Heddal Stavkyrkje: We arrived at our first destination of the day amidst rain and fog. That did not deter us in the least, because this church was absolutely fascinating, and was a tourist stop that Agneta and Par had never visited before. I think it is a mix of Viking and Christian design.

Heddal Stave Church (aka Heddal Stavkyrkje): A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. This is the largest stave church in Norway.

All of the surviving stave churches, except one, are found in Norway. And, there is only one remaining medieval stave church (from the 15th century) outside Norway, located at Hedared in Sweden.

This medieval stave church is located in Notodden, Norway. It was built sometime around 1242.

Close-up of the side of the church: The materials used to build this church fascinated me. This church is often called "a cathedral in wood." This church was built in the reign of King Hakon Hakonson, during a period of great prosperity.

Rear View of the Heddal Stave Church: I had to walk all around the church in search of a good vantage point to take a photo from. It looks very Vikingesk to me!The three towers are a distinctive feature.

Ornamented Portal: The woodworking on these doors was stunning. I found this portal down a dark side passage.

Stylized Expressive Masks: I had a difficult time photographing the masks that were adorning the tops of the interior pillars on the walls. They are of some kind of Viking decoration. To see them, look to the top of the photo. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)

Pillars and Pews: The wood and rose paintings are gorgeous, and old, old, old...The interior was restored to its original medieval, as well as seventeenth century decorations.

Altar: The altar piece is from 1667. The entire church was fascinating from ceiling to floor.