Hove Church

Vik i Sogn, Norway

Hove Church was built around the year 1170. Historians believe it was built by a great man who belonged to the very upper echelon within the Norwegian aristocracy. They say he had built this as a private chapel. It's a small church with seating for only about 35 people.

Peter Andreas Blix was an architect who bought the run down church in 1880, and he restored the church from 1883-1888. Blix's goal was to finish the stone church to its original conditions. Soapstone for repairing the walls were brought from the old soapstone quarry in the municipality. Just as when he renovated the nearby Hopperstad Stave Church, Blix removed all the fixtures that were not from the Middle Ages. On the exterior Blix built up a large stone tower on the old base of the tower (it had been a wooden tower from 1600 until the 1880s). It is uncertain whether the church had a wood or a stone tower originally.

Blix died in 1901 and he is buried under the floor of the church. He owned the church until his death, and bequeathed it to his brother who then gave it to the state. The church is still owned by the state, and it is administered by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments. It is no longer regularly used by the parish, but it can be used for special occasions such as weddings or funerals.

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Founded: 1170
Category: Religious sites in Norway

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4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Christopher Acarregui (6 months ago)
Absolutely fantastic! The church is almost 1,000 years old. It was rebuilt in the late 1800,s. I took pictures of the inner construction since I found that so fascinating. The entire outdoor museum was great.
Emmanuel LEGROS (10 months ago)
The Hopperstad stavkyrkje is one of the three churches in Vik i Sogn. But it is the only stave church. A majestic matched copper beech grows next to it in the graveyard.
Catherine Tedford (14 months ago)
We stopped here on our way through to Balestrand. It's a lovely little church in a beautiful setting. We paid to go in and stayed about 20 minutes. There was a guide available to take you around and they also had pamphlets for you to read. It is a bit expensive but we bought a family ticket for 250kr which helped with the cost. I'm not sure it's completely necessary to go inside but if you have some time and are willing to pay the entry, then go. Otherwise you can get lovely photos from outside the grounds.
Cassie Miller (2 years ago)
The drive to Hopperstad is a really beautiful mountain pass leading into the fjord and valley where the church resides. Drive carefully getting there and check weather conditions before you go as the pass can and does close for bad weather. Also note that the parking is just a pull off along the roadside near the church.
Omid Givi (2 years ago)
Beautiful example of stave churches in Norway, which is, if not the oldest, one of the very oldest available. The church is believed to be built around 1130 and keeps many well preserved details. When open (and after buying a ticket) you could access the inside area of the church and enjoy many details frontje period, among which a 1000 years old chest. The church stands in the beautiful typical Norwegian surrounding.
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