Kaupanger Stave Church has been in continous use since it was built around year 1140 AD. The stave church is beautifully situated with view over Kaupangerbukta bay by the mighty Sognefjord.
Kaupanger Stave Church is one of the largest stave churches in Norway, and is built with wood from the forest around Kaupanger.
Stave Churches in Western Norway
A Stave Church is a wooden church from the middle age. Most of the Norwegian Stave Churches were built right after the Viking Age around year 1100-1200 AD. The name “Stave Church” comes from the construction of the buildings; large ground beams of wood are placed on a foundation of stone, then internal wooden pillars (staves) are interconnected and also connected to the outer walls.
Kaupanger Stave Church at Kaupanger by the Sognefjord
Kaupanger Stave Church has been in continous use since it was built around year 1140 AD. It is one of the largest stave churches in Norway, and is built with wood from the forest around Kaupanger.
The church is situated on the hillside above the Kaupanger bay by the mighty Sognefjord. Kaupanger is originally an old Viking trading town. The name Kaupanger origins from the two norse words “Kaup” (to buy) and “angr” (bay).
There was originally another stave church at Kaupanger, but it burned down in 1130 AD. Several objects from Kaupanger Stave Church are today on display at the University Museum in Bergen. Among the objects that have been transferred to the museum is, among other things, a decorated wooden plate that is dated to the 13th century.
Kaupanger Stave Church is still in use as a parish church and is used both for services, baptisms and weddings. Apart from Kaupanger, Sogndal is the closest town to the church, it is about 12 kilometers to drive from Sogndal to Kaupanger Stave Church.
Season: Kaupanger Stave Church is open for visit during summer. See the official website of Kaupanger Stave Church for information about season and opening hours.
The Battle of Fimreite in year 1184 AD.
One of the main historic events in the Middle Ages, the Battle of Fimreite, happened in Sogndalsfjorden. In year 1184 AD, King Sverre Sigurdsson with his 14 Longships and King Magnus Erlingsson with his 26 Longships met in Sogndalsfjorden outside Fimreite for the final battle about the Kingship of Norway.
The reason for the Battle of Fimreite was because the people in Sogn had killed King Sverre’s governor. King Sverre sentenced the people of Sogn to pay a fine because of this, but they refused to pay.
Both the villages of Kaupanger and Sogndal and everything they came across in the area were then burned down by King Sverre’s men. When King Magnus heard about this, he and his army sailed to Sogndalsfjorden and met King Sverre for battle. King Sverre won, and King Magnus and more than 2000 men were killed in the battle.
Fjord X offers fjord cruises from Sogndal to Fimreite in the summer months June to August where you will be told the story of the Battle of Fimreite.
Sogn Folk Museum – The Heiberg Collection
The Folkmuseum The Heiberg Collection at Kaupanger is a beautiful oasis where you are brought back in time, to different eras where you can see and experience what life in the Sognefjord area was like before.
It is a great experience to walk around the outdoor museum and look at the old buildings and to see the animals grazing, and to enjoy the silence and the beautiful view towards the Sognefjord and the mountains in the distance. Here you can get the feeling of what life was like in the old days.
Sogn Folk Museum (The Heiberg Collection) was established as early as in 1909 on parts of landowner Gert Falch Heiberg’s property in Amla at Kaupanger. Heiberg had collected more than 3,000 objects from Sogn in addition to a house, and in 1909 he donated the collection to Historielaget i Sogn, which then established the Sogn Folk Museum.
The museum was Heiberg’s great passion, and he managed the museum until his death in 1949. By then he had more than 20,000 cataloged objects in the collection.
Ferry trip on the Sognefjord between Kaupanger and Gudvangen
Gudvangen and Kaupanger are the two ports where the iconic ferry trip along the inner part of the Sognefjord departs and arrives.
This is a two and a half hour long fjord cruise on the Sognefjord and the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord, between Kaupanger and Gudvangen.
On this ferry trip you will see the mighty Sognefjord, where the fjord is at its widest. The outermost part of the Aurlandsfjord is narrower than the Sognefjord, but still quite wide. The Nærøyfjord is narrow and the precipitous mountains rise high above the fjord.
Countless rivers and waterfalls cascade down the steep mountain sides. On this ferry trip you can see and experience the stark contrasts and the beautiful and wild nature of this wonderful piece of Norway.
You can take your car on this ferry trip.
Season: Summer, see link for more information about season and scedule.
Sognefjord – What to See and Do
The Sognefjord, the king of the Fjords, is the longest fjord adventure in Norway. The fjord is 204 kilometers long and 1308 meters deep at its deepest. Join a fjord cruise on the Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord. Take a mountain hike to Molden where the prize is a fantastic view of the Lustrafjord. See the beautiful stave churches that surround the Sognefjord. The Sognefjord is located in the middle of Western Norway.
Visit Sognefjord
Visit Sognefjord is the official destination company for the Sognefjord area.
Hotels and Accommodation in Sogndal and Kaupanger
- Hoflsund Fjordhotell in Sogndal
- Sogndal Hotell in Sogndal
- Lægreid Hotell in Sogndal
- Kjørnes Camping in Sogndal
- Stedje Camping in Sogndal
- Sogndal Fjordpanorama between Kaupanger and Sogndal
- Vesterland Feriepark at Kaupanger
- Amlasanden Fjordcamping at Kaupanger
Eat and Drink in Sogndal – some recommendations
- Dampskipskaien down by the fjord – Short-travelled food and drinks in a great atmosphere.
- La Pergola på Sogndal Hotell – Italian, great food and drinks. In the summer you can sit outside.
- Restauranthuset Malin – Asian food
- In the summer, it’s nice to sit in the garden at Hofslund Fjord Hotel and enjoy something good to drink.
- Fjøra Pub in Sogndalsfjøra.
Referances
Stavechurch.com – Kaupanger Stave Church
Wikipedia
References
Illustration by Tor Sponga from the book “Slaget ved Fimreite” by author Rune Timberlid.