Filefjell Kongevegen
Encyclopedia
The Filefjell Kongevegen (The Kings Road) is the name of the old trail over Filefjell
, the mountainous area between Lærdal
/Borgund
and Valdres
in Norway
. It is the historical main route linking Western Norway and Eastern Norway.
Due to the sometimes wet and marshy land in the valley bottom, the old trail runs farther up in the hill than the modern asphalt road does today. The old trail is still used for hiking
. It was named after King Sverre of Norway
(1184–1202) who traveled this route with his army. The first post route came over this way in 1647. The road got official status as a main road in the year 1791.
Maristova in Filefjell
(built on Queen Margaret
's command around 1390) and Nystuen in Vang (first mentioned in 1627 but believed to be much older) are guest houses that provided for travelers along the road. The hosts of the shelters were compensated by the king to aid travelers and provide shelter for those who used the road. This practice lasted until 1830.
Filefjell
Filefjell is a mountainous area between Lærdal and Valdres in Norway.It is the historical, as well as modern, main route, linking West Norway and Østlandet.-Etymology:...
, the mountainous area between Lærdal
Lærdal
Lærdal is a municipality in the southwestern part of Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Lærdalsøyri...
/Borgund
Borgund, Sogn og Fjordane
Borgund is a village and former municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It was part of the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center of Borgund was the village of Steinklepp, which has a store, a bank, and a school...
and Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is the historical main route linking Western Norway and Eastern Norway.
Due to the sometimes wet and marshy land in the valley bottom, the old trail runs farther up in the hill than the modern asphalt road does today. The old trail is still used for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
. It was named after King Sverre of Norway
Sverre of Norway
Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....
(1184–1202) who traveled this route with his army. The first post route came over this way in 1647. The road got official status as a main road in the year 1791.
Maristova in Filefjell
Filefjell
Filefjell is a mountainous area between Lærdal and Valdres in Norway.It is the historical, as well as modern, main route, linking West Norway and Østlandet.-Etymology:...
(built on Queen Margaret
Margaret I of Denmark
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Although she acted as queen regnant, the laws of contemporary Danish succession denied her formal queenship. Her title in Denmark was derived from her...
's command around 1390) and Nystuen in Vang (first mentioned in 1627 but believed to be much older) are guest houses that provided for travelers along the road. The hosts of the shelters were compensated by the king to aid travelers and provide shelter for those who used the road. This practice lasted until 1830.