Since the beginning of the spread of Christianity in Norway, more than a thousand wooden temples and churches have been built. They were called stave churches. Unfortunately, neither time nor the plague did not spare the monuments of wooden architecture. From the Middle Ages to the present day only 28 stave churches have been preserved, including the largest preserved stave church in Heddal — a true masterpiece of Norway temple architecture of the beginning of the 13th century. According to local legend, it was built in just three days, and its builder was nobody else but a mountain troll named Finn. The wood was so strong that a third of the ancient temple has survived to this day in its original form. There is even a runic inscription that the church was consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary in 1242.

Today the stave church in Heddal, or Black Church, is considered to be a real symbol of Norway and one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country. Even though it has been rebuilt many times, you can still see the original painting of the walls of the 17th century and the bells of the mid-19th century. On the one hand, it is a museum of sacred art and architecture, and on the other — it is a functioning temple where religious services and wedding ceremonies are still held. Pay special attention to the interior and some elements of exterior decoration. Along with Christian crosses, the roof of the church is decorated with Eastern dragons. Inside, you can see such rare artifacts as a chair made of carved wood which dates back to 1200, and carved wooden reliefs depicting a lion and bears, dragons and snakes, as well as three-winged angels as defenders of the temple. The entire temple is built exclusively of wood using wooden nails. Only the stone base reminds of the reconstruction of the building in a later period.