Medieval Stave Churches in Norway

After all the hiking I did in Norway a couple of months ago, exploring the stave churches in Norway was the second highlight of the trip. I had never seen this type of churches (stavkyrkje) before and found them to be a neat ‘discovery’ for me out of this two-week trip.

Why “stave”?

Stave churches are medieval churches made from wood typically found in northern Europe, mainly with vertically placed wooden planks. “Stav” is a Norwegian word referring to the pine posts that are used to build the frame of the structure. These days, the stave churches that have survived to this day (with very few exceptions) are actually in Norway. The exterior is usually covered in pine tar to protect it; it gives the structure a black or dark color. There is not just one design possible for these or methods of building them. You can read more about that here, if you are interested.

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Example of how the wood is covered (Borgund Stave Church)

Lom’s Stave Church

The first stave church I visited was the one in Lom. This one is an active church. Originally a Catholic church consecrated in the 12th century, it underwent major renovations (enlarged, re-decorated, etc.) in the 17th century. It is an old church and a fairly large one. It has been maintained and renovated even as recently at 50 years ago. It is an impressive church in a cool town!

Lom, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Lom, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Lom, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Lom, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church

Lomen Stave Church

The Lomen Stave Church is in the village of Lome. It dates from the late 12th century though it was also renovated in the mid-18th century. Its use as a church ended when a newer church was built in town in 1914. However, it is still used for weddings and special events.

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The church is uphill from the main road
Lomen, Slidrefjord, Valdres, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Lomen, Slidrefjord, Valdres, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
The view down to Slidefjord
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Neighboring house

Høre Stave Church

The Høre Stave Church is also in the Valdres region in the village of Kvien. As it is often the case, sometimes the churches we see are built on the site of a prior church no longer visible. This stave church is estimated to have been built in the year 1179. Darn old! And, like many of these churches, it has undergone changes and renovations over the centuries. It is an active church still and is estimated to seat about 170 people.

Hore, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Hore, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Hore, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church

Øye Stave Church

This stave church is also in the Valdres region. The structure we see today was only built in 1965. However, it was built with wood discovered under the newer church nearby and that wood was determined to belong to the original stave church that was built in the 12th century and demolished in the mid-18th century. It is a charming small church from the outside in a perfectly picturesque setting (it was closed to visitors when I visited).

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Borgund Stave Church

This church sits on a property that includes a museum and coffee shop across the street. Very visitor friendly with plenty to see and learn. It is located in Lærdal. A newer church was built next door that is still active, and the old church (built around the year 1200) was turned into a museum. It is a beautiful setting and well worth the stop and the visit to the museum.

Borgund, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Borgund, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church
Borgund, stavkyrkje, stave church in norway, architecture, medieval church

Hopefully, sharing these 5 stave churches in Norway gives you a glimpse of the history and architecture associated with religion in Norway back in the Middle Ages, when Christianity there was Catholicism. Through the Reformation, some of these churches were eliminated and others were renovated to depart from some of the elements of Catholicism that did not apply. But the main takeaway is the beauty that faith brought and brings which these wonderful churches serve as a perfect memorial for!

Day 6 in the Jotunheimen NP Circuit

Well, all good things come to an end and, so, is the final post about my 6-day hike in Jotunheimen National Park: from Memurubu to Gjendesheim.

Now, it is not my final hike in Norway for this trip but it wraps up exploring the beautiful and grandiose Jotunheimen. Jotunheimen is a park I had never heard of before until this trip entered the picture as a potential adventure. Grateful to my friend Troy for introducing me to this jewel of nature in Norway!

Should I stay or should I go?

On day 6 we were not only finishing the hike in Jotunheimen NP, but we were also going to leave the park altogether. We had an option to stay at Gjendesheim (again) that final day in the park but we had places to go! We were going to head to the Valdres valley and the small town of Røn. It did not make sense to get to Gjendesheim to spend a few hours and then drive a few hours the next day before our destination. We opted to make it to Gjendesheim and get on the road. It is not like Gjendesheim was Leirvassbu where I would not have minded an extra night! So the plans were to get to our car (in the long-term parking lot a mile from Gjendesheim) and hit the road.

