Things to see and do Stiklestad

The Stiklestad Cultural Centre, opened in 1992, is designed as a walk through the history of King Olav. Born a pagan and baptized in Rouen, Olav Haraldsson, later called Olav the Saint, was the one who imposed Christianity in Norway by the force of his sword. Impressive re-enactments in an open-air theatre allow tourists to immerse themselves in this period and in particular in the great battle that took place on these now peaceful fields.

This church was erected on the battle site, and its altar is on the very spot where St. Olav fell. St. Olav is immortalized in a statue by the sculptor Dyre Vaa, which depicts him holding his golden cross over the heads of his subjects. Every year, for almost 1,000 years, some 300 enthusiasts have gathered on the battlefields to re-enact the same tragedy on the saint's feast day, June 29. This gigantic theatrical performance attracts more than 20,000 spectators. The choir of the church houses frescoes by Alf Rolfsen (1930).

Austrått has existed since the Renaissance. Its history is partly told in Ibsen's play Lady Inger of Austrått, which paints a powerful picture of the 16th-century mistress of Austrått. In the 17th century, the Danish governor Ove Bjelke had the medieval building razed to the ground and replaced it with the present castle dating from 1656. Austrått then became a defensive place, rearmed in an increasingly modern way for each era. Closed in 1968, it was renovated in 1990 and opened to visitors. Cafeteria and walking paths.