stave church

  • Bergen, Stave Churches

    How to get to Fantoft Stave Church

    How to get to Fantoft Stave Church

    If you’re spending a few days in Bergen, it’s well worth getting out of the city to explore the surrounding region. A popular place to go is the Edvard Grieg Museum, or you can go to one of the mountains for hike, but one of my suggestions is to go and visit Fantoft Stave Church.

    Many people ask me during my walking tours how to get there, and I’ve even had some say that they tried to get there and couldn’t find it! I think one of the reasons about why it’s so confusing is because it can be a little confusing on GPS, and there are also two ways to get to Fantoft – one hard and one easy.

    In this article, I’ve provide an easy to follow overview of how to get to Fantoft Stave Church. I’ll also explain a little bit about the church so you have some information about what you’ll be visiting.

    In this article...

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    History of Fantoft Stave Church

    If you are wondering what is a stave church, I have a whole dedicated page for that. You can visit by clicking here.

    Fantoft Stave Church wasn’t built on this site. It was originally constructed around the year 1150 at Fortun in Sogn, a village on the innermost point of the Sognefjord in Western Norway. If you drive on the Sognefjellet Tourist Road, you pass the site where the church used to stand. The church stood there until 1879, when the town needed a new church. This was fairly common at the time; towns were growing due to better hygiene and health conditions, and in the 19th century it was a requirement that churches could fit a substantial percentage of the population.

    The man who owned the region Fantoft, then a farming area, Consul Fredrik Georg Gade, decided to buy the stave church and rebuild it on his property. The church was moved piece-by-piece and reconstructed on his farm. Some renovations were done to the church to make it look more like Borgund Stave Church.

    Arson

    Fantoft Stave Church stood as a popular attraction until the 6th of June 1992, when it was destroyed by arson. This was the first in a string of church burnings by members of the early Norwegian black metal scene. However, at first it was believed that the church fire was caused by lightning or an electrical fail.

    Varg Vikenes, from the band Burzum, was found guilty of burning four churches in Norway. He had been accused of also burning Fantoft, but was found not guilty for that church. The jury has since called this an error but did not overturn the decision. This is probably because a photograph of the burnt church appears on the cover of the 1993 Burzum EP called Aske, the Norwegian word for ‘ashes’.

    Reconstruction

    Fantoft was reconstructed according to what it looked like before, and since 1997 it has had a fence around it to protect the church from any future arson attacks. There are also a number of security cameras in the area.

    Church Appearance

    The church today heavily resembles Borgund Stave Church, which has been used as the model for a number of church renovations.

    One of the most characteristic features are the dragon heads, which are on the roof. These are a pagan symbol to protect the building against evil forces. At the top of the church is a rooster weathervane, which represents Catholicism and St. Peter.

    The stone cross outside the church is an original cross, believed to have been made in Norway before the first churches were built. It was moved here and the grave is fake to make the church look more authentic.

    Detailed overviews of how stave churches are constructed can be found on my stave church page.

    The Two Paths to Fantoft

    As I mentioned at the beginning, there are two paths to Fantoft: an easy one and a complicated one.

    The easy one is reached by driving or taking the Bybanen. The complicated one is reached by taking the public bus.

    Why is the complicated one, well, complicated? To get to the church from the public bus it’s a very steep path that is guaranteed to be slippery in winter. It’s also not as well-marked as the other path, so it’s easy to get lost. The bus also takes longer and requires one change.

    Getting to Fantoft: the Bybanen

    The best way to get to Fantoft Stave Church is to take the Bybanen from Bergen city centre.

    The Bybanen is the light-rail that goes between the city centre and the airport. From the first stop on the line, Byparken, it will take around 20 minutes to get to Fantoft.

    How to buy a ticket? Easy! There are ticket machines at the Byparken station. You can also download the Skyss app and use that.

    Where to get off? Easy! The stop is called ‘Fantoft’.

    Walking to Fantoft (from Bybanen)

    Okay, here’s the easiest way to walk there without getting lost.

    1. Once you get off the Bybanen, turn left
    2. You’ll see a Meny supermarket. Turn left onto the road just after the Meny (Fantoftvegen is the name)
    3. Follow Fantoftvegen. It will go up-hill slightly. You’ll pass a plant shop across the street on the right.
    4. You’ll eventually see a huge apartment block on the left that looks like a massive roof. You’re getting close! (See picture below for what the building looks like)
    5. Eventually, across the street from the apartment block is the parking for Fantoft Stave Church
    6. The road veers off to the left for a huge concrete office building. To the right of that road, you’ll see a walking path with a sign that says “Stavkirke” – that means stave church!
    7. Follow the walking path for a couple minutes. There will be a huge rock in the middle, and the path kind of (but not really) splits in two. Head to the left
    8. There is Fantoft Stave Church!

    In total, the whole walk takes less than 10 minutes and is not very steep.

    What if I take a taxi?

    Taxi’s are much easier than public transport, of course. However, Norwegian taxi’s are very expensive. Estimate it to cost at least 200 NOK for a one way trip. There is also no taxi rank near Fantoft, so you’ll have to call a taxi to come and get you.

    Visiting inside the church

    While it does look nicer outside than it does inside, I do recommend visiting the inside of Fantoft Stave Church.

    The church is open to the public throughout the summer months.

    In 2022, the church will be open from the 15th of May until the 15th of September and it costs 70 NOK per adult to visit the church.

    You can visit their website here: https://fantoftstavkirke.no/informasjon/

    It’s in Norwegian, but the important bits are clear to see.

    Final Thoughts

    Overall, there’s no need to overcomplicate it by using public buses. Fantoft is very easy to access with the light rail Bybanen. While the bus stops look closer on Google Maps, the path is steep and poorly marked. the light rail is lovely and the path is a pleasant walk. If you follow my route, you’ll be able to visit Fantoft Stave Church easily during your stay in Bergen.

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Flåm, Lærdal, Stave Churches

    Why You Should Visit Borgund Stave Church

    Why You Should Visit Borgund Stave Church

    No trip to Norway is complete without a visit to Borgund Stave Church. But why this church out of the 28 remaining stave churches in the country? I’ll admit, Borgund Stave Church is not my favourite in the country, but it is very important. After all, Bogund is exceptionally well preserved and recognised as the most distinctive stave church in Norway. So, if you want to get an idea of the original stave churches, this one is great.

    Borgund Stave Church is about 30km southeast of the town Laerdal, which is close to Flåm. The church stands on the historic main road between east and west Norway. Today the European Highway 16 (E16) follows the old main road. It’s one of the best known, most photographed, and best-preserved stave churches in the country.

    I’ve written a useful overview of Borgund Stave Church, so you know why it’s so special. Also, it’s nice to know what to look for when visiting! If you have any tips or questions, please leave them in the comments.

    In this article...

    Lærdal Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    Borgund Stave Church

    Early History & Position

    The exact age of Borgund Stave Church is unknown. It is possibly as old as 1150 when looking at the timber. However, the church is generally regarded as being from around the year 1200. It is dedicated to the apostle Andrew.

    Borgund Stave Church is on the historic main road between east and west Norway, which was primarily used as a trade route for over 1000 years. This part of the valley widens, and the Laerdal River flows through it. With its strategic position, it’s clear to see why it became such an important place of worship. But it’s not just about trade: the valley has an abundance of pine trees, and it was necessary to build close to a pine forest. The valley is also sheltered in this section.

    The first written mention of Borgund Stave Church is in a land register in the diocese of Bergen, written down shortly after 1350. Borgund is in many written documents as the church has always been important to the study of stave churches.

    Important Worshipping Site

    The location of the church is important. Being on the main road meant that travellers couldn’t help but be influenced by the church and the new Catholic religion. There was a sacrificial site on the hill, and animal bones have been found there. Perhaps the area was once used by pagans, giving another reason for building a church here. The old stone altar in the church probably once stood on the sacrificial site.

    Construction Method

    The church is very well documented, especially compared to other stave churches in the country. Stave churches get their name from their construction method. Here at Borgund, you can see the vertical wooden beams along the walls holding up the roof.

    The church is built according to a basilica plan with a raised central nave. Structurally, the building is a ‘cube within a cube’, each cube being independent of one another. The inner ‘cube’ has continuous columns that rise from the ground level to support the roof. ‘Saint Andrew Crosses’ link the columns: these carry supports that offer the visual equivalent of a ‘second story’. While not a functional gallery, it is reminiscent of contemporary second-story galleries elsewhere in Europe.

    Around the exterior of the church is a corridor with a roof. A guide once said that this is where the Vikings would keep their swords and shields while they attended church. But another common theory is that it was where people gathered before and after mass, and the roof provided shelter.

    Dragon Heads

    One of the most known characteristics of a stave church is its dragons’ heads on the roof, but very few stave churches in Norway have dragon’s heads. Borgund Stave Church is one of the very few with carved dragon’s heads. They are from the 18th century and likely copies of the earlier heads.

    Dragons heads are also found on Lom Stave Church and Urnes Stave Church. I visited both on my Ultimate Norwegian Roadtrip.

    Why dragons heads? I’m working on a separate article that explains the construction and symbolism in stave churches in much more depth, but we can talk about the dragons’ heads a little here too. Christianity came to this region around 997, around 200 years before Borgund Stave Church. It’s believed that the population continued to keep to the pagan tradition and faith well into the Christian times. Because of that, many pagan symbols with pre-Christian backgrounds, including dragons, have made it onto Christian buildings.

