Urnes Stave Church

Urnes Stave Church stands on a hillside above Lustrafjorden, an arm of the Sognefjord, at Ornes in Luster municipality, Vestland county, Norway. The present church dates from about 1130, but it incorporates carved portal panels, wall planks and other elements from an earlier church on the site that is dated to around 1070. These reused carvings show slender animals entwined with plant tendrils in an elegant, flowing style that is now known as the Urnes style, regarded as the last phase of Viking Age art. The north portal is the best-known example, and its panels can be seen on the exterior wall. The church is built as a stave church in the traditional method, with vertical posts supporting the structure and a roof of wooden shingles, and its design includes features that show the transition from earlier post-in-ground construction to the later form. Inside, the church has a Romanesque nave and chancel, with a 17th-century pulpit and altar fittings, and a medieval crucifix. It was UNESCO listed in 1979 as one of the first group of Norwegian sites, in recognition of its exceptional wooden architecture and carvings. The church is looked after by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments, and guided tours are given in the summer season. A small ferry crosses the fjord from Solvorn to Ornes, which adds to the experience of the visit, and the farm setting on the slope gives views over the fjord. The location is quieter than Borgund and is well suited to a day trip from Sogndal or Lustrafjorden.