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Urnes Stave Church

The oldest stave church in Norway - a 12th-century wooden church above the Sognefjord, carved with entwined Viking-style beasts, on the UNESCO list.

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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.

UNESCO World Heritage

Typechurch

WhereVestland

Nearest citySolvorn

Best seasonMay to September

Time to allowOne to two hours with the ferry

Getting thereAbove the Lustrafjord arm of the Sognefjord; ferry from Solvorn, then a short climb

EntryCharged

Urnes is the oldest and most refined of Norway's surviving stave churches, built around 1130 on a green shelf above the Sognefjord. Into its timbers is carved the entwined animal ornament so distinctive it gave its name to the Urnes style, a last flowering of Viking art in a Christian building, and it is a UNESCO site.

What you actually see

The carved portal - the famous entwined beasts of the Urnes style on the north wall.
The stave structure - the interlocking timber posts of the oldest surviving stave church.
The fjord setting - the church on its green shelf above the Lustrafjord.
The interior - the dim wooden nave with medieval fittings.

When to go

Summer, when the ferry runs and the church is open for tours; access is limited outside the season. A clear day flatters the fjord setting.

Honest expectations

It is small and reached by a ferry and a short climb, so it is a specialised, slightly effortful visit for those who value early architecture. Interiors are seen by guided tour at set times. The setting above the fjord is as much of the reward as the church.