Historien blir levande – Emma vill inspirera barn och unga att upptäcka pilgrimsleden Romboleden och Härjedalens rika kulturarv

Ancient pilgrimage routes, church history, and local stories that are in danger of being forgotten. With her new book, Emma Jönses hopes to spark an interest in the history of Härjedalen among children and young people and give them a deeper understanding of the landscape they live in.

Local Trail Coordinator for the Romboleden Trail Releases a Book

Emma Jönses lives in Lillhärdal and serves as the local trail coordinator for the Romboleden Trail in her home region. For several years, Emma has been working to locate old trails, gather historical facts, mark trails, install trail posts, and paint trail markings to restore the historic Romboleden pilgrimage trail. The entire trail is 85 mil long, starting in Köping and ending in Trondheim at Nidaros Cathedral, home to the relics of St. Olav. The section through Lillhärdal was long a “black hole” on the Romboleden, but thanks to strong local involvement, it has been revitalized. Today, a handful of people continue to develop the trail together with several local trail coordinators along its entire length.

For Emma, it’s important that the residents of the region are familiar with the Romboleden and see it as a natural part of their local identity and cultural history.

Emma is a high school teacher of history and Swedish and has worked in various types of schools and in several different roles for nearly 20 years. Her interest in history shapes both her professional life and her free time. In her teaching, she enjoys leaving the classroom to take her students out into the woods and countryside, where history can be experienced firsthand rather than just read about in a textbook.

In her free time, Emma reads historical novels, visits museums and historical sites, and enjoys delving into ancient ruins and old maps. Her interest in local cultural heritage has led to her deep involvement with the Romboleden trail.

For several years, Emma has worked to locate old trails, gather historical facts, mark trails, drive in posts, and paint trail markers. The section through Lillhärdal was long a “black hole” on the Romboleden, but thanks to local involvement, it has been revitalized. Today, a handful of people continue to develop the trail together.

For Emma, it’s important that the residents of the region are familiar with the Romboleden and see it as a natural part of their local identity and cultural history.

A Book About Pilgrimage Trails and the History of Härjedalen

The book is about the pilgrimage routes to Nidaros and why people began walking there about a thousand years ago. It tells the story of the old roads and trails, what they looked like, and how they eventually evolved into connections that brought people and communities together.

Readers also gain a deeper understanding of Härjedalen’s ecclesiastical history and the local history along the routes. The grand narrative of pilgrimage is interwoven with the history that still remains in the landscape.

A book that was missing

The idea for the book was born when Emma was looking for literature on the history of Härjedalen for her son, who is interested in history. She quickly discovered that there were almost no modern history books for children and young adults—and that, in general, it was difficult to find recent literature on the region’s history.

The solution was to write the book that was missing.

For young readers—and anyone interested in history

The book is primarily written for children and young people in Härjedalen. The aim is to give them an understanding of the history that has shaped the place where they live and are growing up.

At the same time, the book is structured into chapters with varying levels of depth, which means that adult readers can also gain a great deal from it.

It is particularly well-suited for those interested in pilgrimage routes, the story of St. Olav, local history, church history, and the ancient travel routes that have connected people and communities for centuries.

Anyone planning to hike one of the pilgrimage routes in Härjedalen will also have a richer experience by reading the book. People with ties to Härjedalen or neighboring municipalities will also recognize many of the places and stories highlighted in the book.

Where can you find the book?

The book is available for purchase from most online bookstores, including Bokus and Adlibris.

By combining pilgrimage history with local history, Emma hopes to inspire more people to discover the rich history that surrounds us—both within the book’s pages and out along the trails where history was once made.