Dale stone church was built around 1220-1250 and restored in 1600s. The architecture is Gothic and the church contains frescoes dating from the 15th century. The rare pine-made altarpiece dates from the 13th or 14th century. There are also wooden sculptures of St. Olaf from the building time.

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Bringebakkane 1, Luster, Norway
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Details

Founded: 1220-1250
Category: Religious sites in Norway

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Jan Kornstad (2 years ago)
Dale Church is a long church from the 13th century in Luster municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county. It is an exceptionally well-preserved medieval church. Dalekirken is in a special position in relation to the other rural churches in Norway due to the two special soapstone portals. It is the west portal which is the main entrance to the church and the somewhat smaller south portal ("Kongeportalen"). Furthermore, it has unique murals from the 1560s. Access to Dalekirken is via Fv 55. It is located just off the main road, and is well signposted. Lorentz Dietrichson (1906) wrote that Dalekirken, to a greater extent than any other church in Norway, has details that are similar to St. Magnus Cathedral at Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands. According to legend, the Dalekirken was built by Scots (Qvale, 1810). Dietrichson believed that family ties with the Orkney Islands could have led to stonemasons from the Orkney Islands. In addition to St. Magnus Cathedral, Anne Marta Hoff also finds parallels with Dryburgh Abbey in Scotland, with St. Mary's Church in Bergen, Stavanger Cathedral and Nidaros Cathedral. The soapstones for Dalekirken probably came from an old quarry just above Fet (Indre Hafslo). Between the church and the parsonage it is once underground (Dyrdal, 1993). Similar times can be found between the church and the bishop's guard at Skålholt in Iceland and in Avaldsnes church in Rogaland. One must believe that all these times were built at the same time as the churches, and that they were in use in the 13th century. The civil war in Norway ended in 1240, but preparations have probably been made for a new unrest. Crypt under the chancel was an innovation in church architecture in the 13th century.
Bjørn Bakke (3 years ago)
Nice old stone church
Terje Skjerdal (3 years ago)
A very special stone church from the 13th century. Rich baroque decoration inside the church. Lots of soapstone.
Roman Czapiewski (3 years ago)
A beautiful historic church
Reidun Vigdal (3 years ago)
Recent stone church. The stonechurh, the church lives.
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