Selbu
Municipality · Trøndelag
About Selbu
Shop for rose-patterned Selbu mittens at Mebonden, hike to the old Kvernfjellet millstone quarries in Skarvan og Roltdalen National Park and swim or paddle on long Lake Selbusjøen.
Selbu is the lower Nea valley and the long lake it runs into. Most farms lie on the open lowland round the east end of the lake; higher up the valley narrows, and forest gives way to mountain at 500–600 metres. Selbu knitting and its rose pattern are what the place is known for.
It suits a slow day on Fv705 between Hell and Røros, or a night or two for farm cafés, the Garbergselva gorge and the 1901 church at Selbustrand across the lake.
Good to know
- Getting there: Fv705 leaves the E6 at Hell and runs on to Tydal and Røros. Mebonden is about 1 h 15 from Trondheim, 45 minutes from Værnes.
- Season: The Kvernfjellet millstone quarries are a July–September walk; the radio and TV museum opens summer weekends, late May to early September.
- Sleeping: Selbu Camping, open all year, and Marienborg Gjestgiveri og Camping near Mebonden.
- Food: Selbu lemse at Berge Gård farm café, and handmade chocolate from Jentene på Tunet's farm shop.
What to do and where to stay in Selbu
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Selbu ChurchHistory & culture
A converted-sandstone church from about 1150 with a west tower whose bell is dated 1283, a 1656 baroque altarpiece, and a role as polling church in 1814.
Mebonden, Selbu centre · 20–40 min · All year outside; open inside in summer (check times), otherwise at services or by arrangement
2Selbu Bygdemuseum and HusflidscentralHistory & culture
The local museum in the 1750 parsonage by Selbu church, with some of the oldest Selbu mittens and a Guinness-listed giant one; the shop sells mittens and local yarn.
Gjelbakken 16, Mebonden · 45–60 min · All year for the shop (phone hours Thu–Sat 11–16); check museum hours
3Norwegian Radio and Television MuseumHistory & culture
A private collection of old radios and TV sets in Selbu, with guided tours of the radio and television halls at weekends in summer.
Sjøbygdvegen 827, Selbu · 1–2 h · Late May–early September, weekend guided tours (check before going); groups by booking
4Kvernfjellet millstone quarriesHike
About 1,000 millstone quarries on Høgfjellet in Skarvan og Roltdalen National Park, worked until about the First World War, with a rebuilt quarry hut as a rest stop.
Høgfjellet and Kvernfjellvatna, Skarvan og Roltdalen National Park · Long day walk (several hours each way) from the road end at Hoemskjølen · July–October
5Roltdalen old spruce forestNature
The largest roadless wooded valley in southern Trøndelag, with spruce over 200 years old, old tar kilns and Sami reindeer-herding sites.
Skarvan og Roltdalen National Park, north of Fv705 · Half day to several days · June–October; winter routes for skiers
6Paddling SelbusjøenActivity
One of Norway's 20 largest lakes at 58 km² and 206 m deep, shared with Trondheim; the tourist boat stopped in 2019, so bring your own canoe or kayak.
Selbusjøen, from Mebonden or Selbustrand · 1 h to a full day · June–September
7Selbustrand ChurchHistory & culture
The 1901 church of Selbustrand village on the north shore of Selbusjøen, about 5 km across the lake from Mebonden.
Selbustrand, north side of Selbusjøen · 15–20 min · All year
8Røsbekken mineHistory & culture
A small mid-1800s iron mine with a flooded sloping pit and a cutting up to 4 m deep, signposted with a board on the local rocks; keep out of the flooded pit.
North of Røsåsen farm, Selbustrand; tractor track to the stream, 20 m north of the bridge
9Garbergselva river gorgeNature
Selbu's only sizeable undeveloped river drops about 300 m to Selbusjøen through a gorge rated very important for nature; Prestfossen is Selbu's largest fall. Steep, slippery banks.
From Stråsjøen–Prestøyan nature reserve down to Selbusjøen; falls include Kjelstadfossen and Prestfossen