    Dragons’ heads feature on Viking ships, and they are believed to keep evil spirits away. That is one reason why they are on stave churches. Another reason is that the construction of the roof is like shipbuilding, and since dragons feature on ships, they should be on the roof too.

    Fun fact: the dragons’ heads weren’t only for style: they also formed the churches drainage system!

    Changes after the Reformation

    Stave churches were not spared from the Reformation that swept Norway in the 1530s. The conversion to Lutheran Protestantism saw many changes in these old Catholic Churches. At Borgund, benches line the walls: during Catholic times, it was compulsory to stand for hours! The pulpit and nave are from Lutheran times, and the walls are rose-painted: some of the rose-painting has survived.

    Another common feature of a post-Reformation church is the introduction of windows so the community could read scripture. Borgund got many new windows but all except one have been removed in a later renovation.

    19th century growth & restoration

    The community around Borgund experienced a huge rise in population in the early 19th century. By the 1840s the stave church was too small for the public. The new Borgund Church is from 1868, the same year service at the stave church ended. Rather than tear the stave church down, as what happened to many stave churches, Borgund was preserved. This is probably because it had been so well documented and painted throughout history. The general perception had been that Borgund was special. So, it was sold to the Preservation for Ancient Norwegian Monuments.

    A large amount of restoration work was done on the church to bring it closer to its medieval form. The pews were removed, except for the ones from the 1150s along the wall. The window openings were closed, except for one window. Some of the original paintwork was restored too.

    Wooden carvings

    Like Urnes Stave Church (which is UNESCO World Heritage-listed), Borgund Stave Church has a lot of detail around its western portal. In addition to animal motifs, there are acanthus vines, fighting snakes and flying dragons. Due to being found in many places in this part of Norway, they are places under a collective term called the Sogn-Valdres Group (Sogn and Valdres are two regions: Sogn after the Sognefjord and Valdres in central Norway).

    Why pagan carvings around the door? Well, like the dragons’ heads, it’s believed the new Christians kept to some of their pagan traditions. Another reasoning is that Christian authorities may have interpreted the pagan symbols as the struggle between good and evil, in line with Christian medieval art. After all, in Christian art, the dragon was often used as a symbol for the devil. So, the carvings probably had a protective quality. The carvings at Urnes Stave Church are also read as the struggle between good and evil, or between paganism and Christianity.

    Sadly part of the carvings was damaged after the church door was rebuilt in the 1820s. One of the stave churches caught fire in 1822 and 113 people died because the doors opened inwards and they were unable to get out. After that, a rule was made that all churches had to have doors that opened outwards.

    Runic inscriptions

    When visiting a stave church, always be on the lookout for rune inscriptions! There are several ones here. Most are on the walls of the church’s west portal. One reads: “Thor wrote these runes in the evening at the St. Olav’s Mass”.

    Interior decoration

    The interior of Borgund is very dark, so it is useful to have a guide with you. They have torches and can show you all the individual features.

    There is little inside, and some may be disappointed, but it is also very true to what stave churches looked like inside during medieval times. There is a row of benches along the wall from the 1150s that were used by the elderly. There’s also a soapstone font, an altar from the 17th century, a 16th-century lectern, and a 16th-century cupboard for storing altar vessels.

    Inside you’ll be able to see the twelve free-standing columns that support the naves elevated central space and the Saint Andrews Crosses connecting them. The original floors have been preserved but are today covered due to the number of people visiting.

    The many Borgunds

    Because Borgund Stave Church is so well documented throughout history, and today it is famous for being the most distinctive stave church, many other churches have taken inspiration from it. It has served as the inspiration for the reconstruction of Fantoft Stave Church in Bergen. The Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Germany, built in 1908, is modelled after Borgund Stave Church. There are also three replicas in the USA: Chapel in the Hills in South Dakota, Lyme in Connecticut and Washington Island in Wisconsin. Furthermore, the stave church at the Norwegian pavilion in Epcot in Walt Disney World Florida is a copy of Gol Stave Church, which was reconstructed to look more like Borgund Stave Church.

    New Borgund Church

    Don’t skip a visit to the new Borgund Church from 1868. It’s built in the dragestil and seats 175. Dragestil is a Norwegian architectural style that emerged during the period of National Romanticism when the country was interested in preserving the medieval style of construction – especially when it came to stave churches.

    Exterior bell tower

    Another exterior feature is the bell tower. It dates back to the middle of the 13th century and is the only original free-standing bell tower in stavework in Norway today. The bells are fairly new: one of the medieval bells is in the new Borgund Church.

    Visiting Borgund Stave Church

    When you visit, you have to park at the visitor centre and buy a ticket inside. Then, it’s about a 200-metre walk to the stave church – you have to cross the main road, so be careful! There will be a staff member by the church gate, and you won’t be allowed in without a ticket. Try and time your visit with a guided tour – it’s necessary to truly appreciate all the fine details in the church. Just ask when buying your ticket.

    The visitor centre is also worth your time. It has a small museum with items from the church, plus an excellent gift shop and café.

    The surrounding area is rich in cultural heritage. Close by is the King’s Road, which is the preserved part of the ancient road between east and west. Take a detour and drive along the old part, parking along the way to do Vindhellvegen, an old hairpin road turned hiking trail. It’s a short and easy path.

    I recommend having a rental car, but you can get to Borgund via public buses. There are a few a day that links you with Sogndal, Laerdal and Flåm, so you’ll have to plan well. In summer, there are guided bus tours from Flåm that I’d recommend over relying on public buses. The drive from Flåm is a little under one hour.

    Opening Hours: 15 May 2021 – 10 October 2021 daily 10am – 5pm

    Tickets: Adults 100 NOK / Children 40 NOK

    Up-to-date and more detailed info can be found here: https://www.stavechurch.com/our-stave-churches/borgund-stave-churc/?lang=en

    Parking: Free by the visitor centre. Do not park next to the stave church

    Restrooms: Inside the visitor centre

    Resources

    Lærdal Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Sognefjord

    On the UNESCO World Heritage List: Urnes Stave Church

    On the UNESCO World Heritage List: Urnes Stave Church

    No trip to Norway is complete without a visit to one of the 28 stave churches. Of the 28, only one of them is UNESCO World Heritage-listed: Urnes Stave Church. Nestled on the Lustrafjord, a branch of the Sognefjord, this gorgeous old church is Norway’s oldest and one of the most important. Today the church is a museum with regular guided tours. 

    I visited Urnes Stave Church back in September 2020 and got to go inside with a guided tour. I did some research on the church beforehand, and there is a lot of information online. I’ve done my best to tell a condensed story of Urnes Stave Church. This way, you will know why the church is so special before you go. I have relied on a lot of articles written by experts, and I’ll link to all those at the bottom. I’ve also done my best to cover the practical bits so your visit can go well. Still, get a guide! They are experts on the subject and included in the admission fee.

    Here’s my overview of Urnes Stave Church. 

    Solvorn Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    In this article...

    The many churches at Urnes

    Urnes Stave Church is not the first one to sit on the site: in fact, it is probably the fourth church on the site. The current church is from sometime around the late 12th century and is still on the same site. 

    Summary of all the churches

    • Church One: Built around the time Norway was Christianised (1030-ish). It was a ‘palisade style’ church, where the structural posts placed into the ground. It had the same orientation as the current church but was smaller.
    • Church Two: Built in the second half of the 11th century. It had posts dug into the ground, which rot. It was torn down in the mid-12th century.
    • Church Three: Based on the second church, but also different. It incorporated the raised central nave and had 16 staves. The design was an inspiration for later stave churches. This church was a mix between the architecture and art from the Viking Age and architecture found in Christian churches around Europe. This church had the exterior wooden carvings – the “Urnes style” carvings around its main portal.

    The current church

    Urnes Stave Church likely came at the end of the 12th century. On the largest portal, it says “St. Nicholaus Church”, referring to who they dedicated the church to. Above the runes is a cross, likely from the consecration of the church. 

    Why was it built here?

    The location is remote, and the church sits high up on a hill. Why was a church built here, and how has it been able to survive for so long?

    Well, as was common for stave churches, Urnes Stave Church was a private farm church. The wealthiest landowners would build themselves a church to prove how wealthy they were. That’s why there were over 1,000 stave churches in Norway at its peak. In the early years of Christianity, it was a cult for the wealthy. Stave churches showed off how important, wealthy, and smart these landowners were. 

    Church-building took place on the initiative of kinds and nobles on their farms. The church was a royal and aristocratic project until the 12th century. The church’s position in Norway started to become more powerful. Norway introduced a parish church system, which still exists today. 

    This change came from the Civil War. The important men of Western Norway were introduced to Christian culture from overseas. They knew the church was going to become a powerful part of society. These chieftains saw a strengthened church organisation as a spiritual good and measure to make Norwegian society more in step with its foreign neighbours. 

    The strategic location of the church on a promontory on the Lustrafjord signalled both power and prosperity. Large and very visible burial mounds bear witness to the fact that people have lived here for over 4,000 years. The fjord was the main thoroughfare for people who lived here. Kaupanger and Skjolden were two important harbours. The fjord was also the main passageway to Norway’s biggest city in the Middle Ages: Bergen. 

    Original owners of the church

    Gaut and his family

    Historians have researched who owned the church. One theory is that it was a man called Gaut of Ornesi. He is mentioned in Sverre’s Sagas. It was likely his father who built the church. 

    The Civil War and change in church structure happened while Gaut was raising his sons at the Ornes Farm. Gaut was a man of high status, likely a warrior with loyalty to the church and king. Gaut and his family explains why the church had a rich 12th-century inventory. 

