Oppdal

Oppdal lies in the mountain valleys south of Trondheim, where the road over Dovrefjell connects central Norway with Gudbrandsdalen. In the Middle Ages pilgrims crossed this route toward the shrine of St Olaf at Nidaros; mountain stations such as Kongsvoll and Drivstua offered food and shelter. The Black Death caused farms to be abandoned, and the community recovered slowly. A new church was built at Vang in 1653 to replace an older stave church. The steep road known as Vårstigen, between Kongsvoll and Drivstua, was made passable for vehicles in 1700. Farming and livestock supported the valley's households alongside the work of maintaining travel through the mountains.