Fantoft Stave Church in Bergen
Fantoft Stave Church - Bergen, Norway
Ever since playing the computer game, Age of Mythology, I’ve been a bit fascinated with Stave churches (stavkirke). The first time we went to Norway, in 2008, we didn’t have time to visit one. When I read that there was one in Denmark, near Aarhus, I was excited to visit, but I was a bit of a disappointment as it wasn’t anything like the Norwegian variety.
So as soon as I got to Bergen I jumped on the light rail and headed to the Fantoft Stave Church. The original stave church from 1150 didn’t look much like this (at least not in the 19th Century after hundreds of years of changes). The church was moved to Bergen in 1883 and reverted to this older style. However, in 1992 the idiot arsonist and murderer Varg Vikernes burned the church. The one I photographed above at dusk is a 1997 reconstruction.