.no

Food from the farm

Stig and his wife Hilde are both engaged in farming, and they have also developed the farm’s accommodation services and offer their guests three-course dinners. The food is made from scratch, and the menu often features the farm’s own produce.

The lamb comes from animals that have grazed right outside the doors, unless they have been roaming around in the surrounding mountains. Moose and reindeer meat are sourced from forests and mountains only a short distance away, and the same goes for the fish.

Potatoes are grown on the farm. Jam is made with berries from the garden, and the desserts often feature fruit from the orchard. The bread and pastries are all homemade, and some of the bread is baked in the old kitchen’s traditional bread oven.

Sygard Grytting farm near Lillehammer, Eastern Norway

Sygard Grytting.
Photo: Ian Brodie / Lillehammer.com

Elegantly restored

Sygard Grytting consists of around 25 houses of different sizes. The farmers themselves live in the stately building from the early 1700s, located in the inner courtyard.

The buildings have been painstakingly restored over the past 25 years, an accomplishment they have received numerous awards for. With close attention to tradition, some of the buildings in the inner courtyard have been renovated into a historic hotel with 12 rooms of a high standard. Sygard Grytting also boasts an extensive wine cellar on two floors under one of the main buildings.

Wine tasting and historical gourmet food evenings can be arranged.

The medieval loft

Out of all the grand historic surroundings, the most special feature on the farm is no doubt the so-called langloft – the medieval loft that serves as a pilgrim hostel. It is the largest medieval loft in Norway and the only preserved hostel from the Catholic era.

The listed loft was built using a log construction that was known before the Black Death in 1350, Stig tells us. A letter from 1343 refers to the house as Svevnstova. It is described as being three stories high with enough space for at least 20 people.

View on a wooden shed through a hole in the wooden wall at Sygard Grytting, Eastern Norway

Sygard Grytting.
Photo: pilegrimsleden.no

An exceptional experience

The moment you step across the threshold to the langloft, you will sense the medieval atmosphere. It is easy to feel the kinship with other pilgrims who have stayed here since the 1300s. Sleep under sheepskin rugs in simple beds and eat your food at the long table in the same building.

During the summer season (1 July–15 August) pilgrims may book a delightful three-course meal and enjoy a homemade breakfast in the main building on the farm, or choose the traditional pilgrimage soup. Some guests prepare their own meals in the kitchen in the building Fantstugu, where it is also possible to stay overnight. For groups, a Middle Age inspired dinner can be arranged.

It is an exceptional accommodation option for pilgrims and an experience you will never forget.