As Christianity spread throughout the Scandinavian countries from the tenth century, numerous churches were built - many from wood (called stave churches) as it was the most readily available building material. Only around 30 of these superb stave churches survive including the one pictured above built around 1150 in the small village of Borgund surrounded by verdant pastures at the end of Norway's largest fjord, Sognefjord. Remarkably, the exterior of this church remains virtually unchanged for the last 850 years - a monument to the architectural and construction skills of these medieval people.
