Child Wanderer Path in Kvinesdal: Årli - Presten

Enjoy a walk and experience some history and stories along the way about a preacher and his family.

This is the first few kilometers of the childreans walking trail that runs from Kvinesdal. The trail is divided into seven stages totalling about 136km to Landvik in Grimstad. Distance: 13 km (return) Time: About 5 hours.

The terrain is quite open and passes several beautiful lakes with a great vantage point along the way. The highest point on the first leg is about five hundred meters above sea level in front of 'The Priest' which is approx  2/3 of the first leg ending at the memorial park at Snartemo. Parallel to and slightly south of the children hiking trail passes the so-called 'Prestvegen' (Preachers Wall).

A legend tells of a priest that drove by horse and sleigh on the ice and snowy roads of Kvinesdal to Hægebostad church. Along the way he came out of a strong snowstorm. When he arrived at 'vegvisarstein' (road view stone) he threw out some salmon to ease the load on the sleigh. So now there is a signpost that says 'laksen' (salmon). Futher east they had to stop the sled because the horse plunged over the cliff at Stora Hestvatnet (there are signs where this happened).

The legend tells that a small choir boy and the dog that was with the priest died at Grotjødn (signposted). There is also stone cross where the priest died. It is said that the priest's wife was the last to die and there is a top of the mountain named after her called Prestefruå (Priest's wife).