Urnes stavkirke

Among all 29 stave churches preserved to our times, the church in Urnes (Ornes) is the oldest and has the most valuable, unique monuments.It was inscribed on the UNESCO cultural heritage list in 1979.Located on a hill above Lustrafjord (the farthest branch of the Sognefjord), the church looks really impressive against the landscape of western Norway.

The church in Urnes, or rather in Ornes (Norwegian O is pronounced like U, hence someone decided to change the official name of the temple to make life easier for visitors) was built approximately in 1130. Like other structures of this type, it was built on the basis of vertical, woodenpillars, supported on stones (hence the name pillar church).During many years (centuries) of existence, the temple was repeatedly rebuilt, modified and renovated.All external wooden elements of the church were covered with tar to preserve the surface from the deteriorating environmental conditions.This is why the north fasade of stave churches is usually black and the south side often shows bare planks.The hot summer sun makes the tar run off the walls, revealing the historic structure.

Apparently, the earlier church did not have a bell tower.This one was a separate structure and was located a little further up the hill and was used not so much to call the faithful to a service, but to raise the alarm when hostile forces were seen approaching in the distance.The current tower was added to the church later and required additional reinforcing beams inside.

The most valuable fragment of the Urnes church is the intricately carved portal from around 1070.It was originally located in an earlier church, built on the same site.When it was replaced with the current one, the portal with two similarly carved boards was incorporated into the northern wall of the building.The characteristic shape and design got its name as the Urnes style, although similar motifs can also be found in Sweden, Denmark and Ireland.

An old wooden door with an iron, decorated lock leads to the interior of the church. On their outer side you can still see traces of runes carved centuries ago. Inside, a wooden floor leads between two rows of benches with carved trims. Women sat on the left, men on the right. The columns on which the structure of the church is supported have carvings depicting human or animal figures just below the vault. Original, dating from the 12th century, the so-called The Calvary Group, wooden figures of the crucified Christ, Mary and John the apostle, is another important and valuable monument. In the chancel you can see an altar from 1699 and a bishop’s chair from the 12th century.

Although the church in Urnes is not the largest, and from the inside it seems even smaller, you can feel how majesty, dignity and long centuries of history radiate from this small and fragile structure. It is also worth visiting the visitor’s centre (this is where you buy tickets if you want to look inside and listen to the words of the guide). In one of the rooms behind glass cases, you can see some interesting objects from past centuries.