    His sons, Jon and Munun, were masters of a warship under King Magnus Erlingsson’s fleet. Jon died in battle and his son, Arnbjørn, took over the farm. Arnbjørn was only four at the time, so he went to be raised by Nikolas Arnesson, who became the Bishop of Oslo in 1190. Through Nikolas, Arnbjørn grew up under Christianity and ended up working for the King. He didn’t spend much time at Ornes throughout his life but probably gave the church nice items. 

    Later Owners

    Who took over the church after Arnbjørn? It’s believed that the estate had already left the family when he died. A couple of generations later, around 1300, Norway’s richest and most powerful man, Baron Bjarne Erlingsson, owned the church. He was a royal advisor and lived in Bergen. In the mid-15th century, a famous nobleman who lived in Eastern Norway owned the church. It’s clear Ornes wasn’t a place to live. Maybe it was just too isolated?

    Danish-Norwegian noble families inherited the property throughout the centuries. No changes were made to the interior until the 17th century. There is hardly an object from the time the church left Gaut’s family until the 17th century, well after the Reformation. 

    Urnes Stave Church has likely survived because the location is so remote. Additionally, there were no owners on the property to fiddle with the church or dream up renovation ideas. Also, Gaut’s estate comprised of the whole hamlet, so there was never a huge congregation to attend the church and create a need for expansion. 

    Architecture

    Urnes Stave Church is a basilica-style church. The main inspiration came from European Christian churches, which are also built in the same plan. The cylindrical columns and semi-circular arches came from Romanesque stone architecture. 

    The current church has pieces from older churches. The oldest log in the church began to grow in 765. There are two beams in the church that are from 946. Parts of the church, including the north wall and the Urnes carvings, come from an earlier church and date to 1069. 

    The church has seen very few extensions, which is unique if you’ve read my articles on the other stave churches. The nave was extended southwards in the 17th century. There were other additions to the church, but they were removed later. 

    The interior of the church was very dark with no windows. Light came through a small opening by the roof. The Lutheran Reformation in 1537 brought about changes. There needed to be good lighting so the congregation could read their hymns and join in singing. The windows are from the 18th century. 

    Interior Decoration

    Romanesque Columns

    The interior of the church is very richly decorated. The wooden columns (staves) inside have unique capitals with carvings of humans, animals, mythical creatures and vegetal motifs. Some of these carvings are very abstract, while others interlace the designs of Viking tradition. One of the capitals, the centaur, is now the logo for the Preservation Society.

    The capitals take inspiration from Romanesque stone architecture, for example in Canterbury Cathedral: https://web.archive.org/web/20070316220305/http://kunsthistorie.com/galleri/index.php?album=England%2FCantebury&page=2&sortby=name&order=asc

    These capitals are well preserved considering how old they are. They are unique to Urnes Stave Church. Many attempts have been made to interpret them, but the most conclusive understanding of them is that they were inspired by international culture. 

    Church Inventory

    The church pews, pulpit and altar are from after the Reformation. During Gaut’s time, there were benches along the wall for the elderly. A bench is still preserved on the north side of the west wall. Gaut probably had a seat, too. Right in the middle of the church – just to remind everyone how powerful he was! No trace of the chair is in the middle of the church, but the reserved chair in the choir may have been his chair. It was maybe moved to the choir after the Reformation for the priest to sit. This chair is of very high craftsmanship and is one of the original furnishings from the 12th century. 

    Most of the sculptures from the church are now in the University of Bergen Museum. Those that remain are from the 12th century. There is one of Jesus on the cross. Jesus’ loincloth is painted with the expensive blue colour, which may have found its way to Urnes along the Silk Road. The figures have been in the church since the 12th century, making them some of the oldest and best-preserved Norwegian medieval artefacts. 

    The interior walls have many runic inscriptions on them. The guide will highlight them to you, as well as explain what they say. They need a torch to highlight them!

    Exterior Decoration

    The exterior decorations are evidence of how the Viking’s culture transformed and adopted Christianity. Strap-work panels were taken from one of the earlier churches and incorporated into the new structure, keeping elements of Viking tradition alive. This is most evident in the North Portal.

    Urnes style carvings

    The Famous North Portal in Urnes Style

    The north portal is from the third church to stand on the site. It may have been the original main portal on the western side. In mythology and religion, the portal is meant to let other people enter God’s house. The portals are the symbolic embodiment that represents the chaos and struggle with evil. Here, the portal depicts a struggle between a serpent and a beast. It’s believed to represent the onset of Ragnarok, a Viking belief. The earlier church likely had scenes from Norse Mythology. This is a likely reason for its premature reconstruction in the 12th century. The animals may be Níðhöggr eating the roots of Yggdrasil. Intertwined snakes and dragons represent the end of the world according to the Norse legend of Ragnarok.

    Urnes style carvings

    The carvings are known as Urnes Style. This style of carving is not unique to Urnes. It is found all over Scandinavia and especially in Sweden. The style is mostly found on runestones. It is characterised by slim and stylised animals interwoven in tight patterns. The animal heads are always in profile and they have slender eyes. The earliest Urnes style is from 1050. The “Mid-Urnes” style is found on coins issued by Harald Hardrada (1047-1066) and Olav Kyrre (1080-1090), while the “Late Urnes” style is what we see on the stave church. The Urnes style morphed into the Urnes-Romanesque form, not found on runestones but buildings. Torpo Stave Church has elements of Urnes style.  

    What remains of the original stave church?

    Unlike the other stave churches, there is still a good part of this church remaining. The ground beams, sills, corner posts, wall planks and aisle wall plates are from the medieval church. The raised central roof is also original.

    In addition to the Urnes-style portal, there are also two original wall planks in the northern wall, the corner post of the choir, the western gable of the nave, and the eastern gable of the choir. 

    Restoration & preservation

    The Fortidsminneforeningen (Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments) bought the church at the end of the 19th century. The church was showing signs of its age and required preservation. When they took over, there was a different opinion of stave churches. They were unsure if they should try to restore it to its original condition or keep it the same as when they took over the church. 

    In 1902, the church was carefully renovated by famous Bergen architect Jens Zetlitz Monrad Kielland. New ideas for preserving buildings had emerged, and they preserved churches as they were. That’s why the church has bits from all periods of its life.

    Today, only repairs and conservative interventions are done to prevent decay. From 2008 to 2010 they replaced the floor and foundations after the church began to sink on the north side. 

    Excavations under the floor

    During restoration work in the 20th and 21st centuries, they discovered many coins. The floor needed a lot of replacement, and during this process, they found lots of items. In total, there were over 200 Norwegian and foreign coins. The Norwegian coins are from the Middle Ages, while most of the foreign coins are from after the plague in 1349. This indicates that there was less local currency in circulation after the plague and that trade with other countries had grown considerably.

    UNESCO World Heritage List

    In 1979 the Urnes Stave Church was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is one of the first two heritage sites in Norway, together with Bryggen. 

    UNESCO points out that the church is a unique example of traditional Scandinavian wooden architecture. It represents the timber building tradition that spread throughout Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Also, it contains recycled decorative parts and building elements from another stave church built 100 years earlier. 

    Their page for the church is here: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/58

    The church today

    Urnes Stave Church has not been in regular use since 1881. This is when the parish of Urnes was abolished. The church is only used for special occasions such as baptisms and weddings.

    The church is a museum and one of the most popular tourist sites in Norway.

    Visitor Information

    Opening hours & prices

    Find up-to-date visitor information at stavechurch.com (click here).

    The church is open from the beginning of June until the end of September. Tickets cost 100 NOK pp but come with an included guided tour.

    You can view the interior of the church with a 3D model! Click here:  https://mpembed.com/show/?m=LW3ZtZoKJQc&mpu=287&mpv=1

    Facilities

    There is a large carpark down by the indoor museum. This is also where the counter is for tickets and tours. You’ll find souvenirs and restrooms here: there isn’t a cafe.

    It’s a short walk (no stairs) up the hill to get to the church.

    Getting Here

    If doing the Sognefjellet Tourist Road, or just in the area, you can drive to Urnes from Skjolden. The road is very narrow so be careful.

    Otherwise, the most popular way to get there is to take the ferry from Solvorn. The ferry runs infrequently in the off-season and somewhat frequently during summer. It’s worth noting that the ferry has limited capacity for vehicles. You can take it without a car, but the church is a bit of a trek up the hill.

    Visit the ferry website here.

    What is in the area?

    In Solvorn you’ll find the Walaker Hotel, the oldest in Norway (website here). From Solvorn you are a short drive away from Sogndal and Kaupanger (home to a stave church). Take the ferry across the Sognefjord and you’ll be on the E16 between Bergen and Oslo in Laerdal. Laerdal is midway between Flåm and Borgund Stave Church. Laerdal is about a 3 hour drive from Bergen.

    From Skjolden, you can do the Sognefjellet Tourist Road up to Lom, and from Lom you are a short drive from Geiranger or Valdresflye.

    There’s heaps to do just around Sogndal and the Sognefjord – I’ll get around to writing it all down soon.

    Solvorn Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Gudbrandsdalen, Ringebu, Stave Churches

    Exploring the history of Ringebu Stave Church

    Exploring the history of Ringebu Stave Church

    Ringebu Stave Church is one of the more famous stave churches of the 28 remaining. After all, it’s located in the popular Gudbrandsdalen (Gudbrand Valley) – it’s the only stave church there – and is very close to Lillehammer. The church is open to visitors in the summer months, and the nearby Prestegarden has an excellent museum. Additionally, Ringebu is one of the largest stave churches remaining.

