At Inndyr, right along Road 17, stands what is presumably the northernmost medieval marble church in the world. The old church at Gildeskål was built around 1130, possibly commissioned by King Øystein Magnusson. Whoever ordered it brought some of Northern Europe's finest masons to this remote stretch of coast to build it.
The church is small and Romanesque in style, constructed from light-coloured marble quarried from a nearby beach. The stone was shaped into rough ragstone for the walls and carefully cut ashlar for the corners and openings. It is the only marble stone church at these latitudes, and the fact that it has survived nearly 900 years of storms, salt air, and Arctic winters is remarkable in itself.
A fire in 1710 destroyed parts of the interior, and the restoration that followed gave it a baroque character that remains largely intact. Today, the old Gildeskål church has one of the best-preserved baroque interiors in the country, an unexpected combination inside a 12th-century shell. Look for the carved wooden altarpiece and the painted ceiling panels.
In 1881, a new church was built right next to the old one, rather than replacing it. The two now stand side by side: 750 years apart in age, a few metres apart on the ground. The church site as a whole is considered one of the best-preserved in Northern Norway. It is an easy stop on the Kystriksveien, and one of those places where you walk in expecting a quick look and end up staying longer than planned.
The church is small and Romanesque in style, constructed from light-coloured marble quarried from a nearby beach. The stone was shaped into rough ragstone for the walls and carefully cut ashlar for the corners and openings. It is the only marble stone church at these latitudes, and the fact that it has survived nearly 900 years of storms, salt air, and Arctic winters is remarkable in itself.
A fire in 1710 destroyed parts of the interior, and the restoration that followed gave it a baroque character that remains largely intact. Today, the old Gildeskål church has one of the best-preserved baroque interiors in the country, an unexpected combination inside a 12th-century shell. Look for the carved wooden altarpiece and the painted ceiling panels.
In 1881, a new church was built right next to the old one, rather than replacing it. The two now stand side by side: 750 years apart in age, a few metres apart on the ground. The church site as a whole is considered one of the best-preserved in Northern Norway. It is an easy stop on the Kystriksveien, and one of those places where you walk in expecting a quick look and end up staying longer than planned.