We had developed an interest in the Norwegian wooder stave churches during our time in the country and I had discovered that not too far off our route was a very special one, Urnes Stave Church, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It meant we had to rise fairly early to squeeze in the trip to Urnes. When we peeked outside the valley was full of low clouds, so we were happy that we’d chosen to visit the Briksdal glacier the day before.
The journey to Urnes was about 150km and took us through the town of Sogndal where we’d be spending the night.
To reach Urnes we drove to the small village of Solvorn where there is a ferry across Lustrafjorden to Urnes. It is only a short trip, and the ferry leaves every thirty minutes. The ferry was very small but could take about 8 to 10 cars, but we decided to leave our car at the Solvorn and cross on foot.
We just missed a crossing, so we sat down and ate our packed lunch to wait for the next crossing.
The day had started cloudy and grey, but the cloud had broken up and as we crossed the fjord on the ferry, we had our first real sight of the sun for a few days.
The ferry dropped us off at the small dock in Urnes and its dozen or so passengers disembarked.
People who build churches if possible like to build them in high places if they can, so the worshippers are physically nearer to god in heaven. And this was true in Urnes. So, we had to climb the hill to get there, but it was a very nice walk through the village passing by the local school and small holdings.
By the time we’d reached the church, we’d worked up quite the sweat – the only downside of the warmth of a sunny day.
The stave church at Ornes is not the largest stave church in Norway by any means, but it is one of the oldest and is the only one inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Three churches have preceded today’s church at Ornes. A hundred years would pass between the first and the fourth, the one we were visiting today dates to around 1130.
about a kilometre in, there is the powerful Kleivafossen waterfall with a several metre drop, which soaks visitors crossing the bridge.
The only way to visit the inside of the church was on a guided tour, so after arriving, we had to wait for a few minutes for the next tour to start.
Our guide was a young lady who was a student and working the summer months during her vacation as a guide a Urnes.
The tour started outside of the building where there are some exquisite carvings that make this church so special. These carvings include elements of Viking tradition from the previous building (11th century) which constitute the origin of the “Urnes style”, also found in other parts of Scandinavia and North-Western Europe. The carvings show scenes of fighting animals. The symbols of Viking culture in the decoration of a Christian medieval church are unique to Urnes.
Our tour continued inside the church. The altar was very beautiful but simple and was mostly introduced in the 17th Century. Over the years the inside of the church has been modified to fit the times. Windows were introduced in the 18th Century. Pews were installed, before that everyone had to stand for the services. Some of the pews at the front and the back were sectioned off with wood panels, for the use of rich families who paid to have their own space or women with children.
At the end of our tour, the young lady who had been our guide asked Karen to give a video testimonial for her college work. She had been excellent and done a fantastic job, so Karen was happy to do so.
We still had some time to fill before heading down the hill to catch our ferry back to Solvorn, so we popped into the café next to the visitor centre for a cup of coffee. Inside the café, there was a young girl of ten who was helping her mum run the café. She had amazing English and was probably one of the most confident ten-year-olds we’d ever met.
Refreshed by our coffee we set off back to the ferry. Going down the hill was much easier than the journey up.
In no time at all we had crossed the fjord and were on our way to Sogndal.
Planning your visit to Urnes Stave Church
Getting There
The church is in a remote yet idyllic location, being a 4 hour 45 minute drive from the city of Bergen. It is reachable in just under 6 hours from Oslo by car. It is recommended that visitors stay in nearby Solvorn, and take the ferry across the fjord, which takes around 30 minutes.
