Dale Kyrkje

The Western Fjords

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Spectacular wooden stave churches get all the attention around here, but this little gem of a medieval parish church built of stone shouldn’t be overlooked. Constructed around 1250, it's mainly Gothic in style with a wooden tower and elaborately painted western entrance (the work of a typically near-anonymous ecclesiastical artist known simply as 'Nils the Painter') that were added in the early 1600s. The crucifix above the chancel arch and fine multicoloured pulpit are from the church's earliest days.

The naive 16th-century paintings in the chancel were revealed only in the 1950s, when the whitewash was removed.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • 12th century wooden Romanesque Urnes Stave Church, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest stave churches in Norway.

    Urnes Stave Church

    11.03 MILES

    If you only have time on your itinerary to visit one stave church, the one at Urnes has to figure at the top of the list (along with Borgund). Dating from…

  • Norwegian Glacier Museum, designed by the famous Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn. It is next to Boyabreen Glacier.

    Norwegian Glacier Museum

    23.12 MILES

    You can't miss this striking museum: it's a concrete wedge marooned among a sea of grass on the way into Fjærland, and even has a couple of model woolly…

  • Glacier Kjenndalsbreen.

    Kjenndalsbreen

    24.53 MILES

    It's a picturesque run of 21km or so up the Lodalen valley to reach this offshoot of the glacier, perhaps the least visited of the four main tongues. The…

  • Briksdalsbreen

    Briksdalsbreen

    24.47 MILES

    The main target for most visitors on the northern side of the park is this impressive glacier, which can be reached along a scenic 23km road from Olden…

  • Norwegian Wild Salmon Centre

    Norwegian Wild Salmon Centre

    23.77 MILES

    The River Lærdalselvi is one of the top spots for wild salmon fishing in Norway. Salmon fishing has been part of the culture here since time immemorial,…

  • Sogn Folkmuseum

    Sogn Folkmuseum

    18.72 MILES

    This extensive open-air folk museum is between Sogndal and Kaupanger, beside the Rv5. More than 30 buildings, including farms, a schoolhouse and a mill,…

  • Supphellebreen

    Supphellebreen

    21.18 MILES

    Reached via a turn-off from the main road north from Fjærland, this small glacier creeps down the mountainside into an isolated valley. Trails lead from…

  • Kaupanger Stave Church

    Kaupanger Stave Church

    19.45 MILES

    The area's most impressive sight is this stave church, raised in 1184. It impresses from within by its sheer height, although much of what you see dates…

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Nearby The Western Fjords attractions

1. Urnes Stave Church

11.03 MILES

If you only have time on your itinerary to visit one stave church, the one at Urnes has to figure at the top of the list (along with Borgund). Dating from…

2. Sogn Folkmuseum

18.72 MILES

This extensive open-air folk museum is between Sogndal and Kaupanger, beside the Rv5. More than 30 buildings, including farms, a schoolhouse and a mill,…

3. Kaupanger Stave Church

19.45 MILES

The area's most impressive sight is this stave church, raised in 1184. It impresses from within by its sheer height, although much of what you see dates…

4. Supphellebreen

21.18 MILES

Reached via a turn-off from the main road north from Fjærland, this small glacier creeps down the mountainside into an isolated valley. Trails lead from…

5. Norwegian Glacier Museum

23.12 MILES

You can't miss this striking museum: it's a concrete wedge marooned among a sea of grass on the way into Fjærland, and even has a couple of model woolly…

6. Bøyabreen

23.16 MILES

The more spectacular of the two glacial tongues accessible from Fjærland, Bøyabreen looms majestically at the end of the wooded valley. There's a car park…

7. Norwegian Wild Salmon Centre

23.77 MILES

The River Lærdalselvi is one of the top spots for wild salmon fishing in Norway. Salmon fishing has been part of the culture here since time immemorial,…

8. Briksdalsbreen

24.47 MILES

The main target for most visitors on the northern side of the park is this impressive glacier, which can be reached along a scenic 23km road from Olden…

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