From Balestrand to Urnes stave church on a day trip
The beautiful church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located not far from Kviknes Hotel.
Urnes Stave Church is a beautiful, old church in holy wood. It enjoys a lovely location overlooking the Lustrafjord in the heart of the Sognefjord. The church is the only one of its kind on UNESCO's World Heritage List, where it stands alongside famous attractions such as the Great Pyramid of Cheops and Stonehenge.
The church is no more than two hours from Balestrand, and the drive there gives you a beautiful view of the Sognefjord.
From the Viking Age
Urnes stave church has its own distinctive style with its north portal and gables. This has given its name to the "Urnes style", a style of art and motif that was used in both the Viking Age and the early Christian Middle Ages. The style is characterized by beautiful carvings of high quality, with stylized animals in battle with their bodies intertwined.
The elaborate wooden carvings and extensive interior decoration make it completely unique. The church was built around 1130, but the special carvings on the north portal come from an older church. This makes it one of the oldest stave churches in Norway.
"The stave church is one of the most detailed and technologically advanced types of wooden construction that existed in Northern and Western Europe in the Middle Ages."
Take a stop in Solvorn
The church belongs to the Urnes farm on the south side of the Lustrafjord in Sogn og Fjordane. From Balestrand, take the ferry to Hella and drive towards Sogndal. From Sogndal, take the road towards Gaupne, and turn right towards Solvorn just before you pass Hafslo.
If you have to wait for the ferry in Solvorn, you should be grateful. You'll have time to wander among the old houses along the beach and visit Galleri Walaker, which is beautifully situated in a romantic setting. The gallery is part of the Walaker Hotel, one of our good friends at "De Historiske Hotel & spisesteder".
You'll also find a lot of history here. On the second floor of the gallery you will find rose paintings from the old church in the village.
Open every day of the season
The ferry across the fjord doesn't take many minutes. Once across, you'll see the church. At Urnes gard next to the church there is a cafeteria, where you can sometimes buy freshly picked fruit and berries from the lush gardens around Urnes.
The season for visiting Urnes Stave Church is from May to September, between 10.30 and 17.45. The café at Urnes gard is open from June to August between 11.00 and 17.30.
