Tour de Dovre - on bike

Dovre Round

The new national park trail makes up part of Gudbrandsdalen's most beautiful round tour on two wheels. From Hjerkinn it's an easy ride down to Folldal. Choose between biking the main road or taking a small detour to Kvitdalen (recommended). In Folldal you can stock up on supplies before cycling into Grimsdalen, widely considered as Norway's most beautiful farm valley. Kilometres of gravel trail effortlessly roll by as you become submersed in the mountain-farm scenery. Along the way you'll find great accommodation and places to eat such as Fallet Nordre, Bergseng Seter and Grimsdalshytta Lodge. After a short steep climb, you'll suddenly be gazing at the staggeringly beautiful view of Dovre and Gudbrandsdalen valley.

Taking a detour into Haverdalen, along the 17-kilometre long cul-de-sac, is well worth the effort. You'll eventually reach Haverdalseter Cabin and the farmstead operating as it did 100 years ago, making sour cream and brown cheese in its own micro-dairy. 

After a quick turnaround, you'll soon arrive in Dovre. From Dovre, there are several ways to reach Dombås. Take either the high road past the pilgrim farmstead Budsjord, or the back road to Toftemo. Both roads lead you through beautiful cultural landscapes to Dombås, just in time to replenish some carbs at the Mosk Ox Grill

Rent a bike?

In summer, Dovrefjell Adventure offers bicycle rental from various companies over Dovrefjell mountain. It means you can simply take the train to Hjerkinn, rent a bike, cycle down to Dombås, deliver the bike there and take a train home again. During the summer season at Dombås, Dovrefjell Adventure also organises daily moose safaris on electric bikes!

This is Tour de Dovre:

• From Dombås, Tour de Dovre follows 32km of the newly built cycle path to Hjerkinn, beautifully laid and signposted for a great ride. From Hjerkinn the path is not marked, but follow the road to Folldal or the farm road into Kvitdalen, then further through Grimsdalen and down towards Dovre. Once down, you can either take the road to the centre of Dovre, or follow signs to Budsjord and then continue to Dombås.
• The recommended starting point is Dombås. The route can be cycled either way, but most start with the Dombås-Hjerkinn stretch. The entire round trip is about 130km, mostly on gravel paths and partly on asphalt.
• The road through Grimsdalen normally opens to traffic on 5 June, but can be cycled before then if it's clear of snow, but the road surface may be poor. The surface hardens later in the summer and is better for cycling. The road closes in autumn with the first snow fall, usually in October.
• Tour de Dovre offers spectacular detours and activities along the way: a trip up Snøhetta mountain and Viewpoint Snøhetta; the Musk Ox Safari; a visit to the Mining Museum in Folldal; horse riding at Hjerkinn or Kvistli; and the chance to experience traditional farm life, dining and accommodation in Grimsdalen, the beautiful farmsteads in Dovre. 
• An alternative route to cycle is "Mountain to Fjord" from Hjerkinn, down to Dombås, and then north on the marked cycle path to Lesja and Bjorli, with a charming run down the spectacular Romsdalen valley to the fjord at Åndalsnes.
• Another good alternative is to take the train to Hjerkinn and cycle the new national park road to Dombås. From there you can take the quiet Slådalsvegen, a gravel road from Lesja to Vågå. You may want to wander further over Valdresflye plateau and on to Beitostølen.