    Its appearance is not very stave-like, and that’s because the church underwent a rebuilding around 1630. Some parts of the original stave church remain, and they are visible both inside and out.

    Here’s my guide to Ringebu Stave Church.

    Ringebu Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
    The Earliest Church

    The dating of this church is a little tricky. It is first mentioned in a diploma by a priest in 1270, but that diploma has now disappeared. When dating the timber, it was likely felled around 1192. It’s not the first church on the site; the site is likely a pre-Christian place of worship. In the 1980s archaeologists found post holes from an older church. Ringebu Stave Church is therefore an early 13th-century stave church. This makes it quite young compared to other stave churches.

    Borgund Stave Church

    The style of the stave church is of the ‘Borgund’ type – named after Borgund Stave Church. It is thus related to the stave churches found in Sogn and Valdres. This is useful information because, sadly, Ringebu Stave Church was rebuilt in 1630. What did it look like before 1630? We don’t really know. But looking at these better-preserved stave churches may offer a glimpse at the old Ringebu Stave Church.

    Click here to see a drawing of Ringebu Stave Church made in 1862.

    Rebuilding the church in 1630

    Ringebu Stave Church was rebuilt into a cruciform church in 1630. Why? Well, stave churches were small, dark, cold, lacked benches, and were Catholic. By 1630 Norway was Protestant, and major towns needed churches that could accommodate their needs. Some stave churches were able to avoid rebuilding, though most have had some form of renovation. Ringebu required a larger and more modern church, and so they rebuilt the stave church.

    The church got a new tower, choir, cross arms, and sacristy. Werner Olsen was in charge of the work. His renovation work is well known in Norway. He worked on Lom Stave Church and rebuilt the church in Vågå. The characteristic red tower is from 1631.

    The lower half of the walls were painted white in 1717; at the time the ceiling was much lower. During the last major restoration in 1921, they focused on restoring the original paint. They also tried to make the church look closer to its 17th-century form. They removed the old gallery, fixed the staves, and removed the lower ceiling.

    What's left of the original church?

    The nave is the original stave church. The 18 staves are still surrounding the nave. While the shape has changed a little, the 1921 efforts brought it back to its original shape.

    Ringebu Stave Church before the 1920-21 restoration (source)

    Ringebu Stave Church is one of the few that had transepts already in the Middle Ages. The walls in the north and south both still have traces of the transepts.

    The portals are also somewhat original. In the Middle Ages, the ship had two portals. The south portal is preserved, while the west portal is still in use. Originally, doors in stave churches were very narrow. This is because you had to enter the church alone and not bring any evil spirits with you – I guess they both couldn’t fit through the door! However, in 1822 there was a major fire in Grue Church on Pentecost, where many people perished. You can read about the event here.

    After this fire, new regulations said that the doors of churches needed to be very wide. Additionally, the door must open outwards and be unlocked throughout the service. Because of this, they altered the west portal with the new hinges and a wider frame. Still, you can see some traces of the old vine carvings around the portal. The ornamentation is often compared to the portal of Torpo Stave Church.

    The original stave church used to have a hallway around the exterior of the church. Marks from it are still visible in the east gable.

    The exterior of the church bears little resemblance of its first form. It’s unknown if the roof had dragons’ heads like Borgund, for example. Some very worn wooden fragments with a vine motif were found during an excavation in 1980.

    Restoration work images

    Amazingly, the 1920-1921 restoration was photographed. Below you can find some images from the restoration. They are hosted on digitaltmuseum.no and each link will open in a new tab.

    Archaeological Exploration

    The most famous archaeological survey of the church took place in 1980-1981. In total, archaeologists found around 900 coins. Most of them are from medieval times, especially the time of King Håkon Håkonsson (1217-1263). This also lends itself to the age of the church.

    As mentioned above, there are old post holes from an earlier church. The post-church, or pillar church as it is also known, is a forerunner of the stave church. The staves (posts) stood directly into the ground. This wasn’t great, because this exposed the wood to humidity, making it rot quickly. Stave Churches have stone foundations, or at least stone around the staves, to prevent this from happening. Click here to see a photo of Ringebu’s staves.

    Interior Decoration

    Click here to see a photo of the interior decoration.

    Inside the church, you’ll see the 18 staves, held together with St. Andrews crosses. This is commonly found in stave churches, perhaps most famously at Borgund Stave Church.

    The church has remnants of medieval art (click here to see some wall paintings). However, most of the decoration is from the 17th and early 18th century. The altarpiece in the baroque style and is from 1686. The altarpiece is the oldest preserved inventory from after the Reformation. On it are the names of the wealthy donors. The pulpit is from 1703. The King’s Monogram is for Frederik IV – he is the king who sold the country’s churches at auction to get some money.

    The chandelier is from the 18th century.

    The soapstone baptismal font is from the 12th century and comes from the old pillar church that stood here before the stave church.

    One of the most famous pieces of art inside the church is a figure of St. Laurentius. It is from 1250 (you can see it here). There are also two crucifixes from the 14th century. Two runic inscriptions are on the walls, as well as two animal figures and a human figure carved into the wood.

    There were no windows on the original stave churches. If anything, they had tiny circular holes high up on the church. Windows let in the cold, and cold was not a good thing when you had to spend hours in the church. In the pre-Lutheran days, the churchgoers had to stand during service, which was in Latin. Most people did not understand Latin, but church attendance was compulsory. There were some benches along the edge of the church for the frail, but otherwise, you had to stand. In the Lutheran times, benches were added and services were now in Danish, which was a minor improvement.

    Ringebu Prestgard seen from the church

    Ringebu Prestegard

    Close to Ringebu Stave Church is another site called the Ringebu Prestegard. It’s an ancient farm and old vicarage. It’s believed that at its peak there were over 50 buildings here, including outbuildings and farmhouses. Most are gone now; there are 5 listed buildings on the site today. The large main building is from 1743 after the last main building burned down. The site was a vicarage until 1991.

    The main building became a gallery around 1997, which it has been ever since. A café is also located on the site. There’s also a museum and exhibition about the stave church, including some of the archaeological finds on display. Exhibitions also cover the stories of the priests who lived here, the garden, and the vicarage.

    The garden is very old and is also listed for protection.

    There is a nice little path that leads from the church up to the Prestegard.

    The Legend of the Sister Bells

    In 2018 a novel was published in Norway called Søsterklokkene, or the Sister Bells, by Lars Mytting. It’s based on a very old legend about the bells at Ringebu Stave Church. The following is the legend, translated by me from the Ringebu Stave Church website.

    The story:

    A story is told about the bells in the church. The bells were given to the church as a sacrifice by a family from the farm “Vestad’ in the 18th century. Two Siamese twin girls lived there. They were healthy despite growing up together. However, one day one of the sisters became ill. Her parents thought she was going to die. They prayed to God for the daughter and promised to donate to bells to the church if she could live. They also asked if the girls could be allowed to die at the same time so they would not be separated. The girl recovered and the family kept their word.

    In Blaesterdalen, two bells were cast up and set up in the church. They were called the sister bells. They sounded so good that people thought there must be silver in the ore they were cast from. The rumours about these bells reached Christiania (Oslo). It was decided that one of the bells should be sent to Christiania and put in there. Out in the winter, they used sledges over Lake Mjøsa to transport the bells.

    However, while on the lake, the driver of the sledges noticed the ice was cracking. He took it as a sign that it was wrong to separate the sister bells. He turned the sledge around and started to make his way back home. However, he started to think that he may be mocked once he got home, so he turned around and decided to go back to Christiania. However, the ice broke and the bell sank to the bottom of the lake.

    In the spring, the bell was found, and a rope was attached to it. A group dragged the bell out of the water and onto the boat. Someone exclaimed arrogantly: “Now we have her, and she is going to the capital!”. Then the rope broke and the bell sank again.

    The cemetery

    There is quite a large cemetery with some very old gravestones surrounding the church. I came across this interesting display of old graves; they’ve clearly been moved from their original location but are kept due to their age. Perhaps there are some famous names here?

    Visiting the Church

    Opening Hours & Admission

    The church gate is open all year round, so you can walk around the exterior of the church for free.

    If you happen to be here between June and August, you can pay a small fee and go inside the church. The up-to-date opening hours and prices are at the Ringbu Stave Church website, which you can see by clicking here. They change every year, so it’s best to check the website. Their website is only in Norwegian – strange considering the tourist appeal – but the practical info is fairly self explanatory.

    The church also has guided tours available. I highly recommend taking a guided tour.C

    Written Information

    There are some information boards outside, though most of them are in Norwegian. They don’t put information boards up inside stave churches, which is why I recommend getting a guided tour.

    How to get here

    The stave church is well signed with brown signs off the E6, the main highway between Oslo and Trondheim. It’s located about 2km outside of Ringebu town, and the road up to the church is quite narrow. There’s a large parking out outside it.

    We stayed in an AirBNB a five-minute walk from the stave church. I highly recommend it – this isn’t a paid endorsement, we just really liked the place. It was also nice to walk to the church. Click here to see it.

    Ringebu Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Fagernes, Stave Churches, Valdres

    Hegge Stave Church

    Hegge Stave Church

    If you are planning to do the Valdresflye National Scenic Road, I recommend taking a detour to Hegge Stave Church. Located south of Beitostølen, Hegge Stave Church is a grand wooden church that has more or less been here since the 13th century. Like every one of the 28 remaining stave churches in Norway, Hegge Stave Church has a fascinating history. So, let’s get into it!

