One of the things that struck me most on my winter journey through Norway was how easily the landscape makes you feel as if you’ve slipped back in time. Snow-covered peaks, deep fjords, valleys dotted with red wooden barns… and then, rising from the countryside like dark, spiky crowns, the stave churches of Norway.
Visiting them is like stepping straight into the Middle Ages. These churches — once over a thousand, now only 28 surviving — were built between the 12th century and the Black Death in 1349. Each one is different: some large and richly decorated, others tiny and humble, but all exude a sense of both Viking strength and quiet spirituality.
As I travelled across Norway, I made a personal itinerary to visit some of the most iconic stave churches. From Oslo up to Lillehammer, across the mountains to Lom, down to Røldal, and then around the mighty Sognefjord to Hopperstad, Kaupanger, Borgund and even the tiny Undredal — each stop added a new layer to my understanding of Norwegian history, mythology, and architecture.
Let me take you along this route.
Oslo: The First Encounter
If you start in Oslo, your first meeting with a stave church will likely be at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, where the Gol Stave Church has been reconstructed. Standing there, surrounded by other historic buildings, you immediately sense the importance of wood in Norway’s past: as material, as craft, as shelter, as identity.
The scent of pine tar hits you before you even step inside. This tar, applied every five years with pig-hair brushes and powdered with charcoal dust, keeps the wood weatherproof — though on hot days it can drip onto visitors’ jackets! It’s both practical and symbolic: a reminder of the care these buildings require to keep surviving the centuries.
From Oslo, the road north leads you deeper into stave church country.
Lillehammer and the Road to Lom
A few hours’ drive brings you to Lillehammer, where the Maihaugen Open-Air Museum also shelters a stave church. But the real jewel of this leg is further north: Lom Stave Church.
One of the largest still standing, Lom’s church is striking with its extended nave and spires reaching toward the sky. Inside, fragments of medieval wall paintings survive, alongside post-Reformation additions like the pulpit. It’s a working parish church, and when you step in, you don’t just feel like a tourist — you feel like a guest in a living community.
Driving through the Gudbrandsdal Valley to Lom, I couldn’t help but imagine medieval pilgrims making the same journey. Back then, stave churches were not just places of worship but also landmarks, guiding people across harsh landscapes.
Røldal: A Pilgrimage Stop
From Lom, I made my way southwest, into mountains and winding roads that seem endless. Røldal Stave Church, built around 1250, was once a major pilgrimage site because of a crucifix believed to have healing powers. Even today, the church feels different — humbler perhaps, but with a quiet magnetism.
The surrounding village, snowbound in February, was utterly still. Standing outside, the church silhouetted against the white mountains, I felt I had stumbled into a forgotten chapter of time.
Hopperstad and Kaupanger: The Sognefjord Giants
Driving into the Sognefjord region, stave churches become even more dramatic. At Hopperstad, near Vik, the church rises like a wooden dragon, its carved portals recalling Viking ships and Norse myths. Built in the early 12th century, it’s among the oldest, and you half-expect to hear sagas being recited as you walk around its creaking floor.
A short ferry ride away, Kaupanger Stave Church impressed me with its size and elegance. With 22 staves, it feels airy inside, more like a wooden cathedral than a rural church. I visited in the late afternoon, when the fjord light was soft and golden, and it gave the whole interior a sense of warmth despite the winter chill.
Borgund: The Icon
If you picture a stave church, chances are you’re picturing Borgund. Built around 1180 and perfectly preserved, it’s the most iconic and most photographed of them all. The steep, multi-tiered roof, the dragon heads curling from the gables, the dark tarred wood — everything about it screams medieval Scandinavia.
Walking up to Borgund, I couldn’t help thinking of Tolkien’s worlds; it’s no surprise that stave churches inspired much fantasy architecture. The small museum next door adds valuable context, explaining stave construction techniques and showing artefacts from the region.
Undredal: The Tiny Gem
Not far from Borgund, down by the Aurlandsfjord, lies Undredal — a tiny village famous for its goat cheese. Here, tucked between colourful houses and fjord cliffs, is the smallest stave church still in use. It seats just 40 people.
I loved this place not only for the church but also for the contrast: after the grandeur of Borgund, Undredal felt almost intimate, homely. And sipping hot chocolate while looking out at the fjord in February, I realised this was Norway at its cosiest.
Bergen and Fantoft
The road finally led me to Bergen, Norway’s second city and the perfect endpoint. Just outside town lies Fantoft Stave Church. Originally built in Fortun in 1150 and moved here in the 19th century, it was tragically destroyed by fire in 1992 and later reconstructed.
Yes, it’s a replica — but standing there among the pine trees, it still gives you the feeling of stepping back centuries. And it’s a reminder of how fragile wooden heritage can be.
Practical Tips for a Stave Church Road Trip
- Best season: Late spring to early autumn (May–September). In winter, as I experienced, many roads are icy or closed, but the atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful.
- Transport: Renting a car is the best way to see multiple churches. Ferries across the fjords are frequent and efficient.
- Tickets: Entry fees range from 60–100 NOK. Many are still active churches, so check opening hours.
- Accommodation: Fjord guesthouses, mountain cabins, and small hotels give you the best local feel. Book ahead in summer.
- Don’t miss: the smell of pine tar, the carved dragon heads, the simple yet powerful interiors — and the way each church tells a slightly different story of medieval Norway.
Why Stave Churches Matter
Visiting stave churches isn’t just sightseeing — it’s time travel. These buildings are where Christianity and Norse tradition overlap; where Viking carving meets medieval faith; where wood, tar, and sheer determination have preserved a millennium of history.
For me, each stop was more than just a tick on an itinerary. It was a chance to slow down, to breathe in the scent of tar and pine, to listen to my footsteps echo in near-dark interiors, and to imagine the countless lives that had passed through these wooden doors.
By the time I reached Bergen, I felt I had traced a wooden thread through Norway’s history — one that still connects fjord villages, mountain valleys, and even modern cities.
If you’re planning a Norway road trip, don’t just race from fjord to fjord. Take the time to stop at a stave church or two (or ten). They’re not only architectural marvels, they’re storytellers — guardians of wood and time.
