Kvernes Stave Church, Averøy, Norway

From ancient times Kvernes has been of great religious and cultural importance at Nordmøre. The excavation of a white phallus stone, a sacred symbol of fertility, supports this fact. The stave church was built around year 1300 and has a rather large main nave (16×7,5 m) with external diagonal props supporting the walls. Several repairs/reconstructions have been carried out. In 1633 the stave-built chancelwas torn down, and a new one erected in log construction. A baptistery was raised at the western end, windows were put in, and the chancel was decorated with painted scenes from the Bible. In the following decade, the nave and baptistery were decorated with acantus paintings. The vicar, Mr. Anders Ericsen (1603-62) paid all those expenses himself.

The king sold the church in 1725, and it was in private ownership until 1872 when it was bought by the parish. A new church was built in 1893, and the stave church was saved from demolition when Fortidsminneforeningen (The Society for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments) bought it in 1896.

References:

stavechurch.com

User Reviews

Wandelndes Lexikon (13 months ago)
Youngest of Norways stafchurches. Since we we're the only visitors we got a full guided tour and explanations.

Rupal Patel (13 months ago)
Impeccable church preservation; a captivating blend of history and architecture. A must-visit destination where time stands still, transporting visitors to an era of grace and beauty. Unforgettable experience awaits.

Alex P.B (13 months ago)
Had a wonderful tour by a young person who knew so much history about the stave church. Such a wealth of information. The tour was split into two groups, German and English, the German group finished the tour early, and our guide continued for another 15-20 minutes telling us nuggets of information on the history of the church. Our grohl definitely got the better tour.

Maria K (2 years ago)
We visited in 7/23/22. This is a beautiful wooden church (one of 28 of this type in Norway) built in 1630s. It has a beautiful view of the fjord below. Parking lot is located next to the church with information boards about the history of the church. To enter you have to pay 80 NOK and for seniors and children 60 NOK. You can pay by credit card. They also sell shirts with the picture of the church and booklets. When you enter they have laminated cards about the history of the church in at least 5 languages. Visit to this church was one of the highlights of our trip to Norway because of the historical context they provided on the cards in the church and the info boards by the parking lot.

odin hansen smedbak (3 years ago)
It is okey. Guide was a rather young girl that did a great job. I am not a fan of stave churches. That being said. It is nothing wrong with it. It is just not that exciting and it takes under 10 minutes to see.

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