    In this article...

    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    The Early Years

    Hegge Stave Church is first mentioned in history in 1327, yet some of the logs date to the early 13th century. Hegge Stave Church is a mix of two previous stave churches. The church got this location in the 17th century.

    Buried Beneath the Surface

    Inside the church, you’ll be able to see the eight free-standing staves that are original from the Middle Ages. At the top of the staves are different facemasks, which we see in several stave churches including Borgund. Also, like Borgund, St. Andrews crosses link the staves together. On one of the staves is the rune inscription “Erling Arnson wrote these runes”. It may be the same Erling whose name we find on a rune inscription in Høre Stave Church nearby.

    There used to be a covered gallery all around the outside of the church. Legend says this is where the Vikings would leave their weapons so they wouldn’t get wet. I don’t know how accurate this is, but it’s an interesting image nonetheless! You’ll see the covered gallery in some stave churches today, like Fantoft and Borgund.

    The staves rise above the ceiling; the flat ceiling is fairly new.

    Today the building is in the basilica style.

    Oh Stave Church, Where Art Thou?

     

    Hegge Stave Church has had many major renovations. Looking at pictures today, you can tell it doesn’t look like a stave church. Sadly, this is common of many stave churches in Norway. At the same time, this restoration work guaranteed their protection from being torn down to make way for new churches.

    As mentioned above, the church was moved to its present location with parts from two previous churches. These parts may have come from two disused churches in Valdres, explaining the different dating’s on the church.

    Restoration efforts took place in 1694, 1706 and 1712, for starters.

    Extensions to the west happened in 1842. In 1844, the church was enlarged so the choir was as wide as the nave. Moreover, in 1864, the sacristy was added, and a flat ceiling covered over the old one, which would’ve looked like an overturned fishing boat. Other stave churches, like Borgund, still have this design. The church was painted white in 1872; the red paint was added later. This means that, unlike most other stave churches, this one is not tarred. I don’t know. I like my stave churches tarred.

    The last major renovation was between 1923 and 1924. Stone foundations placed under the church provide it with more stability. Additionally, the gallery and tower got new stairs.

    Judging from all these renovations, it seems that all that remains of the stave church is its staves.

    Odin, is that you? (Source)

    Interior Decoration

    Inside the church, you’ll find some incredible carvings from the 13th century. They are at the top of the staves and seem to represent kings. There’s a theory that one of them represents Odin, from Norse mythology, but that is not confirmed. The only other original piece inside the church is the baptismal font, made of soapstone from the 1100s. It has lovely decorations around it including trees, human figures and stars.

    There is a vestment from 1686 and a painting of Isaac’s Sacrifice from 1643 that are from the post-Reformation times.

    The altarpiece is famous for its folkloric tale. Four men from the parish went to Gudbrandsdal, the neighbouring valley, to buy or sell some cattle. They got caught in a major storm on the way back. They promised God that if they survived they would each give the value of a cow to Hegge Stave Church. The men survived and paid for the altarpiece. They pulled it to the church the following year on a sleigh. The altarpiece is from 1782 and has two pairs of candlesticks from around 1600 plus three ancient bibles from 1699, 1738 and 1764.

    You can find heaps of photos here.

    Around the Church

    The church has a carved gate from the Middle Ages, but the cemetery around the church is not that old. Hegge Stave Church is located some ways up the hill and stands by the farm Presthegge. You’ll see cows and tractors across the street!

    Hegge Stave Church Today

    The church is still the parish church in the local community. It’s possible to visit the church throughout the year for free, just check the website for the current opening hours.

    There is a large parking lot outside the church, and by the fence are some information boards in English and Norwegian.

    Hegge Stave Church is located just off the Fv51, a little north of the town Heggenes and 15 minutes south of Beitostølen, a winter sports resort and endpoint of the Valdresflye Scenic Road. Close by is the E16 between Bergen and Oslo. If you’re on the E16, you’ll see signs to Beitostølen from Ryfoss. Just follow those until the Fv51, and then turn right towards Heggenes instead of left to Beitostølen.

    Fagernes Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Stave Churches, Vang

    Recreating the Past at Øye Stave Church

    Recreating the Past at Øye Stave Church

    Øye Stave Church has the appearance of an old church. I could almost envision Vikings stepping out of the front door after their service. Øye Stave Church is one of the oldest churches in the country. We do know that stave churches did borrow architectural inspiration from old Viking structures, so it’s plausible. Located just outside the town of Vang and close to the E16 between Bergen and Oslo, Øye Stave Church is a worthy roadside stop for stretching your legs. Its history differs from the other stave churches, and it is a beautiful place to visit. Here’s some info about Øye Stave Church.

    In this article...

    Vang Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    The Church on the Swamp

    Øye Stave Church is one of the smallest and oldest stave churches in Norway. It is likely from some time during the second half of the 12th century. The church is first mentioned in written documents in 1347. It stood by the old traffic road over Filefjell, which was the first road between Bergen and Oslo.

    When the church was originally built, it stood by the lake and the river. This caused issues; the river flooded in the spring. Legend says that the reason the church had to eventually be moved was that it was so swampy that coffins floated up in the spring when there was flooding.

    In 1665, the church was described as being in a poor state of repair and either rotting away or the wind was ripping it apart. It was in bad shape. So, they had to move it.

    Goodbye, Øye Stave Church

    In 1747, Øye Stave Church was torn down. A new church was built further up the hill and closer to the town. Eventually, everyone forgot about Øye Stave Church. After all, Vang Stave Church was sold off to Prussia in 1842. Very few cared about stave churches during this time.

    Rebuilding the stave church (source)

    A Stave Church is Born

    When the new Øye Church was under renovations in 1935, the floor was being replaced. They discovered there were 156 pieces of the old stave church under the floor of the new church. Why they were there is unknown, but architects knew there was enough of the old stave church for it to be rebuilt. So, they did.

    The plot where the Øye Stave Church stands is not the original plot, but it is just as scenic. A reconstruction plan was finalised in 1950, and it took 15 years to rebuild the stave church. They, of course, took inspiration from other stave churches in the Valdres Valley. The pieces used in the stave church were a mix of the original 156 and replicas of pieces. Many parts of the original stave church were taken away to museums in Fagernes and Oslo for preservation. They even used some pieces left over from the restoration of Heddal Stave Church. The new Øye Stave Church was inaugurated in 1965.

    Inside the church (source)

    Architecture & Interior

    The stave church is a simple stave layout with a rectangular shape. There are two carved portals on the stave church, a classic feature, but these are replicas. The originals are in a museum.

    Inside the church, some historic artefacts are kept in the otherwise simple interior. The interior is bare woodwork and very little painting, unlike other stave churches. The floorboards are original, but most of the building material are copies. In the choir is a crucifix from the Middle Ages. The font used for baptising is from the Middle Ages and is carved from one tree. It came from St. Thomas’ Church at Filefjell when that church was torn down in 1808. More about that church on my page about Vang. Lastly, one of the pews may be from the Middle Ages.

    The Church Today & Øye Church

    Today Øye Stave Church is used for weddings and Midsummer mass only. All services take place in the new Øye Church from 1747. Looking at it, you can see the design is inspired by the stave church.

    Information board outside the church (my photo)

    Information board outside the church (my photo)

    Visiting the church

    At the time of writing, Øye Stave Church is not open to the public. Instead, the website says to contact their office. You can find the up-to-date information here.

    Other stave churches in Valdres Valley do open to museums. You can see them both on my page about the E16 and my page about Valdres.

    The church is still worth visiting to see the outside. There is a parking area right in front of the church, and out the front is a sign in English and Norwegian.

    Not a bad place to park 🙂 My photo

    Øye Stave Church is marked on Google Maps and it’s a short drive off the E16. Brown signs lead you to the church.

    There are no facilities here, but you are close to Vang, which has many more options.

    Vang Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Vang

    The Fascinating History of Vang & the Vang Stone

    The Fascinating History of Vang & the Vang Stone

    If you’re driving on the E16 from Oslo to Bergen, before you cross the mountains, you’ll drive through Vang. At first, it seems like it’s a convenient roadside stop, with cafes, shops and a petrol station. But there’s so much history here! As you approach the town, you’ll start seeing signs to “Vangsteinen” – the Vang Stone – a roadside attraction with a fascinating backstory. Park across the street from it, walk over the road and marvel at this ancient rune-stone.

    This is exactly what we did on our road-trip through Norway in September 2020. I had heard about the stone before and had wanted to see it, and finally, I got my chance. It doesn’t disappoint, as doesn’t Vang. When I went online to learn a little about Vang, it surprised me just how much there is to see here. So, in this article, I’ve provided an overview of what you can see in Vang that’s historical. If you need somewhere to stretch your legs on the long drive, this is the place.

    In this article...

    Vang Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    A Small Town with a Big Story

    The word ‘vang’ comes from an old farm that stood here; this farm is also where the first church stood. Vang, like the rest of the Valdres Valley, was populated by migrants from Western Norway. People have lived in this valley (Vangr means meadow or field) for thousands of years. This is likely due to its proximity between east and west Norway. Vang is by a lake just before the mountain pass to Western Norway and thus made for a good rest stop.

    When Norway was being Christianised, it was Olav the Holy who travelled and converted the villages. For example, in other towns in Valdres, he took the villagers boats and said he wouldn’t give them back until they became Christians. In other towns, he told the villagers: “You’ll become Christian, or I’ll kill you.” Nice guy! Today Olav the Holy is the Saint of Norway, so this method worked for him.

