60.8390° N · 11.4838° E

Svartbekken

Just beyond Løten, the landscape shifts into the westernmost reach of the taiga: The vast boreal forest that stretches continuously across Scandinavia and Siberia to the Pacific Ocean.

These vast pine forests have long shaped local history. Løten is the birthplace of painter Edvard Munch (born at nearby Engelaug in 1863), who drew early inspiration from the quiet Hedmark landscape. Decades later, poet Rolf Jacobsen famously described this northern forest belt as “Earth’s green scarf.”

The trail leads along Svartbekken, an old stream crossing on the historic road between Løten and Elverum. For centuries a vital corridor for timber workers and travelers, the spot is also famous for the 1875 Svartbekken robbery—an event that led to Norway’s last public execution in peacetime.

Today, the drama has given way to quiet woodland paths. Tucked into the pine forest nearby lies Svartskogkoia, a traditional DNT cabin offering a simple shelter for hikers exploring this historic stretch of the taiga.