Overhalla
Municipality · Trøndelag
About Overhalla
Salmon beats on the Namsen and its tributary Bjøra, Ranem's 12th-century stone church and the Iron Age burial mounds at Bertnem.
Overhalla is the broad, open lower valley inland from Namsos: grain fields and cattle farms on old seabed, wide bogs, and a slow river cutting into banks of clay and sand. Wooded hills rise on both sides.
Most people pass through between the E6 and the coast. Stay a night in the old sleeping cars parked on a railway bridge over the river, or walk up Spannfjellet for the view along the valley.
Good to know
- Getting there: Fv760 follows the river from Grong; Fv17 turns north at Skogmo. Ranemsletta is about 25 min from Grong, 30 min from Namsos.
- Season: The sleeping cars are let in spring and summer; Koltjønnhytta serves coffee and waffles on Sundays from Christmas to Easter.
- Sleeping: Bjøra Camping (mid-May–August) and Fru Opdal Gårdshotell.
What to do and where to stay in Overhalla
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Ranem ChurchHistory & culture
A stone church from the late 1100s built of local marble and rubble; it burned in 1899 and was rebuilt on the medieval walls, keeping a 1678 baroque altarpiece.
Ranemsletta, by the Namsen · 20–40 min · all-year; interior at services or by arrangement
2Bertnem burial mounds culture trailHistory & culture
A 1.1 km return path to three Merovingian-period round mounds, the largest 6–7 m high and almost 50 m across, at a possible chieftain's seat.
Bertnem, on Fv760 between Skogmo and Ranemsletta · 30 min (1.1 km return) · snow-free season
3Hunn burial field and Skage ChurchHistory & culture
At Hunn, burial mounds opened to visitors in 1978 lie near Skage's 1903 neo-Gothic wooden church, where a 1997 dig suggested an old cult site.
Hunn, near Skage, on Fv17 about 15 km east of Namsos · 20–40 min · all-year
4Spannfjellet and VigdisvardenHike
A marked 7.2 km return hike via the Vigdisvarden cairn to the 474 m top, looking over the Namsen valley and, on clear days, towards Høylandet and Grong.
Above Skogmo, on the Overhalla–Grong border · 3 h (7.2 km return, 414 m ascent) · June–October
5KoltjønnhyttaHike
An easy walk or ski to a forest cabin by Koltjønna that serves coffee and waffles on Sundays from Christmas to Easter, with a fire pit and onward trail to Liakammen.
End of the road past Reinbjør, off Fv437 towards Skage · 1.5–3 h · all-year; café Sundays Christmas–Easter and some autumn weekends
6JernbanestienHike
A flat, universally designed 4 km path from Svalikrysset at Ranemsletta to Øysvoll on Melavegen, open all year, with parking at Haugum mølle.
Ranemsletta (Svalikrysset) to Øysvoll on Melavegen · 1–2 h (8 km return) · all-year
7Brennmoen burial fieldHistory & culture
One of Namdalen's largest burial fields, with 45 registered mounds, reached by a short 1.9 km loop off the gravel road through Øyesmoen near Øysletta.
Øyesmoen, near Øysletta, south of the Namsen on the Grong border · 45 min (1.9 km loop) · all-year (road ploughed in winter); mounds clearest when snow-free
8Sleeping cars on the Namsen railway bridgeLocal oddity
Retired NSB sleeping cars from the 1960s stand on an old railway bridge in the middle of the Namsen, kept close to original and let out as ten two-bed compartments.
Sørsivegen 3314, south bank of the Namsen, Overhalla · 15 min to look; overnight if booked · spring–summer
9Sørsivegen along the NamsenViewpoint
A quiet road along the south bank of the Namsen past salmon-fishing farms, which the regional guide recommends for the river views and a good chance of seeing moose.
South bank of the Namsen, between Skogmo and Øysletta · 30–45 min drive · all-year; moose most likely at dawn and dusk
10SkjørlandshattenHike
A 420 m top over Namdalen on a simple marked path, about 3 km each way with 310 m of climbing from the road end towards Solem and Himovatnet.
Road end towards Solem and Himovatnet, via Grøtåbrua · about 3 h return · May–October
Book something local
fishing
Salmon fishing on the Namsen at Mælen gård ↗
A family farm at Skage that sells salmon fishing on its Namsen beat in summer, with local food and a personal yoga session on request.
Mælen gård (namsenfiske.no) · Øvergata 16, 7860 Skage i Namdalen