RELIGIOUS SITE
Urnes Stave Church
Norway's oldest stave church — a UNESCO site above the Sognefjord, famous for its 12th-century 'Urnes style' Viking-Christian wood carvings.
- Religious site
About
About Urnes Stave Church
Urnes Stave Church (Urnes stavkyrkje), on a quiet shelf above the Lustrafjord arm of the Sognefjord, is the oldest of Norway's surviving stave churches and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built around the 12th century, it is famous for the 'Urnes style' wood carvings on its north portal — intertwined animals and vines that survive from an even older church on the site, bridging Viking and Christian art. Reached by a small ferry and a short climb, it is a serene, remote relic of medieval Norway.
Plan your visit
Good to know
- Type
- Religious site
- Best for
- History, Architecture, UNESCO sites
Where it is