There are many churches scattered all over Østfold, many of them in Indre-Østfold. Some have a rich history going back centuries, others are more interesting from an architectural point of view. Picking the ‘best’ ones is bound to be subjective, but here are in any case a few that are well worth a look. Please bear in mind that churches in Norway are usually closed to the public, so take contact with the individual churches if you wish to view the interiors.
- Hvaler: The archipelago’s main church, and possibly the oldest church in the whole of Norway. Storveien 12, Skjærhalden. (Tel: 69 37 90 37)
- Rygge: A fine example of a well-preserved medieval church in Østfold. About 3km from Halmstad, direction Larkollen. There are signs for the church from Rv 118 towards Moss and Rv 119 from Moss to Larkollen. (Tel: 69 26 44 85)
- Eidsberg: Known as Østfold cathedral because of its impressive size, it also enjoys a beautiful location. Rv 124, approximately 7km south of Mysen centre, direction Rakkestad. (Tel: 69 70 22 61)
- Hobøl: One of Norway’s best preserved medieval churches, built in granite in Romanesque style at the end of the 12th century. (Tel: 69 92 16 40)
- Rømskog: On the eastern side of Rømsjøen, this church is entirely built in red timber. The original building from 1799 was extended and extensively restored in the 1950s. Signposted from Rv 21 at lake Rømsjøen (Tel: 69 85 91 77 or 93 23 88 60)
#1 by Serban on March 2, 2010 - 8:57 pm
Thanks for this great post, as well as for the additional info on wooden churches you have sent me on Twitter. I was interested in writing sth on the wooden churches of Norway (maybe a guide, maybe a set of articles to bring traffic as well). Would you be interested in working together on something like this? If so, please drop me an email.
Serban