Stave Church
The main attraction in Vik is the richly decorated stave church “Hopperstad Stavkirke”. You can join a guided tour of the church or explore at your own pace.
The stunning village of Vikoyri, Vik is home to the richly decorated stave church “Hopperstad Stavkirke”. Hopperstad was built in 1130 and is, together with Urnes, the oldest stave church in existence.
A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name Stave derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts are called stafr in Old Norse (stav in modern Norwegian).
During its long life, Hopperstad Stave Church has suffered periods of neglect but thankfully experienced a wonderful revival in the 1880s. With the exception of the nave and the chancel, most of the church's interior had been removed. In 1881, the architect Peter Andreas Blix offered his services free of charge. The stave church was restored using other churches as models. The external gallery and ridge turret are clearly inspired by Borgund Stave Church.
Cheese tasting in Vik
If you want to learn more about Gamalost (and maybe even brave a taste), we will organise a trip for you - with a visit to the café at the TINE dairy, just a block or so up the hill from the passenger boat dock in Vik.
In the historic village of Vik, on the Sognefjord, you can learn about and try the local speciality cheese; Gamalost. Literally meaning ‘Old Cheese’ this is the only place in the whole of Norway where it is still made.
Gamalost originates in Viking times and today expert cheesemakers are continuing a tradition of over 1000 years. Made from only skimmed cows milk, it is known for its health-promoting characteristics - containing more than 50 percent protein and just 1 percent fat. It also contains chitosan, a substance that has many beneficial properties, including lowering cholesterol.
The Vikings, who fueled themselves for their expeditions in part by eating Gamalost, also considered the cheese an aphrodisiac!
Gamalost was once a staple of the Norwegian diet, in large part because it could be stored for long periods of time without refrigeration. Although the tradition of making Gamalost is an old one, the name of the cheese comes not from its long history but from the length of the aging process.
If you want to learn more about Gamalost (and maybe even brave a taste), we will organise a trip for you - with a visit to the café at the TINE dairy, just a block or so up the hill from the passenger boat dock in Vik.
Gamalost even has its own festival, which takes place in Vik over several days in late May or early June.