Borgund Stave Church

Borgund Stave Church stands in Lærdal in Vestland, Norway, and is regarded as one of the best-preserved stave churches in the country. According to Wikipedia it dates from around 1200, between 1180 and 1250; another source dates it to about 1150 on the evidence of runic inscriptions. Dragon heads sit on the roof ridges, though the present ones may be 18th-century replacements. South of the church stands the bell tower from the mid-13th century, the only surviving free-standing stave-work bell tower in Norway. In 1877 the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments bought the church, and today it is a museum.

The interior is dark and plain, and the west portal is carved with animals, acanthus and dragons. It is Norway’s most visited stave church and can be busy as a result. Borgund lies about 30 km east of Lærdalsøyri and, according to Life in Norway, close to the E16; there is a visitor centre next to the church. Check opening times and admission before you go.