Dag Hammarskjöld pilgrimage trail
The Dag Hammarskjöld trail is a modern pilgrimage trail in the heart of the Swedish mountains located in Norrbotten county. The area is also known as Sápmi, the cultural region traditionally inhabited by the Sámi people.
The trail starts by the Tourist station in Abisko and follows the King’s Trail for 105 kilometers before it ends by the town of Nikkaluokta.
About the trail
Dag Hammarskjöld found solace in the mountains and spent a lot of time discovering the nature around Abisko. He cared deeply about the environment and was on the board for the Swedish Tourist Association.
The Dag Hammarskjöld pilgrimage trail, named after its namesake, was inaugurated in 2004. Its creation was made possible through a collaboration between the Church of Sweden, the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, and the Swedish Tourist Association.
The trail was developed in close cooperation with the Sami people, lifting up existing sacred sites and routes in the area.
Meditation places
Along the trail there are seven meditation places with short texts taken from Dag Hammarskjöld’s ‘Markings’. The texts, written both in Swedish and Sami, are carved in stone and set at each meditation point. Hikers are invited to pause and reflect on the words and carry the ideas with them during the pilgrimage.
The first meditation site is located two kilometers from the start at Abisko tourist station offering even occasional visitors to the town an opportunity to undertake a short pilgrimage. The distances between the remaining meditation sites vary between 8 to 21 kilometers.
Pilgrims can choose to camp or stay overnight at the Swedish Tourist Association cabins located along the trail.
Photo: Maria Lundström Pedersen/Luleå stift
This text is drawn from the webpage created by the Church of Sweden and adapted to fit this webpage.