Jelsa is the best-preserved fjordside village in Ryfylke. In 2008, NRK Radio even voted it the most idyllic place in Rogaland. About 250 people live here, and the small white wooden houses along the shore look much as they did a hundred years ago.
The site has deep roots. There was a stave church here as early as 1286, and the location was a gathering place for religious ceremonies even in the Viking Age. The current church was completed in 1647 in Renaissance style, built by the best craftsmen of the time. Inside, the painter Gottfried Hendtzcel decorated the ceiling like a starry sky with thousands of stars. It is one of the few privately owned churches in Norway and is still in regular use today.
Next to the church is the old schoolhouse from 1774, one of the first school buildings in Ryfylke. It was funded by a foundation set up by Marcille Riiberg in 1755. Today it serves as a museum.
From 1855, Jelsa became a regular stop on the steamship routes through Ryfylke, and trade flourished. The old wharf, the listed vicarage, and the charming houses create a unique architectural environment worth a short stroll. There is a hotel with a restaurant, and nearby fruit farms produce apple juice and cider.