Gol Stave Church

Gol Stave Church is a medieval timber church originally built in the village of Gol and now preserved at the Norsk Folkemuseum on the Bygdf8y peninsula in Oslo. The building is one of the best-known examples of Norway’s stave church tradition.

The church displays characteristic vertical post-and-beam construction, carved ornamentation and a layered roof form typical of stave architecture. It is presented within the open-air museum as an example of medieval Norwegian ecclesiastical building practice.

The original church was moved to Oslo in the late 19th century for conservation when it was replaced in its home community. A modern replica stands in Gol while the original structure remains part of the museum’s historic collection.

The church is located at the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo and is accessible as part of the museum’s exhibits on traditional architecture and cultural history.

• Medieval origin and relocation: A timber stave church dating to the medieval period that was relocated to Oslo in the late 19th century to preserve the original structure when it was replaced locally.

What to See #

• Original stave church at Norsk Folkemuseum: The original Gol stave church building that was dismantled and moved to the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo in the late 19th century, where it is preserved and displayed.