Borgund stavechurch is without a doubt one of the most beautiful stavechurches in Norway. It should…read moredefinitely be on your list og destinations. I've never been on the guided tour here, but just walking around enjoying the architecture and the mountainview around it is lovely. There's fields with sheep and lambs around and you get a proper view of the Norwegian cultural landscape as well. The giftshop also has a lot of interesting gifts and souvenirs!

Really cool church well worth the rather long drive out to it. Don't be fooled by the name "Borgund…read moreStave Church," it is actually quite a ways outside of Borgund! Not having a GPS, I kept driving and driving and thought I had missed it, but it's out there! Just keep going until you see it right off the road. Parallel to the main road is a scenic route that is AMAZING! So much better than the main road. There are plenty of exits for the scenic route from the main route, so plan for another hour or two to allow yourself time to take the scenic route. It runs by rivers, deep gorges, and dark tunnels. The church itself is neat, but they charge you to enter the grounds! I believe admission includes entrance to the museum inside the visitor's center as well.

St. Olaf's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Balestrand in Sogndal Municipality in the…read morecounty of Vestland in Norway. This church, built in a stave church style was completed in 1897. It belongs to the Church of England and is under the spiritual administration of the Bishop of Gibraltar who is in charge of all Anglican churches on the European mainland. The church was erected in memory of Margaret Sophie Green Kvikne - a vicar's daughter from Yorkshire, England - who came to Norway as a mountaineering pioneer. She married Knut Kvikne. She died in 1894, but at her death bed, Knut promised her to build an Anglican church. The church building was completed in three years. The small and quaint wooden church is located on a grassy hillside in Balestrand, and overlooks Sognefjord. It's is a peaceful church that welcomes all visitors. Please enjoy the pictures. General source of information: https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/st-olafs-church-the-english-church

A Tale As Old As Time…read more Once upon a time in a land far far away, a stately Norwegian hotelier named Knut Kvikne and an English rock climber named Margaret Sophia Green met along the peaceful shores of Balestrand. With his puffy chest and her (18)80's puffy sleeves, they made a dashing pair indeed. The twitterpated lovebirds spent a couple summers hiking snow-capped mountains filled with animated singing goats before finally marrying in 1892. Their wishes had come true, and they lived happily ever after. Almost. Margaret tragically became cursed with tuberculosis, and passed away after only two years of marriage. Alas, her devastated prince was not able to kiss her back to life on her rose-red lips, but he did make one last promise to her before she fell into eternal sleep. Knut agreed to build her an Angelican church, and kept true to his word. Construction for St. Olaf Church, which later served as the model for the church in Disney's "Frozen", was completed in 1897. The church is built in a neo-stave style, with beautiful woodwork and stained glass windows throughout. A stunning view of the fjords can be taken in by the doorway of the church, either alone or with a handsome prince. Now's your moment, Floating in a blue lagoon Boy, you better do it soon No time will be better She don't say a word And she won't say a word Until you kiss the girl "Kiss the Girl" (Little Mermaid)

This was the last stop on our City Troll Train Tour. Just to see a church form the 12th century was…read moreincredible. The inside is closed off but, you can see through the bars and get a good view. Try to stroll the cemetery as you will see some very old head stones.

If you ever find yourself in this part of our beautiful world, then I highly recommend dropping by…read moreto visit this beautiful church. It is located in Vik, Norway. Pretty scenery everywhere one looks!! There is an entrance fee to enter the church. I believe the proceeds go towards the upkeep of this historical place. We were fortunate to visit before the bus load of tourists arrived. This church is a wonderful example of Norwegian architecture from bygone days. It is a stave church. Most of these churches were constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries. This specific church was built in 1130 approximately. It has been restored by The Society For The Preservation Of Norwegian Ancient Monuments. Much of the building is still original, though, including many of the stave walls. Such a beautiful wooden church!! The Norwegian wood carvings both inside and outside are impressive. A "Must See" when in this part of Norway!!

I really enjoyed my visit to this church. Plus, there was no one else there, so we were able to…read morehave the place all to ourselves to explore. A few of us made a day trip out of this, renting bikes in Balestrand and biking to the ferry in Dragsvik and continuing on to Vik. Needless to say, it was a long bike ride, and the reward at the end was this beautiful church. The church is located on the outskirts of town, a few minutes from the main area of town. When we arrived, we had the place to ourselves. It was extremely peaceful, but also gave us a great opportunity to rest our legs after a bike ride that was more challenging than expected. The exterior of the church has some wonderful woodworking at the top with dragons radiating from the top. Inside the church is rather dark and austere. It's also pretty empty, no ornate decorations present. The church was built around 1130, so it has been around for a while, albeit with reconstructions over those 900 years. Regardless, it is an impressive structure and display of craftsmanship. The person collecting the admission can provide some additional information about the church. This was a great day trip, granted taking the long way, as we did not have a car and rented bikes. We moved at a healthy clip (or at least tried to) and it is a full day of activity, when you factor in ferry schedules and travel time. At the end of the day, you can look back fondly on soaking up the scenery along the route and seeing a wonderful example of Norwegian architecture. I would highly recommend this as a visit should you be in the area. It's worth noting that there are limited dining options in the town of Vik, in the event you are looking to coordinate a visit with a meal.

Norway is a land of waterfalls. Land of mountains, streams and windy roads…read more There are so many beautiful falls to see! This one, however, stayed with me. May be because it is only twin waterfall I've seen over there. May be because of the rainbow over the basin that mesmerized me. May be it was a roar of the water falling 150m down from the cliffs... Or may be it was a ride on narrow one-car-wide road that leads to it and views of the valley from there. Whatever it was, Skjervsfossen for me is one to remember, a must see, and a place in Norway to come back to, one day.