Fantoft Stave Church stands in a quiet pine forest on the southern edge of Bergen, about 15 minutes from the city centre by light rail. The original structure was built around 1150 in Fortun, in Sogn, and moved to this site by Bergen businessman Joachim Grieg in 1883 to save it from demolition. In June 1992 it burned to the ground in an arson attack that became infamous in the history of Norwegian black metal. The church you see today is a painstaking reconstruction, completed in 1997, built from the original drawings and salvaged historical records. It is more atmospheric than the rebuilt version might suggest.
What to see
The church is a faithful replica of the 12th-century original — dark tarred timber, carved dragon heads at the apex of each roof, and a covered exterior gallery running around the building. The form is distinctly pre-Christian Norse in character, even though it functioned as a Christian church. Inside, the space is small and intimate, with rough-hewn pillars and almost no ornament. The surrounding forest makes the setting feel genuinely ancient, which is remarkable given the building is less than 30 years old. A carved wooden cross in the churchyard is said to be from the original structure.
Getting there
Take Bybanen (Bergen's light rail) line 1 from Bergen station towards Flesland. Ride six stops to Fantoft. From the Fantoft stop, follow the signs uphill — it's a 10-minute walk through a residential area and then into the pine forest. The walk is pleasant and clearly marked. By taxi from central Bergen the journey is about 10 minutes. There is no parking at the church itself.
History and the 1992 fire
The fire on the night of 5 June 1992 destroyed the church within hours. The attack was part of a wave of church burnings in Norway during the early 1990s associated with parts of the black metal scene. A young musician from Vikersund was convicted of the arson in 1994. The reconstruction was funded in part by the Norwegian government and private donors, and was built using traditional techniques — wooden pegs rather than nails, hand-riven timber, and linseed oil sealant. The historical significance of stave churches in Norway, of which fewer than 30 originals survive, made the rebuilding a national priority.
Prices at a glance
Admission to the interior. Grounds can be viewed from outside for free.