Kaupanger stavkyrkje is one of the largest remaining stave churches in Norway, dating from around 1190. It stands in the village of Kaupanger, a short drive south of Sogndal.
Unlike many stave churches that are preserved as museums, Kaupanger is still in active use as a parish church. The interior has 22 stave columns, more than any other surviving stave church. The exterior was covered in horizontal planking in the 1860s, which hides the original stave construction from outside. A major restoration in 1965 uncovered the medieval structure underneath.
Most visitors to Kaupanger are here for the tourist car ferry across the Sognefjord to Gudvangen, passing through the Nærøyfjord on the way. If you are driving and want to see the fjord, this is the most efficient route. The church is a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal.
Between Kaupanger and Sogndal is the De Heibergske Samlinger, an open-air museum with old buildings similar to the folk museums in Oslo and Lillehammer.
Unlike many stave churches that are preserved as museums, Kaupanger is still in active use as a parish church. The interior has 22 stave columns, more than any other surviving stave church. The exterior was covered in horizontal planking in the 1860s, which hides the original stave construction from outside. A major restoration in 1965 uncovered the medieval structure underneath.
Most visitors to Kaupanger are here for the tourist car ferry across the Sognefjord to Gudvangen, passing through the Nærøyfjord on the way. If you are driving and want to see the fjord, this is the most efficient route. The church is a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal.
Between Kaupanger and Sogndal is the De Heibergske Samlinger, an open-air museum with old buildings similar to the folk museums in Oslo and Lillehammer.