Tindra and the Queen’s Route
Tindra was in Nyksund, her little home, looking thoughtfully out of her window. Even though Nyksund was full of life and there was always something happening, she felt a restless itch in her feet. “I want to experience something new,” she thought.
Again and again, she had heard tourists talk about the “Dronningruta,” a hiking trail praised for its beauty. “That sounds exciting,” she thought. “I have to try it!”
The next morning, she decided to set off. She walked out of Nyksund towards Trollvika, the small bay where Hellen the Huldra lived. The trail began in front of a small cabin.
“Where are you off to?” called Hellen as she saw Tindra approaching.
“I’m going to hike the Dronningruta,” Tindra replied with sparkling eyes.
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Hellen said with a smile. “But do you know why people call this trail the ‘Dronningruta’?”
Tindra shook her head. “Does it have a special meaning?” she asked.
Hellen laughed. “Of course! ‘Dronning’ means ‘queen’ in Norwegian. It’s called the Queen’s Route because our Queen Sonja hiked this round trip for the first time in 1994.”
Tindra’s eyes widened. “That can’t be true! Arne the Whale told me that schoolchildren have been walking this trail much earlier.”
“Almost right, Tindra,” explained Hellen. “The schoolchildren used to walk a coastal path from Nyksund to Stø, which is about five kilometers long. But in 1993, someone had the idea of making it a round trip.”
“Who had that idea?” Tindra asked curiously.
“It was someone from DNT, the Norwegian Trekking Association,” said Hellen. “A woman from DNT walked from Stø to Nyksund, but before reaching Nyksund, she followed the sheep tracks over the mountains back to Stø. That’s how the round trail was discovered. She marked the path with red ‘T’s – the symbol for hiking trails in Norway.”
“And what happened in 1994?” asked Tindra.
“The important thing,” Hellen continued, “was that the request for the round trail came from none other than Queen Sonja herself! She was also the first to officially walk the entire round trip. Since then, the trail has been called the Dronningruta. The queen returned many times after that—sometimes to hike, sometimes just to visit Nyksund. The trail inspired so many people that in 2015, it was named ‘Hiking Trail of the Year’ by the Norwegian magazine Friluftsliv.”
“How exciting!” exclaimed Tindra. “Then I’ll now follow in the queen’s footsteps!”
“You should,” said Hellen, “but don’t forget to bring enough water. You can refill your bottle in Stø, but until then, it’s ten kilometers with no water.”
Tindra thanked her for the advice and set off. First, she climbed Nyken, the proud mountain that towers over Nyksund. Then she continued to Mælen and up to Finngamheia, the highest point of the route. Tindra had learned earlier that Finngamheia is a Sámi term, which indicated that there had been Sámi settlements here in the past. At 448 meters above sea level, she couldn’t believe her eyes: Egil the Elk was standing right in the middle of the path.
“Hello, Tindra!” he greeted her. “Are you out exploring?”
“Yes,” Tindra replied, laughing. “I’m following the queen’s trail.”
“That sounds exciting. May I join you?” asked Egil.
“Of course!” Tindra exclaimed.
Together they continued hiking, up and down hills and through valleys.
“Egil,” Tindra asked after a while, “why are there so many birches here, but also large pine forests that look like they’ve been planted by humans?”
Egil nodded. “That’s a long story. After the war, people needed a lot of timber to rebuild houses and farms. They cut down many birches, but later realized how important birches are for preventing avalanches and stabilizing the soil. By then, it was too late. Birches grow very slowly here, so they planted pines instead, as they grow faster. Now, 60 years later, they’re trying to cut down the pines and replant birches. But it will take a long time before the landscape is back to how it once was.”
“You know so much!” Tindra said, impressed.
Shortly before they reached Stø, Tindra pointed to a mountain. “Egil, look! That mountain looks like a candle with wax dripping down.”
“That’s a sign that there used to be permafrost here, a remnant of the last Ice Age,” explained Egil. “Permafrost is ground that stays frozen all year round. Sometimes it thaws, causing the ground to slide, and then it freezes again. That’s why it looks like melted wax.”
In Stø, Tindra refilled her water bottle at a small, square-shaped lake. “This lake looks strange,” she noted.
“That’s an ice pond,” explained Egil. “It was made to cut ice blocks that were used to keep fish cool during transport.”
“Is there anything you don’t know?” Tindra asked, laughing.
“Probably,” said Egil. “But what that might be, I can’t think of right now.”
After a while, they reached a large beach where Christoph the Seal was playing in the water.
“Hello, Christoph!” called Tindra. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m just splashing around,” Christoph replied. “This is my favorite bay.”
“It’s so beautiful and quiet here,” Tindra said.
“Not always,” Christoph said. “In the summer, people come here to swim, even though the water is only eight degrees.”
Christoph continued, “But a long time ago, people lived here too—since the last Ice Age, actually. If you look carefully, you can find old ruins. People lived here for thousands of years, though not continuously. The Black Death in the 14th century wiped out many of the settlements along this coast. After that, it became very quiet here.”
Tindra was amazed. “This land we’re walking on is truly full of history!”
After saying goodbye to Christoph, they continued on. The last climb took them up a steep slope.
“We have to go over this hill,” said Egil. “There’s no shortcut. The slopes around Mælen towards Trollvika are too steep and slippery to walk.”
After climbing the slope, Egil stopped. “This is where our paths part,” he said. “I’ll stay here to nibble on some birch leaves. You’ll manage the rest on your own, Tindra.”
“Thank you for coming with me, Egil!” Tindra called as she continued toward Trollvika, where Hellen was waiting.
“How was the hike?” asked Hellen.
“Exciting!” Tindra exclaimed. “I walked in the footsteps of the queen, the schoolchildren, and even the sheep. I passed through ancient settlements without even realizing it at first. I’ve learned so much about the history of this coast today!”
Hellen nodded knowingly. “And before you head home after this long journey, remember one thing: the children of the past weren’t done when they reached this point. They had to ask fishermen to row them back to Nyksund. The road you use now didn’t exist until 1961.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to rely on a fisherman today,” Tindra sighed. “I’m so tired.”
With those words, she said goodbye to Hellen and made her way back to Holmvik Brygge. At home, she nestled into her cozy nest and dreamed of ancient settlements, queens, and all the people who had lived along this coast for thousands of years. By living here now, she felt like she was part of that story.
