Köping-Kolsva, St Olav Rombo Way Stage 1

Between the medieval town of Köping and the industrial community of Kolsva the Romboleden runs along the old KUJ railway embankment. The railway was built to carry ore and iron from Bergslagen to the lake Mälaren. It is flat and easily walked and you can just as easily cycle.

This stage takes you through farmland and now and then through the woods. You will see the impressive Ströbohög mound that is believed to be a royal grave from the Iron Age and Malma Church that is one of the region’s first and oldest. During medieval times the parish ran all the way into Dalarna. The starting point for the whole Romboleden is Köping’s Church. It is from here that St. Olav is said to have fled to Russia by boat. The church is dedicated to the Saint.

Walk in the footsteps of the pilgrims

Romboleden (Rombo Way) is a pilgrimage route that people began using in the 11th century. The Romboleden is Sweden’s longest pilgrimage route at 900 kilometres long. It starts in Köping in Västmanland and finishes in Trondheim on the Norwegian Atlantic coast. If you walk the entire trail, you will experience a beautiful and varied landscape. You will walk on old chalet paths, over mountains with magnificent vistas and along narrow country gravel roads. You will find easy one-day walks with cafés along the way, and long treks that take several days. The route often passes through small villages.

Would you like to walk with a Pilgrim’s Passport and collect stamps from each stage? The medieval Pilgrim’s Passport allowed a pilgrim to walk in the whole of Europe without being stopped by rules or boundaries. These days it is just a nice memento. The Pilgrim’s Passport can be collected at several stage starting points and from the web page of Rombo Way.