    Vang became the site of a legal court (ting in Norwegian), and the ancient stave church was next to the site. The site was famously used by King Haakon VI in 1368 when he was settling a boundary dispute.

    Vang became part of the ancient royal road between Bergen and Oslo. In the 16th century, it was the postal road, and from the 18th century, it was Kongevegen. Kongevegen was the first road for horse and cart between East and West, and I’ve covered it on my page for the E16. Today, the highway follows the same path as Kongevegen. Still, the town and nearby area became a place where travellers would seek refuge at some point on their journey. Vang also had many churches that proved useful to travellers, which we’ll get to soon.

    Vang Stone (My Photo)

    The Vang Stone

    Okay, so let’s get to the most famous monument in Vang: the Vang Stone. It’s a runestone from sometime around the year 1000. The consensus is that it was erected to signify early Christianity in the region. The Vang Stave Church (I’ll get to it below) stood next to the Vang stone, which further indicates religious importance. On top of the stone is a lion. Some think it represents Norway’s coat of arms, while others think it represents one of the creatures in the pagan religion.

    On the side of the stone it says: “Gåses søner reiste denne steinen etter Gunnar, brorsonen sin”, or “Gåse’s sons erected this stone after Gunnar, his nephew”.

    Fun fact: In Norway, students learn to read runes.

    Vang Stone (My photo)

    Who was Gåse? No one knows. Some think it may be the church or king’s representative, or maybe Gunnar’s death is significant in Norway’s religious history? Maybe Olav got to him? There is a farm further down the E16 called Steinsvoll; it used to be called Gåsedelen. Some think the name came from there, and that the farm may have been a church estate.

    The story of Christianity in Valdres is well-known for being violent and dramatic and is in Snorre’s sagas. Yet, Snorre doesn’t mention any names or places. The Vang stone is the most important object that tells us something about Christianity in Valdres. Sadly, research is lacking in the subject. In 2019, the Valdres newspaper commented on this, pushing for a renewed interest in understanding the stone.

    A Healing Church in the Mountains

    There are many churches in Valdres. Close to Nystua, one of the old Kongevegen lodges is St. Thomas på Filefjell. The name comes from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett, who was killed in 1170 and declared a saint.

    St. Thomas På Filefjell (Source)

    This church was a stave church, and the travellers between east and west would stop there. Once a year, on the 2nd of July, the priest would preach there. People came from all over to attend this service. After all, it was believed they could get cures for their ailments as the splinters from the church timber had miraculous powers. Eventually, a market took place near the church. At this market horses were traded, races took place, there was a lot of drinking and a lot of fighting. The market gained such a bad reputation that the church was torn down in 1808. A new church now stands on the site – it’s from 1971 – but it is nowhere near as charismatic as a stave church.

    Vang Stave Church // Drawing of the stave church from 1841 by F.W. Schiertz // (Source)

    Where is Vang Stave Church?

    As mentioned above, a stave church stood next to the Vang Stone. The church may be from around the same time as Høre and Lomen (1170-1190), but others think it is from around 1300. The site was religiously important, as indicated by the stone. The stave church may have been rebuilt after the Black Death.

    We know very little about the stave church while it was in use, but we know about the drama it caused in the 19th century. The locals didn’t want it anymore. It was small and falling apart, and they wanted a much larger and grander church. The painter Johan Christian Dahl, considered one of the most important national romantic painters of Norway, loved the stave church and did everything in his power to save it.

    First, he tried to get it preserved as a cultural monument in Christiania (Oslo) or Bergen, but they didn’t want it. At this time, around 1840, stave churches were not cool or important. Dahl had a friend, Crown Prince (later King) Frederick William IV of Prussia, and he knew he’d want the church. So, after the exchange of several letters, Dahl convinced Frederick to buy the stave church.

    The church today (Source)

    They dismantled Vang Stave Church around 1842 and transferred to Silesia, now Karpacz in the Karkonosze mountains of Poland. It’s still standing, though heavily renovated to look more like a stave church. If you ever find yourself in Poland you can visit it.

    The church looked like the other stave churches in Valdres. But, the Høre and Lomen stave churches had a raised roof above the central part of the nave, while the stave churches in Vang and Øye had ordinary saddle roofs.

    Vang Church

    Behind the Vang Stone is the Vang Church. It is from 1840 and stood immediately next to the unloved stave church. After the stave church was torn down, the Vang Stone was moved from its original place to stand in front of the Vang Church, where you can see it today.

    Practical Information

    Vang is on the European Highway 16 between Bergen and Oslo, just before/after the mountains depending on the direction you’re going. It’s at the top of the Valdres Valley, a beautiful region known for its stave churches and old farms.

    Where to go

    To the north of Vang is the Jotunheimen National Park, a famous park for hiking or skiing. To the west of Vang is the Filefjellet mountains, which you cross between east and west Norway. Filefjellet isn’t as dramatic as Jotunheimen, but it’s more accessible year-round. The highway through it means there are many places to stop to eat or spend the night.

    Road conditions

    The European Highway 16 is open year-round unless there’s a massive storm or blizzard.

    Where to stay

    There are some campgrounds in Vang, and in the mountains, you’ll find hotels or AirBNB cabins. I recommend spending the night in Fagernes. They have a huge hotel and fantastic open-air museum you need to visit.

    Facilities

    There is a huge petrol station, Yx, with bathroom facilities and hot and cold food options. You’ll find a grocery store (Coop Prix) in town.

    If you want to park your car and walk around, there’s a large parking lot across the highway from the Vang Stone.

    Tell me what you think!

    As you can see, Vang is more than a town to fill up the petrol before crossing the mountains. It has a story, a unique history, and some great monuments to see. Take the time to explore this cute little town before continuing your journey.

    If you have done this drive or have any questions for me, let me know in the comments.

    Vang Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Kongsberg, National Highways, Numedal Valley, Road-trips, Stave Churches

    Drive it Yourself: The Numedal Valley

    Drive it Yourself: The Numedal Valley

    The Numedal Valley is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in Norway. Located between Kongsberg and Geilo, the valley contains the largest number of medieval wooden buildings in Norway; an impressive 40 ancient farm buildings and 4 stave churches. On this drive, we’ll see a lot of it!

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    In this article...

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    Online Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the neighbourhood
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Information about facilities along the way

    Downloadable Guide

    • Information about points of interest
    • Images of each point of interest
    • Historic overview of the region & towns
    • Directions between points
    • Historic photos
    • Facilities including supermarkets, toilets, petrol, hotels, cafes, restaurants with addresses.

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    The drive: Numedal Valley

    Kongsberg

    Kongsberg is a fascinating town to explore, and if you have a full day I recommend making the most of everything on offer. 

    Historically, Kongsberg is an important place. It was founded by the Danish/Norwegian King Christian IV as a mining community in 1624 after the discovery of silver. One year later, the Kongsberg Silver Mines were established.

    With the rise of silver mining, Kongsberg became the largest industrial centre in Norway until the 19th century. The silver mining contributed to 10% of Denmark-Norway’s GDP, which was mostly spent on Denmark’s endless wars with Sweden.

    Christian IV hired Germans from silver mines in Germany to help with the establishment and education of silver mining in Norway. Most of the workers throughout the mines history were Germany, though Norwegians gradually took over. 

    The mines also contained high-purity gold and a large amount of copper, cobalt, lead-zinc and flourite. 

    The Kongsberg Mines were energy intensive and difficult to work in. Eventually gunpowder was used in the mines. This also helped establish Kongsberg’s defence industry. Today, Kongsberg is known as the home of Norway’s major defence contractor, Kongsberg Gruppen. Two of its well-known products are Kongsberg Cold and the Krag-Jørgensen rifle.

    Kongsberg is also the site of the Royal Norwegian Mint, which mints Norwegian coins and produces circulating and collectors’  coins for other countries.

    In Kongsberg you’ll find many museums. You can also visit the Kongsberg Mines, where some buildings are still standing. The mountain has many hiking trails for all levels, and many choose to hike to Kronene i Håvet, a collection of royal monograms in the side of the mountain (click here for info). 

    Due to the huge Danish and German influence, the architecture in Kongsberg is unique compared to other pats of the country. It has also largely escaped fired. 

    Kongsberg Travel Guide

    Flesberg Municipality

    Flesberg Stave Church

    Stave Church

    The Flesberg Stave Church is the first of the four churches we’ll see today. It is first mentioned in history in 1359, but is probably from the latter half of the 1100s or the first half of the 1200s.

    It doesn’t look like much of a stave church, doesn’t it? It’s changed a lot over the years. The first-ever painting of a stave church is of Flesberg stave church, and it’s from 1701. We can see just how much it’s changed.

    In the 1730s, the church underwent its first restoration. It was expanded and some of the old parts were removed; as you can see, the new parts weren’t in a stave style. In 1792, the church got a new roof and the stave church choir was torn down.

    Today, the only original part of the stave church is on the western side, where you can see stave decorations around the portal. There are so few parts of the old church left.

    Flesberg Stave Church

    Rollag Municipality

    Rollag Open Air Museum

    Museum

    The Rollag farmstead is now an open-air museum. The farm consists of fourteen buildings around a courtyard. The museum shows what farms looked like in this valley, and the architecture is authentic. The buildings come from other farms in Rollag. There are over 1,000 objects that show everyday life in the village.

    You’ll see signs to the museum about 30 seconds before reaching Rollag Stave Church. 

    The museum is open in the summer months.

    You can view their website here. 

    Rollag Stave Church

    Stave Church

    The Rollag Stave Church was built in the 12th century as a single nave church, the simplest type of stave church. In the 17th century, it was rebuilt as a cruciform church.

