The eye-catching church is a landmark building not just of Balestrand but the entire Sognefjord region. It even served as the inspiration behind the church in the hit Disney movie Frozen.
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Norway’s stave churches are a sight to behold. Built on staves (large wooden posts) and with a distinctive roof, they’re now almost unique in the world. But these churches are more than a tourist attraction: they tell a tale of a time when the country switched from Norse beliefs to Christianity.
Heddal Stave Church (Creative Commons).
It seems somewhat surprising, given their traditional way of life, that Vikings embraced Christianity so thoroughly. But around a thousand years ago, the shift was already taking hold.
The oldest stave churches still standing today (that we know of, at least) are dated to the 1100s, but earlier churches are also known. Catholics preferred stone for their churches, and Vikings also built some wooden churches but stave churches were the norm. They didn’t use any nails, just wood, and the inside was often decorated with dragons or other mythical animals.
BROOK SABIN
The fast-growing town of Cromwell has mountains, a stunning lake, vineyards, cherry picking and loads of adventure activities. It s just missing the crowds.
Many of New Zealand’s small towns shine brightest when the summer sun does, not least because you can take a dip or eat al fresco without making yourself sick. With some of the best weather of the season still ahead of us, all going well, events calendars are in full-swing, promising entertainment ranging from music, busking and food and wine festivals to a Viking-style soirée. Here is our pick of small towns to try to make it to before the weather turns, and they look – to some eyes at least – kind of dark and depressing. There’s a lot about food and wine, but ‘tis (still) the season after all. That’s what we’re telling ourselves anyway.