Høre Stave Church

Høre Stave Church is rich in dragon and lion carvings from the Middle Ages, and among these are two beautiful portals. What used to be the ridge turret is today the entrance of the graveyard.

An unusual runic inscription shows that Høre Stave Church dates back to around 1179. However, as the oldest coin found under the church floor is from around 1100, it is presumed to have replaced a previous, smaller sized church. An extension was built in 1822, and today still, Høre Stave Church serves the community as a regular parish church.

The story behind the runic inscriptions found in the pulpit is exciting. According to legend, King Sverre passed through Valdres in 1177 when he fled before Magnus Erlingsson. Elling, the feudal overlord of Kvie, had joined King Sverre in his fight against King Magnus and his father the Earl Erling Skakke. When Erling Skakke fell in the battle at Kalvskinnet in Nidaros (Trondheim), Elling and his brother Audun decided to build Høre Stave Church as the runic inscriptions show: "In the summer of which the brothers Elling and Audun cut (timber) to this church, Erling (fell) in Nidaros."

Admission (incl. guiding):

Adults NOK 80,-

Children 6-16 years NOK 50,-

Family NOK 170,-

Groups NOK 60,- per person (minimum 10 people)

No student or senior discounts.

Visits out of hours on request, minimum charge NOK 500,-

Please note that we cannot accept foreign currencies, i.e. Euro.