Snåsa: the lake, the mountains and South Sámi culture

Saemien Sijte, South Sámi museum

The only museum with national responsibility for South Sámi culture. Its new wood and stone building opened in June 2022 at Horjemstangen: exhibitions, shop and café.

Snåsavegen 340, 7760 Snåsa · saemiensijte.no

Snåsa Church

A stone church whose oldest part, now the choir and sacristy, dates from the first half of the 13th century; enlarged in the 19th century into a neo-Gothic cross church, it seats about 550.

The 17 May stone and Viosen

Norway's oldest 17 May monument: a 3.3 m stone carved "17. MAJI", raised in 1835 on Lysthusberget hill near the Vinje parsonage, on Ole Rynning's initiative. Nearby, Viosen, the old village centre, was a rare inland port, with a bakery, trading post and wharf, until the railway arrived in 1926.

Gjerstadhuset

The childhood home of Joralf Gjerstad (1926–2021), the "Snåsa man", a healer very well known in Norway, restored and open to the public since 2012; a small exhibition on his life is also at the Snåsa hotel.

Lake Snåsavatnet

At 122 km², it is Trøndelag's largest lake and the sixth largest in Norway. On its southern shore are the Bøla rock carvings; trout, char, canoeing and kayaking in summer.

Roaldsteinen hill fort

A rocky spur about 200 m high above Lake Snåsavatnet, probably fortified in the Iron Age as a refuge and lookout; 100 to 150 m of walls remain. Easy access, 800 m through woods and moorland, with tables and a fire pit at the top.

Bergsåsen reserve and its orchids

A limestone ridge east of Lake Snåsavatnet, protected since 1977 and enlarged in 2022 to 2,839 hectares, famous for its orchids: lady's slipper, fly orchid and some fifteen other species. Pick nothing.

The protected mountains

Blåfjella-Skjækerfjella National Park (1,924 km², created in 2004) covers much of the municipality. Snåsa Fjellstyre, which manages the state common land, rents out cabins there and sells fishing permits.

snasafjellstyre.no

Walks around the village

Sentrumsrunden (3.2 km, 1 h, church, Gjerstadhuset and heritage); Bergsåsen (5 km return, orchids, with the 330-step fitness stairs up to the viewpoint); Ålnestangen (5 km, a point on the lake, beaches and fishing); Roaldsteinen (1.7 km).

visitinnherred.com

In the mountains

Andorfjellet (847 m, 9.6 km return, 3 h, family-friendly); the Langvasshytta cabin facing the national park (9.2 km, 3 h); Plukkutjønnfjellet (20.3 km, 7 h), where a memorial marks the wreck of a B-24 Liberator bomber that crashed in 1944; and Skjækerhatten (1,139 m), the municipality's highest point, best done over two days with a night in a hut from Lake Lustadvatnet.

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Grønøra

On Lake Snåsavatnet, 15 km south of the centre: a gently shelving beach suited to children, barbecues and benches, a large car park with toilets and a wheelchair-accessible path to the water.

snasa.kommune.no

Viosen, Mossela, Vegset

Viosen, near the E6: sandy beach and jetty on the lake, parking. Mossela, between Agle and Mona: a calm spot for small children and livelier river stretches, accessible, toilets and parking. The beach at Vegset Camping is open to everyone.

snasa.kommune.no

Vegset Camping

At the north end of Lake Snåsavatnet, close to the E6: pitches for motorhomes, caravans and tents, simple summer cabins, new sanitary facilities open day and night (paid showers and laundry); small pebble beach, free barbecue area, trout and char fishing.

Vegset, 7760 Snåsa · Tel. +47 932 06 754

Snåsa Tourist Office

Tourist information is at the Arv local food shop: Wednesday and Thursday 12–5 pm, Friday 10 am–5 pm. Snåsa has its own station on the Nordland Line.

Busk Brunsvegs veg 4, 7760 Snåsa · Tel. +47 920 50 095