Stave Churches of Norway
- Cat
- Jun 23, 2017
- 3 min read
Our trip to Norway was filled with so many things we had never seen before: glaciers, fjords, $70 snacks(!), 900-year-old wooden buildings, and more. Perhaps that's one of the things we loved so much about the country. Also on the list of reasons we fell in love with Norway: the unbelievably intricate architecture of the stave churches.
Built for Christian worship throughout northwestern Europe around 900 years ago, only a few survive today. Most of those that still stand are in Norway (30), with only 2 in Sweden and one in Poland (relocated from Norway). Seeing something this old, that can only be found in a few places in the world is actually quite humbling and awe-inspiring.
Stave churches are thought to have been built for Christian worship but centered on Norse pagan traditions (perhaps as a way to introduce Christianity to Norway - similar to other parts of the world). Often, the churches are built near large natural formations and utilized dragons in decoration, both of which were important in Norse Paganism thus providing some continuity in placement and symbolism. According to Wikipedia, this research suggests that Christianity was introduced to Norway much earlier than previously thought.
These buildings are amazing feats of architecture. To be built nearly 900 years ago, carved by hand, and withstanding the harsh conditions of the northern European country is nothing short of a miracle.
Below are 3 stave churches in the Sogne Fjord region you should make a point to see if you are in the area.
You'll need a car to travel as they are not easily accessible by any form of public transportation. When renting in Europe, we like Sixt. They are honest, don't push the extra insurances or added services, and are there when there's an issue. The airports should have all the major brands as well. Keep in mind, renting a car here is likely to be more expensive than other places - the entire country is expensive.
Undredal Stave Church
Undredal is a small (VERY SMALL) town that lies along the fjord. The stave church here is reflective of the town's size (small), and is almost unrecognizable as a stave church. It is painted white and has a cute picket fence surrounding the building. It almost looks like it was built a few years ago, not 900! This church was built in the middle of the 12th century and is STILL in regular use today! You can visit the interior from June-August. Since we were there in April, we could only walk around the exterior, but it was still worth the stop.
Kaupanger Stave Church
Kaupanger stave church is the largest stave church in the sogne fjord area. Built in 1150, it has been very well preserved and has been in continuous use as the parish church since it was built! This stave church boasts the largest number of staves (supported by 22) in any stave church known. It is placed in the center of a cemetery, making for some unique photos. You can visit the interior, which dates mostly to the 17th century, from June-August. Since we were there in April, we could only walk around the exterior, but it was still worth the stop - even in the snow/sleet.
Borgund Stave Church
Borgund stave church is the penultimate stave church - with dragons carved and flying off the exterior, ornate woodwork, and more. It is the most authentic and often pictured when stave churches are mentioned. This church is located right at some pretty famous hiking trails and even has a visitor's center/museum which is open from May-September. We enjoyed the fact that it WASN'T open because it gave us a chance to walk around alone, and to get some great drone footage. If you didn't see the video which included footage from this church in our post about the fjord cruise, check it out here!
One neat thing you'll see when traveling between these churches is the World's Longest Tunnel - The Laerdalstunnelen. It's the world's longest road tunnel at 24.5 kilometers. Connecting Laerdal and Aurland, the tunnel has neat rock chambers every 6 kilometers with cool lighting effects. Makes things interesting, because at 60 km per hour, it takes a while to drive through it!
Have you been to Norway yet? Were you as fascinated with these churches as we were?
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