The Stave Churches of Norway Norway’s stave churches are unique treasures of medieval wood architecture — the country’s most distinctive contribution to the world’s cultural heritage. Between 1130 and 1350, over a thousand were built; today, only 28 remain. The oldest and most famous, Urnes Stave Church in Luster, Vestland, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It represents the pinnacle of this building tradition, where Viking craftsmanship, Norse mythology, and Christian symbolism merge into one extraordinary wooden structure. The term stave refers to the vertical posts that carry the weight of the church. These stand on wooden sills resting on stone foundations, protecting the timber from decay. Roofs covered in wooden shingles and walls made from vertical planks give each church a distinct texture and scent of tar and time. There are two main types: the simple single-nave design and the more complex raised central nave type, best represented by Borgund Stave Church in Lærdal. After the Black Death and later modernization, most stave churches disappeared. The survivors endured largely thanks to their remote locations and later national efforts to preserve them. Today, Norway’s stave churches — from grand Heddal to tiny Grip — stand as enduring symbols of faith, artistry, and endurance. They are living witnesses to a thousand years of history, built of slow-grown pine and preserved with care and reverence.