    While there isn’t much of the original church left, Rollag Stave Church is still regarded as one of the most beautiful rural churches in Norway.

    Around the church you’ll find ancient stone walls. Some have rings for horses. In the cemetery is an ancient stone cross. It’s believed this site was an ancient gathering place for Christians before they got a church.

    Rollag Stave Church

    Gamle Mogen Landhandel

    Vintage Shop

    This is an old country store turned museum. It was established in 1840 when a man from Telemark got a permit to sell liquor and make a store here. Inside you’ll find a good representation of an old country supermarket and general store. It’s not marked on Google Maps, so keep an eye out! There’s also a place called “Gamle Logen” in Oslo that Google Maps thinks you are talking about.

    Veggli

    Town

    The next town we pass through is called Veggli.

    The population here is 348 people. Veggli Church is located here. The church is from 1859 and is a typical rural church from this period.

    In Veggli you can drive a trolley on the disused Numedalsbanen. The trip starts in Veggli and ends at Rødberg. The trolley was used to inspect the railway line and was an important means of transportation for operators on the line.

    Behind the church in Veggli is an old cemetery. This is where a stave church used to be located. When the population grew substantially in the 17th century, the town needed a new church. At first, they rebuilt Veggli Stave Church just like they did with Rollag. However, when the new church was built in 1859, they demolished the old church. Only the apse wall survives, and it’s at the historical museum in Oslo. Some of the doors and details of the stave church were sold to farmers, who still have them on their properties.

    Mellom Kravik

    Historic Building

    This is considered to be one of the oldest private residences in Norway. The rooms on the ground floor are supply rooms, while the first floor has bedrooms. The loft has two rooms and each room has an entrance from the outside. It was likely constructed in the 14th century.

    The building is on a private residence and opens for the annual Medieval Week festival in the Numedal Valley.

    Next to it is an even older loft called Søre Kravik. Its architecture is descended from the Viking’s royal halls. This building is from the year 1300. The building functioned as a feast hall; the guests would sleep on the second floor and the main festivities took place on the first floor.

    Nore og Uvdal Municipality

    Nore Stave Church

    Stave Church

    The Nore Stave Church is the third church we pass. Its age is unknown, but judging the wood the church may be from 1167. The portal is the same as the one at Flesberg, which is from 1163-1189. 

    The floor-plan of this church is unique; no other church has this in Norway. Maybe other stave churches had this floor plan; there used to be 1,000 and now there’s only 28. There is also a central mast in the middle of the church, another unique element. 

    The inside of the church is absolutely beautiful and comes from all time periods, though most of it is from 1650-1750. 

    The church is open during the summer months. 

    Nore Stave Church

    Sevle Loft & Sevletunet

    Historic Buildings

    This is the newest of the lofts in Numedal. It’s from 1632 but the shape is typical medieval. What makes this one interesting is that it’s a bnb! The owners of the bnb are descendants of the original owners. One of the buildings is the old post office and the interior contains some original pieces. You can also stay in an old barn!

    Rødberg

    Town

    Rødberg is the largest town in Numedal with a population of 498. There are two powerplants here that utilise the waterflow from the dam (to the right). Rødberg was the terminal station of the Numedal railway line.

    Uvdal Stave Church

    Stave Church

    Compared to the other churches, Uvdal is located high on the hill-side and is surrounded by old farm buildings. The church was in use until the 19th century, when a new church was built further down the valley. The new church looks just like a stave church.

    It’s believed Uvdal stave church is from 1169. It has a central mast like Nore, used to hold up the bell. When excavations were done here, 200 coins were found from the 13th century and earlier. 

    Like the other churches on our drive, Uvdal has been extensively restored over the years. The inner core is the original stave church. 

    Uvdal Stave Church

    Uvdal Open-Air Museum

    Museum

    The museum is a historic farmstead located in the former village. You can see the vicarage storehouses, school house, and farm buildings. The open-air museum is open in the summer months, when they have local artisans with stalls.

    Uvdal Church

    Church

    This is not a stave church! Uvdal Church was built in 1893 to replace the Uvdal Stave Church as the main church. It’s built in the dragestil style, which takes inspiration from medieval and stave architecture in Noway. This church seats 350 people. You’ll notice this church has huge glass windows; that’s completely unseen in stave churches.

    Hole Municipality

    Dagali

    Village

    Dagali is a small mountain village close to Geilo. It is one of the highest settlements with permanent agricultural operations.

    Dagali has an airport that is today only used for recreation. There’s also the Dagali Opplevelser, which offers outdoor activities like wafter rafting and snowmobiling. In Dagali you’ll find an open-air museum with farm buildings from around the area.

    The climate here is subarctic, meaning there are very cold and very snowy winters and somewhat cool summers. Dagali airport has some of the coldest temperatures in southern Norway.

    Geilo

    We’ve made it to Geilo! With a population of 2,400, Geilo is primarily a ski resort town and one of the most famous ski areas in Scandinavia. It’s a great but expensive place to spend some time; after all, Geilo is known for having some of the most luxurious and expensive holiday cabins in Norway.

    The town is located roughly halfway between Bergen and Oslo on the national road 7 (E7), making it very accessible. Additionally, there’s the Bergensbanen, or the railway line linking Bergen and Oslo. Geilo was developed only when the railway was constructed, and it quickly gained a good reputation for winter sports.

    Geilo is the first skiing resort in the country and is still one of the largest. 

    The ski season lasts from late October to late April. There are 39 slopes covering 33km. There’s also an extensive cross country system in Geilo with 220km of tracks.In summer, there are plenty of sports activities.

    In the summer months, many Norwegians come here to go hiking or mountain biking. The Rallarvegen route from Finse to Flåm is extremely popular. That road is an old construction road that was used when the railway line was being constructed. 

    The town centre has a number of shops, including many outdoor and sports shops. There are two small shopping malls with free parking, and inside you’ll find supermarkets, cafes, bakeries, electronic stores and clothing stores.

    There are understandably many hotels in Geilo, and some of them are quite expensive. Some of them reflect the cabin lifestyle so may be basic, while others are more luxurious. They will have higher prices during the Norwegian summer holidays (late June to late August) and over the winter season. If you can, I recommend renting a cabin on AirBnB. When the owner isn’t using it they sometimes put it up for rent. It gives you a great opportunity to see what Norwegian cabins are like, and you really don’t need to stay in Geilo centre.  

    Geilo Travel Guide

    Continue the drive

    Valdresflye Tourist Road

    Cross the mountains on one of Norway’s most scenic tourist roads. 

    Valdresflye Tourist Road

    Previous Drive

    Telemark

    Take the scenic drive through Telemark from Dalen to Kongsberg.

    Telemark Scenic Drive

    This drive is part of the multi-day series “Ultimate Norway”. You can read about the whole drive below. 

    View Our 'Ultimate Norway' Road-trip

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Numedal Valley, Oslo & the East, Stave Churches

    Uvdal Stave Church

    Uvdal Stave Church

    The Numedal Valley contains the best-preserved collection of medieval buildings in Norway. When driving from Kongsberg towards Geilo, you’re treated with gorgeous views, ancient farms, and many stave churches. Four, to be precise. The last one before Geilo is Uvdal Stave Church, and much like the others, it doesn’t disappoint.

    Compared to the other stave churches (Flesberg, Rollag and Nore), Uvdal is high on the hillside. Moreover, it is still surrounded by ancient farm buildings. This church was in use until the late 19th century when the town built a new church further down the valley. The new Uvdal Church looks exactly like a stave church, so don’t get the two mixed up!

    In this article...

    RØdberg Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    History of Uvdal Stave Church

    Like the other churches in the valley, the exact date is unknown. However, it’s believed Uvdal is from around 1169 thanks to the dating of the timber used in the construction. Much like Nore, it is a single nave stave church with a central mast. The mast is to hold up the tower with the bell, and these two stave churches are unique in Norway. Also, like the other churches, there are remains of a previous church underneath.

    In 1978, archaeological excavations found a large number of objects. They found 552 coins: 44 are from 1177-1202 (the reign of King Sverre), 40 are from 1200 and 120 are from 1217-1263 (the reign of King Håkon). Textiles and other objects were also found. One of the most interesting discoveries is a pilgrims mark of St. Olav on a wall. It’s from the 13th century and is interesting as this is not a pilgrims church or on the way to Nidaros Cathedral, where Olav is buried.

    In written material, Uvdal is first mentioned in 1327.

    Expansion & Renovations

    The original stave churches were very small, and over the centuries they became impractical. Because of this, they have been constantly expanded, renovated, and redesigned. For Uvdal, it’s almost as if each century has added something to the church.

    The first extensive renovations came after the Reformation in 1537. Between 1651 and 1682 Knut Jørgensen Winter was a parish priest in the valley. He came from Denmark and had big plans for the Rollag, Nøre and Uvdal stave churches. In the 1650s the church got a flat ceiling, and in 1656 the interior was painted. Furthermore, in 1684, the church got an extended chancel. In the 1720s and 1730s, further extensions changed it into a cruciform church (cross-like floor plan).

    Exterior Decoration

    In 1760 the exterior got panels; before then, it was bare timber. The church has always been covered in tar, as are all stave churches.

    One of the most interesting aspects of the church is its western portal, or western entrance. It is richly carved from the late Middle Ages and includes a depiction of Gunnar. Gunnar is the lead character in the Volsungesaga, a pre-Christian saga based on ancient Germanic myths.

