The St. Olav Ways (Olavitee) gains new momentum in Lihula – work is under way on Saaremaa, and Lääne County is getting started!

On 26 February 2026, representatives of local governments from Lääne County and Saare County, the Bishop of Saare-Lääne, parish pastors, and representatives of the Padise Museum and the Ministry of Culture gathered at Lihula Manor to discuss the current status and next steps in establishing the St Olaf Pilgrimage Route.

The central message of the meeting was clear: work on the Olav Route is already under way on Saaremaa, and the Lihula meeting provides the impetus to begin the work in Lääne County as well.

An overview was given of the work carried out so far on Saaremaa, where the route has been mapped from the Sõrve Peninsula to Pöide Church, with work set to continue on Muhu in the spring. The planned route length on Saaremaa is approximately 250 km, and around twenty people have already been actively involved in the project. The meeting also addressed issues of waymarking, certification, and international cooperation. Saaremaa’s experience shows that establishing the route requires close cooperation between local communities, landowners, parishes, and the tourism sector, and the smart use of existing paths rather than the creation of parallel systems.

The Lihula meeting marks the point at which the development of the St. Olav Ways will move forward in a systematic way in Lääne County as well. As short-term steps, participants agreed to meet with the State Forest Management Centre (RMK), to form regional working groups, to map potential funding opportunities, and to begin outreach to landowners on the mainland. In the longer term, the goals are to finalize the mapping of the main route, to establish a unified waymarking system, and to develop an accommodation and services network.

Shared history, shared route

The meeting repeatedly emphasized that the St. Olav Ways must be created locally—through community initiative and in cooperation with the Church, local authorities, and state institutions.

The practical work already begun on Saaremaa, together with the shared understanding reached in Lihula, provides a solid foundation for the St Olaf Pilgrimage Route to become a vibrant connecting path in Western Estonia—one that links history, spirituality, and contemporary walking culture.

The St. Olav Ways is not merely a line on a map; it is part of the shared history of Estonia and Scandinavia, and a living cultural route taking shape step by step.