1250 – Old Wooden Church, Hitterdal, Norway

The stave church of Hitterdal, which dates from the middle of the 13th century (restored in 1849-51 and again in 1952-54), is the largest of Norway’s old wooden churches. It has fine 14th century wall paintings and a carved bishop’s throne. The windows were inserted during the 19th century restoration work. The belfry stands opposite the church on the other side of the road.

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. The load-bearing posts (stafr in Old Norse, stav in Norwegian) have lent their name to the building technique.