The newest addition to the Cultural Route of St. Olav Ways (certified in 2010) opened in Finland on the 24^th of May at Turku Cathedral. As a part of St. Olav Ways, St. Olav Waterway is Finland’s third Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, along with the Hansa and the Viking Routes. 150 delegates from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany attended the opening seminar.

Riitta Kaivosoja, Director General, Department of Art and Cultural Policy, Finnish Ministry of Education elaborated on the potential for European Cultural Route Cooperation in Finland, both within the existing route networks and of new candidate routes that are being promoted in Finland.

Hans Morten Lövröd, Route Manager of St. Olav Ways presented the paths to Trondheim– a Contemporary Pilgrimage and talked about the importance of the new connection between Norway, Sweden and Finland.

The following day a message of friendship from The Archbishop of Finland and Turku, Tapio Luoma to Bishop Herborg Finnset of Trondheim was announced in three languages in Turku Cathedral. The parchment is being sent by foot and water 1200km, from Turku, Finland to Trondheim in Norway.

St Olav Waterway connecting Finland to Sweden over the Åland Islands started as a dream amongst a small number of enthusiasts on a rural island in the Finnish archipelago and resulted in a 3 year long Central Baltic Intereg financed project with the resulting amalgamation into the St Olav Ways route network to Trondheim.