Siljansnäs - Åsengården, St Olav Rombo Way Stage 14

Experience beautiful environs and historical culture. You walk between the villages of Siljansnäs, on paths through the woods, past chalets and high up with a view over lake Siljan. The trail runs on gravel roads and forest paths. By Åsengården the path is steep for about one kilometre.

You pass Limå works, an old iron works that was sited here because of the forest – making iron uses a lot of coal. The iron ore had to be transported here. Today the blast furnace building, and the large manor house remain.

The Pilgrim’s Chapel has a lovely setting by Svarttjärnen lake. Have a bath, “fika” or just enjoy the stillness.

Read more about the stage

The stage takes you from Siljansnäs towards Olsnäsgården, from there the stage goes through the forest to Limåviken. Anyone who pays attention can find the a dwarf cornel plant, which is not at all common in these parts of Sweden. The path continues along Limåviken to Limå bruk, a culturally and historically exciting place where there was life and movement when the business was up and running.

The stage then follows the gravel road until Jobsarbo and from here the Romboleden and Siljansleden follow the same route to Åsengården. Along the road from Jobsarbo to Åsengården, you pass three sheds (wind shelters) where it is good to rest. It can be good to fill up with energy because it leads uphill, first to Hjulbäcksåsen with a magnificent view of Siljansbygden. After that, it is a gentle descent to Svarttjärn, where perhaps the area's finest shelter is located. Take the opportunity to take a break, and perhaps a bath, at Svarttjärn.

Then follows - by the standards of the Siljan region - a long and steep uphill to Åsengården.

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.

Thanks to the landowners – show consideration when hiking

St Olav Rombo Way runs mainly through actively cultivated forest and agricultural land. Thanks to the generosity of the landowners and the cooperation with non-profit organizations, you have the opportunity to hike through landscapes that would otherwise be inaccessible.

As a hiker, it is important to remember that you are walking on someone else's land. Show consideration by sticking to the trail, avoiding to disturb animals, crops and ongoing work. Leave nature as you found it - or even better.

Leave nothing but footprints along the trail.