But, first, let’s talk about leaving Memurubu

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One last look towards the main building of Memurubu

We had planned to leave Memurubu and take the Bessegen route to Gjendesheim, not an easy route but well-known as an epic route. However, the weather forecast called for high winds that day at lake level. Bessegen was both higher up and more exposed to the edges (not quite cliffs) and a wind gust would be a life-endangering situation. So we decided to take the lower level route lake-side. It was maybe not as fun and interesting as Bessegen but, under those conditions, smarter.

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The awesome marmalades at breakfast

A relatively easy trail…

… but the trail did not lack challenges though. Bessegen may be left for homework (i.e., a return trip) but the lake-side route was not just a nicely groomed trail. Nothing is at JNP! The cool thing about Bessegen is that you don’t have to do a circuit to do it as there are ferries to Memurubu so it can be just a day hike for those not wanting to do a longer circuit.

The trail initially had some elevation gain before the trail returned lakeside.

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Elevation gave us one great last view of the lake
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Then the trail went through forested areas and included water crossings and rock beaches before the final approach to Gjendesheim.

jotunheimen, ilivetotravel, trekking in norway, hiking i norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, adventure
jotunheimen, ilivetotravel, trekking in norway, hiking i norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, adventure
jotunheimen, ilivetotravel, trekking in norway, hiking i norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, adventure
jotunheimen, ilivetotravel, trekking in norway, hiking i norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, adventure

Overall, it was about 6.5 miles. We did it in 4 hours, including stops, the longest one in a rock beach where we had our lunch. By this point, of course, my legs were tired, my feet sore and my Achilles heels letting themselves be known. But, it didn’t really matter. The circuit we had just completed was worth every pain, every sore spot, every chain segment, every early wakeup, etc. Approaching Gjendesheim was a welcome sight but, also, bittersweet as it meant having new experiences around Jotunheimen was coming to an end. At least, on this trip…

jotunheimen, ilivetotravel, trekking in norway, hiking i norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, adventure
Finished the Jotunheimen Loop!

Missed the start? Go to Day 1 (Gjendesheim to Glittertind)

Or, go back to the prior day: Day 5! (Gjendebu to Memurubu)

Day 5 in the Jotunheimen NP Circuit

The circuit hike is beginning to approach its conclusion on day 5. However, it is not a time to assume it will all be easy now! The Gjendebu to Memurubu hike on day 5 presented the most scary section of the six hikes I did at Jotunheimen.

The trail that day would be about 6.75 miles and about 2,400 ft elevation gain. It took us almost 5 hrs (durations cited include breaks taken).

It was our earliest departure to-date at 8:10 AM. The day was a little rainy as we departed Gjendebu, walking past the ferry pier (that could take you to Gjendesheim). We proceeded along a forest expecting fast elevation gain, which was true after maybe 1.25 miles, when we cleared the forest.

Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega
Just cleared the forest and started to climb

As usual in Jotunheimen, rocks and water mix to become THE trail. These trails are not groomed, folks. Walk on them. Carefully.

Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega

Neat views and narrow trails

The terrain was STEEP. The trail hugged the side of the ridge VERY tightly as the next two photos show. Of course, offering great views.

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Chain me up to leave Gjendebu

And, at some point high up, we hit 4 rock faces that required chains to go up. The first segment was the worst as it had no toehold/foothold to help support the body weight. It was pure arm strength to pull oneself (and the backpack) up to the next level. Mind you, behind me was a steep drop as the segment was very vertical so that added to the adrenaline… The next two segments offered some toeholds which certainly made it a tad easier.

Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain trail
Yep, that is straight down
Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain trail
On the 2nd or 3rd segment where there were footholds

However, I had no idea how many of these were ahead and of what kind so it was a little concerning not having trained for it. Thankfully, there were only four chain sections and the last one required chain to walk and not slip vs. needing to pull up.

Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
The 4th segment’s chain and terrain. That is a STRAIGHT drop right there!

