Maybe one of the most esoteric stave churches of Norway; this is a meeting place for old valhalla Gods, Catholicism and protestantism. I must disappoint all dragon lovers though, but I can offer a santaclaus instead. Norway has a friendly fight with Finland about the whereabout of Santa Claus, but maybe we have missed a golden opportunity to really place him where he belongs, in Telemark and at Eidsborg stave churche [toungue in cheek]. This is one of 2000 churches dedicated to St Niculas, i.e. the saint who we think inspired to Santa Claus. Midsummer (Jonsokk) is celebrated here by lifting the statue of St Nicholas (Nikulsvandring) from the church, and have a walk with him around the close lake. Or as we say in Norwegian “De dødes tjern” (!) as one of our most famous authors, André Bjerke, sat close to the lake and wrote a classic. The stave church itself is built between approx. 1150-1180, and have changed many times later. The original statue of St Niculs is a copy, the original is at a museum in Oslo. I passed here out of season and all I saw was a well held church. #norge #norway #stavkyrkje #eidsborg #stnikuls #santaclaus #julenissen #arkitektur #architecture #bygning #kirke #church #landscape #telemark Wood is the Nordic language.

Your posted made me a bit curious to check which stave churches I actually saw already? I think they are Röldal, Hopperstad, Kaupanger, Urnes, Borgund and some in Gudbrandsdalen. When I look at the map I drove by many of them without realizing

Yes :) But in the old job I was in Norway every year twice, with quite some flexibility. Now perhaps once every five years :(