Borgund Stave Church

Stave churches were built in Northern Europe, mostly in the Middle Ages, and are made almost entirely out of wood. While they were once common in north-western Europe, only 30 stave churches now remain. Out of these, 28 are located in Norway. All Norwegian stave churches have corner posts, known as ‘staves’, a timber framework, and planks forming walls standing on sills. These are called ‘stave walls’ and are the reason they are known as stave churches. This one in Borgund was built in 1180.