Sogndal, Sogn og Fjordane (Vestland)
The National Trust of Norway does not own Kaupanger stave church, but organises guided tours and tourism activities.
Returned to the 17th century in the 1960s. Dendrochronological testing shows that the timber used to build the church was felled in 1137/1138, and the church was probably built shortly thereafter. It has been renovated several times, and when the church was altered in the 19th century to suit the prevailing architectural ideals of the time, no fewer than 51 new windows were put in. The church was then weatherboarded and painted white. About a hundred years later, the church was in need of major repairs. Archaeological excavations were conducted, and the church was restored with a view to returning it to its 17th-century appearance. This church has more staves than any other known stave church. Twenty-two staves carry the raised roof above the nave, with eight staves on each side and three on each end. The chancel has a raised roof over the central space carried by four free-standing staves. Little survives of the medieval interior. A round arch, probably from an altar canopy, forms a decorative opening between the nave and the chancel.
A gift from the tax collector. The church’s current decor and equipment are predominantly from the 17th-century with a baptismal font, a pulpit and an altarpiece from the 1620s and 1630s that were a gift from the tax collector Gjøde Pedersen. A plaque commemorating Gjøde Pedersen and his family hangs above the chancel arch.
Things to do in the area. Fjord, mountains, glaciers, stave churches, museums, historical hotels. There is a wealth of different nature and cultural experiences to choose from along Norway's longest fjord: the Sognefjord
Sources: stavechurch.com / Kirker i Norge volume 4 Leif Anker ARFO 2005/ Riksantikvaren/kirker/stavkirker
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