Borgund Stave Church

The Best Preserved Medieval Stave Church In Norway, Built Around 1180 And Little Changed Since, With Dragon Heads On Its Roofs · Laerdal, Vestland

Borgund Stave Church stands in a narrow valley beside the E16 in Laerdal, on the old road between Oslo and Bergen, and it is the stave church most people picture when they think of Norway. Built around 1180 and dedicated to St Andrew, it is often called the best preserved of the 28 or so surviving medieval stave churches, because it has changed little since the Middle Ages. Its roofs rise in several tiers of tarred wooden shingles, crowned with carved dragon heads and crosses, and a covered gallery runs around the outside. Inside, the nave is dark and tall, held up by staves and braced with X-shaped St Andrew's crosses, with runic inscriptions scratched into the walls by medieval visitors. A freestanding bell tower stands in the churchyard, and a visitor centre tells the story of stave churches. It is easy to combine with the Laerdal tunnel, Flam and the fjords. The honest caveat: the visit itself is short, the interior is bare and dim, and the church is open for tours only in the warmer months.

Borgund, on the old road beside the E16 about 30 km east of Laerdalsoyri, Laerdal municipality, Laerdal, Vestland, Norway

Seasonal: open daily roughly from late spring to early autumn (about May to September, with the longest hours in June to August) and closed or open only by arrangement in winter - confirm the current season and times. Borgund is about 30 km east of Laerdalsoyri on the E16; the church is on the old road just off the highway, with parking at the visitor centre. Some long-distance buses on the E16 stop nearby - confirm. No booking for individuals; groups book ahead.

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