A bit after the fourth section, I was able to exhale believing we were done with the chains – which we were! At the end of the day, looking back, it was fun to have faced this challenge and glad to know I was fit enough to do it. We reached the top of this massive climb around mile 2.1. The elevation gain in less than a mile had been about 1.500 ft.

And a nice, beautiful, kind trail…

After that, the terrain consisted of climbs and descents of moderate levels with some flat segments in between. We were sort of walking along a ridge, going up to the various high points of the ridge (sort of “summits”). They went on probably for 5 miles or a little less. The scenery was amazing – a great reward for the steep-and-scary elevation gain earlier on.

Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
Kind trail: flat, no water, almost rock-free
Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
Beautiful trail
Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
Kind and beautiful trail; almost forgot about the chains!
Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
Trail going up the ridge
Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
Two of the climbs along the ridge – not too bad!
Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
Just spectacular views!

… until the final, cruel descent to Memurubu

Before getting to the final summit on the ridge, we spotted our target: Memurubu turisthytte!

Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
The cabin is where the river meets the lake

But, before the descent, we had a quick stop for lunch. The ham and cheese sandwich with cucumber was a favorite of mine! It is worth noting that you prepare whatever sandwich you want for lunch at the breakfast service before you leave the lodge you spent the night at. So you get to make yourself 1 or 2 sandwiches of whatever you want.

Jotunheimin, hiking in Norway, Lake Gjende, Gjendebu, Memurubu, norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, chain, technical climb
And the descent to Memurubu begins…

We hit the final summit (at around 4,200 ft above sea level) after lunch and proceeded to descend to Memurubu which we could see during the final bit of the ridge hike. The descent was very steep and with a lot of loose rocks. It was not pleasant terrain at all but the views continued to inspire – as well as seeing the end goal so within reach 🙂 And, compared with descents like from Glittertind, this was easy stuff!

At Memurubu to rest, eat and… rest!

We arrived in Memurubu around 1:40 PM and reception was not open yet. There were quite a number of people around but many were just waiting for the ferry to Gjendesheim.

There were quite a number of people but many were just waiting for the ferry to Gjendesheim.
You can see part of the downhill trail on the right. It looks deceptively kind!

We were assigned to a room in a building near the main lodge. We opted for a private bath at this lodge which was nice. The common areas of the lodge were very nice, spacious and you really felt you wanted to hang out.

There were quite a number of people but many were just waiting for the ferry to Gjendesheim.

We enjoyed a beer after showering and before dinner. OK, maybe more than one. It was happy time at Memurubu!

There were quite a number of people but many were just waiting for the ferry to Gjendesheim. Ringnes beer

Check out Day 4 (Leirvassbu to Gjendebu)

Or, read on to the final day: Day 6 (Memurubu to Gjendesheim!)

Day 2 on the Jotunheimen NP Circuit Hike

Having survived the first day of a 6-hike circuit – and the longest hike of the 6 -, it was time to get going on Day 2 for the next challenge: getting to Spiterstulen by climbing Glittertind mountain (vs. skirting it and going around it).

Tallest mountains in Norway and northern Europe

Glittertind is not only the second tallest mountain in Norway but in all of northern Europe. Glittertind stands at 2,452 m / 8,045 ft. The tallest mountain is nearby: Galdhøpiggen. It stands a modest 17 m / 56 ft taller than Glittertind. The height of these mountains is a little higher if you include the glaciers atop. For example, Glittertind, back in 2008, stood at 2,465 m counting the glacier.

Heading up Glittertind

We started the morning early with breakfast at 7:30AM and a departure from Glitterheim at 8:40AM. Though Glittertind stands at 2,452 m, Glitterheim itself is location at around 1,400 M above sea level. So we sort of had a head start in terms of the climb. Small mercies!

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Leaving Glitterheim behind

The climb to the summit was about 3.8 miles. The first mile would ascend 425 ft. The second mile would go another 500 ft. Finally, the third mile would go another 450 ft. The final bit to the top would take us up approximately another 300 ft. I cannot recall for certain but it feels the last 1.5 mile was a pure rock walk. Steep and painfully slow to navigate stepping over all those rocks

rock fields, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen
Norway may be also called Rocks ‘R Us
Glittertind, rock field in Jotunheimen, senderismo en Noruega, trekking i Norge, Norway hike, Spiterstulen,  Glitterheim
Can you still spot me in the rock field? Fun times

Atop Glittertind and all that snow

Within the last hour of the climb, it started to snow. Visibility decreased but we could still see where we were and where we were headed.

