Ancient Churches with Unique Designs

What are they: Stave churches are medieval wooden churches originally found in Norway.

Key features: Aside from being made entirely of wood, stave churches are also notable for their tapered roofs, elaborately intricate carvings.

Borgund Stave Church: This church was built sometime between 1180 and 1250 CE, and it is one of the best-preserved stave churches.

Eidsborg Stave Church: Although the earliest historical records for Eidsborg date back to 1354 CE, it is believed that the church was built a century before that.

Flesberg Stave Church: This church dates back to approximately 1150 CE and is famous for its interior decorations. 

Garmo Stave Church: This is one of the most visited stave churches in Norway, due mostly to its proximity to the Open Air Museum.

Gol Stave Church: The wood carvings found in Gol Stave Church are interestingly mixed, with Norse symbols prominently displayed on the Christian building. 

Grip Stave Church: This building can be found in the now-abandoned fishing village of Grip, located on a small island in the Norwegian Sea.

Haltdalen Stave Church: Haltdalen is one of the more visually unremarkable stave churches on this list, as it does not have any significant carvings or markings.

Hedalen Stave Church: The Hedalen Stave Church–which was constructed in about 1160 CE–features dragons on the building’s west-facing entrance.

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