Heddal Stave Church is the largest of the 28 surviving stave churches in Norway, a triple-naved wooden structure of pitch-blackened pine that rises in tiers of dragon-decorated roofs above a stone-walled churchyard. It was built around 1250, repaired and extended over the centuries, and remains a working parish church of the Church of Norway.
The exterior is the principal spectacle: shingled gables stack one above another, ridge-crests carved with dragons, and a slender bell tower at the top. The interior is darker and more modest than the outside suggests, but rewards a slow visit. Look for the Bishop's Chair — a 13th-century carved wooden seat with elaborate runic and figural decoration — and traces of original 17th-century rose painting in the chancel. The church is open to visitors from late May to early September; modest entrance fee. Sunday services continue year-round.