    Gunnar depicted on another stave church

    In the story, Gunnar murders his brother-in-law and hides his gold. Atle, the King of Hunaland, wants Gunnar to tell him where the gold is. So, Atle ties Gunnar’s hands behind his back and throw him in a snake pit – a common theme in old sagas. Gunnar manages to play a harp with his feet, and all the snakes fall asleep. Well, except for one, who kills Gunnar, but still. Gunnar is a hero! When Gunnar dies, Atle is unable to ever learn the hiding place of the gold. Gunnar in the snake pit is a very popular motif in Norwegian and Swedish medieval art, and snakes are found all over stave churches.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9vMyCQCP24

    Interior Decoration

    In 1760 the exterior got panels; before then, it was bare timber. The church has always been covered in tar, as are all stave churches.

    One of the most interesting aspects of the church is its western portal, or western entrance. It is richly carved from the late Middle Ages and includes a depiction of Gunnar. Gunnar is the lead character in the Volsungesaga, a pre-Christian saga based on ancient Germanic myths.

    Gunnar depicted on another stave church

    In the story, Gunnar murders his brother-in-law and hides his gold. Atle, the King of Hunaland, wants Gunnar to tell him where the gold is. So, Atle ties Gunnar’s hands behind his back and throw him in a snake pit – a common theme in old sagas. Gunnar manages to play a harp with his feet, and all the snakes fall asleep. Well, except for one, who kills Gunnar, but still. Gunnar is a hero! When Gunnar dies, Atle is unable to ever learn the hiding place of the gold. Gunnar in the snake pit is a very popular motif in Norwegian and Swedish medieval art, and snakes are found all over stave churches.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9vMyCQCP24

    Interior Decoration

    The oldest decorations inside the church are from 1656. However, most of the decoration comes from the period 1721-1723 and the painting style is Rococo. Rich decorations of flowers and vines cover the interior. The artist (or artists) is unknown, but it’s clear inspiration came from European art.
    Parts of the medieval floor are preserved. Until 1620, the only light came from portholes high up, but that year two windows were put in. The pews were added in 1624. It’s not clear when the church got its pulpit and altarpiece, but they were there in 1656.

    The most interesting interior item is no longer inside the church. It is a 30cm high crucifix of bronze and enamel. It came from Lingoes in France and was made during the 13th century. It’s not known how a French object made its way to this remote valley. Today you can see the crucifix in the Cultural History Museum in Oslo.

    The church today

    Uvdal Stave Church was taken out of use in 1893 when the new church was completed in the new village centre. Services occasionally take place here in the summer, but mostly the church is a museum piece. It’s probably lucky the village was built up in a different location, otherwise, the stave church may have been torn down.

    Visiting the church

    You can visit Uvdal Stave Church throughout the year, but it’s only open in the summer months.

    The church is open daily from the beginning of June until the end of August. Tickets cost 80 NOK for an adult.

    Up-to-date opening hours and admission fees can be found here: https://www.stavechurch.com/uvdal-stave-church/?lang=en

    RØdberg Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Numedal Valley, Oslo & the East, Stave Churches

    Nore Stave Church

    Nore Stave Church

    Nore Stave Church is the third church you’ll pass if driving up the medieval Numedal Valley from Oslo towards Geilo. And, like its neighbours, it has unique qualities. What makes this church special is that its floor plan is unknown in Norway. It is an original cruciform church. In comparison, the other stave churches were rebuilt as cruciform churches much later. Additionally, Nore Stave Church is well decorated. Its interior is special in so many ways.

    In this article, I explore what makes this church so special. This includes its history, architecture, and decoration. At the bottom you’ll find some info on visiting the church.

    In this article...

    RØDberg Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    History of Nore Stave Church & Nore Community

    Nore is a tiny village located along the Norefjord, a lake that continues on from the Numedal River. On the west side of the lake is the original settlement, including farms and the church. On the east is the main road through the valley. The bridge is from 1930; before then, the locals had to take boats across. The word ‘Nore’ comes from the Old Norse ‘nore’ meaning “narrow sound or strait”, referring to the lake. Nore stave church is south of the main town.

    What about the church? Well, its age is somewhat unknown. Looking at the wood, it’s believed that the church is from some time after 1167. The portal is the same age as the one found in Flesberg, which is from between 1163 and 1189. The centre mast in Nore was felled in the winter of 1167/1168, and it’s believed they built the church with fresh wood, likely in the following summer.

    During an archaeological excavation, archaeologists found coins under the floor. In total there are 276 coins, and 24 of them from Håkon Håkonsson’s reign (1217-1263).

    The unique building style of Nore Stave Church

    The floor plan of Nore Stave Church is unique. It is built as a cruciform church with an even floor plan; a style unknown in any other church in Norway. The big question is whether it was originally built as a cruciform church, or if later builders added the arms. In other stave churches, the cruciform floor plan came much later. Stone churches in Norway didn’t have this floor plan either. The closest similarity is a church in Kalundborg, Denmark, built in the late 12th century. It’s pretty much unknown where this Norwegian builder took inspiration. Other stave churches may have had this style, but they are all gone. After all, there are only 28 stave churches remaining of the original 1000.

    There’s lots of evidence for age of the floor plan. First off, the staves in the middle walls are younger than the corner staves, likely from the 15th century. Still, there are grooves in the staves indicating that the centre mast (the large vertical beam in the middle of the church) is from the original construction. Therefore, it is likely that the younger staves were added to reinforce or repair the church.

    The Centre Mast (Source)

    In the middle of the church is its central mast, a large vertical beam. It supports the tower (turret) on top of the church. While the tower is from 1730, the central mast is dated to the original stave church. This suggests that there has always been a tower on the church, it was simply replaced later on. The tower and central mast had to be strong enough to support and ring the church bells. It is uncommon to find a tower on a stave church; often the church bells were kept in a separate building as their weight was too much for the stave church.

    The uniqueness of the architecture has given the style the name “Nummedals-type”.

    Nore Stave Church around 1930 (Source)

    Renovation in the 17th & 18th centuries

    Like many stave churches, especially the ones in Numedal Valley, Nore underwent huge changes between 1650 and 1750. The first renovations added the chancel, transepts, western porch and sacristy. Only the nave (the middle of the church) is in its original form.

    The overall construction is complex with bits of the old and the new scattered around the church. Still, the main structure of the stave church is original and in tact. Moreover, builders reused older parts of the church in newer constructions.

    Saving Nore Stave Church

    Like many other stave churches in Norway, Nore was old and in desperate need of repair in the 19th century. The locals wanted a newer and larger church. There was interest in demolishing the stave church. However, in 1888, art historian and author Lorentz Dietrichson (1834-1917) purchased the church. He had a major role in founding the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments (Fortidsminneforeningen) and donated Nore Stave Church to the Society in 1890.

    Nore Stave Church Today

    Restoration Work

    The last comprehensive restoration was done in 1927, after the Society took over. At this point, the church was leaning strongly and had to be straightened. Some beams were replaced due to rotting. The terrain under the floor had to be levelled.

    The interior of Nore Stave Church (Source)

    Medieval Crucifix (Source)

    Interior & Exterior Decoration

    Nore Stave Church is beautiful both inside and out – sounds like a motivational poster! But seriously, the decoration of this church makes it special.

    The decoration is from all time periods. For example, under the pulpit and to the west of the nave are remains of benches from the Middle Ages. These were the only seats; before the Lutheran Reformation you had to stand in the church. The seats were for the old and the sick. There are two rune inscriptions in the church, one being a prayer saying “grant me all that is good.”

    Most of the medieval inventory is gone, except for the baptismal font. There are two carved crucifixes in the church and they are from the 13th century. They’ve undergone some surgery over the years, though. One got a new face and the other got new arms and a thick second coat of paint!

    Lots of images and sketches of the church can be found at snl.no (click here)

    Most of the decoration is from 1650-1750. The wall paintings are mostly from this time, and the paintings depict Bible verses, leaves, flowers and fruit. The decoration is very like Flesberg, which is from the same period. The altarpiece is a copy of the one in Kongsberg Church, also like Flesberg. The portal on the porch is decorated with animal and plant imagery. There are also two winged dragons (a pagan symbol) that have wound their necks around each other. Above the portal is a large plate with embossed lions that holds the Danish/Norwegian King Frederik IV’s crowned monogram. Below the monogram is the date “1723”.

    Stave Churches were not built with windows. If anything, they had tiny circular windows. After all, glass was not common in Norway at the time and it can get very cold in the winter! The windows on the church were added to the church in the 17th century.

    Grave of one of the priests of Nore Stave Church.

    Surrounding Cemetery

    The cemetery is older than the church. Archaeological excavations show that an older burial ground stood under the church. Two medieval tombs were found under the church, and one theory is that it was the builder of the church and his wife. The graves were sunken and the area was levelled by filling in the graves.

    It’s believed that another church stood here before the present church, but it was in a slightly different position. The oldest graves are to the south than those from the time of the stave church. The older church may have had a different orientation.

    The cemetery is surrounded by an old stone fence. The village road used to pass through the graveyard. On the north side is a stone slab with an iron ring to tie a horse on.

    Visiting the church

    The church is open from mid-June to mid-August every day between 10am and 6pm. Tickets cost 70 NOK for an adult. The up-to-date information can be found here.

    There are brown tourist road signs pointing to the church and it can be seen from a distance, so it’s fairly easy to find. Just follow Fv40 (the main highway through the Numedal Valley) and turn off to cross the bridge.

    There is a parking area in front of the church (free).

    RØDberg Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide