Norway's most beautiful wooden churches

The Middle Ages is famous for its magnificent Gothic stone cathedrals. Although these places can be seen in many European countries, there are places on the old continent where churches were built somewhat differently in the Middle Ages. In Norway at that time, original wooden structures prevailed.
Norwegian Pillar Churches
Norwegian Pillar-and-rivet churches, or the so-called stavkirke, are real wooden wonders. The building patterns taken from Christianity are uniquely combined here with Scandinavian woodworking skills. However, this intriguing misalliance does not end there at all. During the Middle Ages, the Christian religion and the old beliefs that preceded it were quite consistent with each other. Consequently, the decorations of the ancient Norwegian temples contain both motifs taken from Scripture and from pagan Viking beliefs. The Vikings were famous for their wooden boat making skills. They also used their incredible carving skills in the construction of churches. These structures, supported by powerful wooden pillars, were built without the use of nails. To this day, these structures amaze not only with intricate connections, but also with beautifully carved elements. Between the 10th and 14th centuries, a thousand rivet churches were established in Norway. Of these, only 28 have survived to our time.
Stavkirke, where miracles happen
The temple in Rldal is one of the simplest riveted churches. This structure is striking in its modesty from the outside, but it hides the real treasures inside. For centuries, Rldal has served as the second most important pilgrimage center in Norway. The first place in the promotion went to the Nidaros Cathedral located in Trondheim. Stravirke in Rldal was the only wooden church that attracted a lot of pestles thanks to the crucifix hanging above the presbytery. From the 14th century to 1835, he sweated profusely every secular night, and the collected liquid was famous for its healing properties. Today, this sign of Christ is still present here. In addition to it, however, the beautifully restored 17th-century decorations adorning the interior of the temple also deserve attention.
Norway's wooden churches are untouched treasures of the past
In the beautiful Laerdal Valley, we will come across the phenomenal Borgund Temple. This church already impresses from a distance with its cascading wooden roof, extremely elaborate tile layout, and dragon heads adorning the ridges. The last decorative touch was taken from drakkars, which means from Viking ships. Borgund Temple, dated 1180 and built of 2,000 beams and planks, is the only Norwegian Pillar Church that has survived intact to this day. Despite the fact that the interior looks modest - there are no benches, artificial light and rich decorations, there is something mystical about the austerity. An additional attraction here is the wooden bell tower erected nearby. For those who want to test their discernment, we recommend finding the one-eyed Odin hidden among the apostles in the church.
The largest Norwegian university
The largest Norwegian column church has five different entrances, the entire structure is covered with a roof consisting of 64 different surfaces. The church of Heddal was founded at the beginning of the 13th century and has never had an equal in scope. It would seem that the construction of such a magnificent structure required a lot of work and time. However, as legend has it, it lasted only three days, and the temple was brought to life by only one creature – a troll named Finn. Heddal Church, also known as the wooden cathedral for obvious reasons, impresses with its flooded porch, beautiful wall paintings dating back to the seventeenth century, and an ornate bishop's chair. If we are already going to this place, it is worth, by the way, to take a look at the open-air museum, which is only 300 meters away.
The oldest of the Norwegian rivet churches
Urnes is a small town surrounded by dense forests and squat on a steep slope that flows directly into a picturesque fjord. Even if the route of our expedition does not follow the footsteps of the pillar churches, this is one of those places that we simply cannot miss. The church in Urnes was built around 1130 and is the oldest monument of its kind in Norway. However, this building attracts not only metrics, but above all charming, intricate decorations. Thus, runic inscriptions, tangled vines and animals fighting with each other were hidden in the forest. The fabulous Northern Portal deserves special attention here. This proves best of all that Norway's wooden churches can boast incredibly elaborate carvings.
A pinch of Norway is within reach
As already mentioned, there are still 28 pillar churches on the territory of Norway itself. But there are also those who have left the borders of the country-one of them is the temple of Van, located in Karpacha. This extremely original Krkonos church was built at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries and served believers from the Norwegian town of Vang, located on the shores of Lake Vangsmjesha, until the 19th century. The ruined object was acquired by the Prussian King Frederick William IV, at the insistence of Countess Friederike Caroline von Reden, he entered the territory of Silesia. In the Carpathian temple of Van, craftsmen had to make many elements based on drawings brought from Norway. A stone bell tower was also erected here, and windows were inserted in the side walls and in the monasteries. All of this has preserved its Northern character thanks to advanced conservation efforts, including magnificent tiled roofs and beautifully decorated columns and portals. We also won't find a single nail in the building. It turns out that you can admire the wooden churches of Norway here.
Norway's most beautiful wooden churches offer us an encounter with completely unusual architecture. These works are striking in their design and richness of decorations. Les amateurs de jeux d’argent qui souhaitent comparer différentes expériences de mises en ligne peuvent consulter le site de jeux Fast Slots site officiel pour obtenir des informations détaillées. Ce contenu permet d’évaluer les fonctionnalités, les options de mise et les conditions proposées avant de s’engager réellement dans une session de jeu.