The 110 km long hiking route Kongevegen over Filefjell - The King's Road across Filefjell - takes you through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Norway; from the inland villages of Valdres across the mountain pass on Filefjell down to the narrow and dramatic fjord landscape in the innermost part of the Sognefjord. Kongevegen over Filefjell has won the prestigious awards Europa Nostra Grand Prix (2017) and Vakre Vegars Pris (2015). 

Length: 100 km
Duration estimate: 2-6 days
Season: Almost all year round in the Lærdalen Valley, approx. 1 May - 15 October in Vang and 10 June - 1 October across Filefjell. It is also possible to walk with snow shoes or ski (back-country skies are recommended as there is no groomed track) during the winter.
Difficulty: Medium

Kongevegen is divided into 13 sections where each section has its own entrance and exit with parking.

History

Ever since prehistoric times, people have traveled over Filefjell. During the Middle Ages, the road over Filefjell was considered to be the most used mountain crossing between Eastern and Western Norway. Most of our saga kings traveled over the mountains, roughly on the same road that we use today. At the same time, this stretch of the Kin'd Road had a reputation for being among the most difficult and dangerous in the country. There was a great need for improvements in order to make the conditions for the transport of people and goods easier. From the 1790s, the old bridle and packhorse track was replaced by a four-metre wide road built with manpower where one could drive with horse-drawn carriges. It was an ambitious construction and communications project in its time and was based on «the French principle» – a construction technique involving straight lines wherever possible, high-quality drainage and a roadway built on foundation material. The Bergen King's Road became the first road between Eastern Norway (Oslo) and Western Norway (Bergen). The section between Vang and Lærdal - now Kongevegen across Filefjell - formed the most spectacular part of the Bergen King's Road. Today, it is one of the finest historical road monuments in Europe and is actively used by walkers from all over the world. Along the way you can experience a lot of Norwegian cultural history and cultural landscapes, including several stave churches.

Read more about Kongevegen here.