Medieval church reopens to tourists

UNESCO world heritage site Urnes stave church in Norway will open again to tourists this summer after a lengthy renovation.

The 900 year old wooden church has undergone structural repairs after it was found the foundations were sinking into the ground.

World Heritage

Urnes stave church was built around 1130 and was one of the first buildings to be placed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1979.

The repairs have taken 4 years to complete and the church will reopen to visitors on the 25th May this year, writes Aftenposten.no.

Popular Tourist Attraction

The church lies on the south side of the Lustra Fjord in Sogn & Fjordane on the west coast of Norway.

In a normal year, the church receives up to 16,000 visitors who come to awe at the magnificent detail in the church´s wooden carvings.

The Urnes Style

The church has also given name to a style of carving, the Urnes Style, also said to be inspired by English art at the time.

Few Stave Churches Remain

In its heyday, some estimate there could have been as many as 2,000 stave churches like Urnes church around Norway.

Many disappeared between the 1300s and 1650, with the Black Death and the reformation.

Today only 28 stave churches remain in Norway, and Urnes church is one of two listed on the UNESCO world heritage list.