Glittertind, rock field in Jotunheimen, senderismo en Noruega, trekking i Norge, Norway hike, Spiterstulen,  Glitterheim
Can you see me now?
rock fields, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen. snow
I could still see my friend (red oval above) so all was good.

Good thing because right by the summit there was a cliff we could not see… (see image below from AllTrails). Good thing that snowpack at the top was rock solid!

AllTrails, Glittertind, hiking in Norway, trekking in Jotunheimen, snowpack, glacier in Norway, Norge, DNT
This screenshot right after the summit
rock fields, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen
rock fields, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen
At THE summit

Descending not always fun and games

Once we were done resting at the summit, we began the descent. For a little bit, we were still on the glacier / snowpack. We did not have any special attachments on our hiking boots. I just made sure I stepped where someone else had stepped before me, hoping the snow had compacted all it was going to compact thanks to the prior person. Oh, and that I was not going to step on snow that was sitting on top of a crevice or gap of some sort!

You can visualize in this AllTrails’ trail preview how sharp a descent this was (it began around mile 4.1, soon after leaving the summit ridge.

AllTrails, Glittertind, hiking in Norway, trekking in Jotunheimen, snowpack, glacier in Norway, Norge, DNT
steep descent, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen
What it looked like in real life

Eventually, after left the summit ridge, the terrain was free of snow and the snow stopped falling. Back to our normal steep-descent-with-lots-of-rocks-and-scree. It was the usual very focused walk to avoid a nasty and painful fall.

steep descent, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen
Just too awe-inspiring to not post another photo!
ilivetotravel, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega

The challenging, steep descent from Glittertind is over

After the steep descent, we entered the area that you see in the picture above. We followed a stream for a bit on still-rocky terrain for a bit.

norvege, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega
The descent is over!!
challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen

We then went up a little bit and rounded some mountain to a trail that would eventually parallel the private road leading to Spiterstulen. I so badly wanted to just get to that road and walk on a flat, smooth surface! But, it was not to be until the very end, close up to Spiterstulen. To add insult to injury, after we got on the road and approached the lodge, we had a slight uphill. Really…. 🙂

Regardless, my buddy and I were very happy hikers by the time we got to Spiterstulen!

challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen, ilivetotravel

How to end a hard hike

Thankfully, Spiterstulen was ready for us! From a refreshing cold beer to a great meal to a great space in the room and the large lounging room – Spiterstulen was great.

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Spiterstulen from the outside
ilivetotravel, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega
ilivetotravel, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega

Our room was actually in a cabin and we enjoyed a private bathroom (with heated floor!), a small living room area and a great view from the room’s window. Perfect spot to chill and re-charge.

ilivetotravel, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega

The meal started with salmon on a piece of bread (that could have been the entrée!). Then Norwegian meatballs with veggies, chased by diced watermelon topped with vanilla ice cream. All good!

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Norway’s beauty is infinite!

I am writing all this post-facto, a couple of weeks after returning home. The majesty of the landscapes of Norway are, maybe not unique, but definitely spectacular. Just a view like below, after a nice meal and a beer (or two), are enough to make one be in awe of God’s creation…

ilivetotravel, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega

Check out Day 1 (Gjendesheim to Glitterheim)

Or, read on to Day 3 (Spiterstulen to Leirvassbu)

Foto de la Semana: Atardecer en Oslo, Noruega

En un viaje de negocios que hice a la capital noruega de Oslo, tuve la oportunidad de ver caer el sol mientras una pareja regresaba a su casa después del trabajo. Esta ocasión me proveyó una de mis fotos favoritas que aquí comparto con ustedes. Espero les guste.

atardecer, caida del sol, oslo, noruega, pareja, viaje, escena

Pareja regresando a casa con la puesta del sol cara a ellos

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