• About
    • about Jessica Lynn
    • Contact
  • Group Trip
  • Instagram
  • The blog

Jessica Lynn Writes

  • Mamahood
    • activities for kids
    • this mom thing
    • Pregnancy
    • our wedding
  • Military
    • Military
    • PCS
      • PCS tips
    • deployments
    • homecoming
    • care packages
    • duty stations
  • Good Eats
    • all recipes
    • christmas recipes
    • thanksgiving recipes
  • Travel
    • united states
    • europe
    • cruises
    • duty stations
    • travel must-haves
  • About
    • about Jessica Lynn
    • Contact
  • Group Trip
  • insta
  • The Blog
  • Mamahood
    • activities for kids
    • this mom thing
    • Pregnancy
    • our wedding
  • Military
    • Military
    • PCS
      • PCS tips
    • deployments
    • homecoming
    • care packages
    • duty station spotlight
  • Good Eats
    • all recipe
    • christmas recipes
    • thanksgiving recipes
  • Travel
    • united states
    • europe
    • cruises
    • duty stations
    • travel must-haves

11.05.2021 • 1 Comment

Where to See a Stave Church in Germany

Did you know that you can see a Norwegian-style stave church in Germany? True story! And this post will tell you everything you need to know about it.

This post shares everything you need to know about seeing a majestic Norwegian-inspired stave church in Germany.

Nestled in the Harz region in a town called Hahnenklee (near the charming towns of Goslar and Wernigerode), is the Gustav Adalof Stave Church. This stave church in Germany was modeled after the medieval Borgund Stave Church found in Borgund, Norway.

Built in 1907 from spruce trees, the Gustav Adolf Stave Church is now a popular tourist spot, but it also still welcomes parishioners with regular church services every Sunday.

Everything You Need to Know hide
What is a Stave Church?
My (honest) Initial Thoughts:
It’s Incredibly Beautiful
Basic Info for Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Germany
How to Get There
Where to Park

What is a Stave Church?

If you’re like me and have never heard of a stave church before, here’s a quick deep dive into what it all means.

Essentially, they’re called “stave” churches because they’re built out of wood. The main construction is created from upright planks or poles (“staver” in Norwegian; “staves” for us). These churches were popular—and unique with elaborate carvings—in Norway between the 11th and 13th century.

Because Vikings knew how to construct boats and homes, they took this craftsmanship by creating churches.

Most of the carvings around and inside a stave church are intriguing with Viking themes, motifs, animals, and even dragons.

There used to be at least a thousand stave churches in Norway, but now there are less than 30 still standing.

My (honest) Initial Thoughts:

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? I’ll start with the bad news and just get it out of the way.

I know travel writers aren’t supposed to do this, but at first glance this church didn’t initially live up to my expectations.

From the pictures I saw on Instagram and Google (and even my own photos now), I was expecting this to be out in the middle of nowhere, alone on a pasture in the middle of a forest. I thought it was going to be huge and majestic, and we’d be the only people seeing it.

Honestly, I thought I found a unicorn destination in the middle of Germany.

But the reality is that you drive right up to it just like any other church in the middle of a town, and it’s been a popular tourist destination since it was built.

Thanks to some nifty angles you can certainly make it look like it’s on its own in the middle of nowhere. …but it’s not

In fact, there’s a parking lot around the corner with bus parking where dozens of tourists can appear at a moment’s notice, showing up and taking that beautiful empty scenery with them.

(this tour group showed up just as we were leaving, and there were three other big busses in the parking lot when we left! I just wasn’t expecting it, which is why I’m sharing this part with you.)

Okay, now for the good—if I didn’t already totally ruin your perception of this place.

It was still incredible to see in real life, even if I was slightly initially let down by its local. I highly recommend seeing it if you’re in the area.

Luckily we were there in between throngs of tourists and experienced the area alone for ourselves.

It’s Incredibly Beautiful

The craftsmanship for this stave church in Germany is astonishing. Now I desperately want to see some in Norway, too.

The outside is a marvel to see, but the inside is just as grand, and I may have enjoyed it even more than the picturesque outside.

From floor to ceiling, wood carvings are everywhere—including dragons and elements of Viking ships (the chandelier is supposedly modeled after a Viking ship’s steering wheel).

It was rustic and beautiful.

Truly, walking inside transported me to a different time…to the middle ages in Norway. It didn’t hurt that it was super misty and foggy the day we were there.

Basic Info for Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Germany

Website: Stab Kirche
Address: Professor-Mohrmann-Weg 1, 38644 Goslar

Donations:
€5 requested donation for adults

Times/Hours/Covid: check website for current information

How to Get There

Getting to Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Hahnenklee, Germany, is ideal via car (there’s so much to see in that area that you’ll want to drive around and see more).

If you’re traveling by train it’s about a 10-minute walk to the church from the Hahnenklee Friedhof station, not too bad as an excursion from some place like Wernigerode.

(driving by car) Coming from…
Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base/JFC Brunssum:
 about 5 hrs away
Spangdahlem Air Base: about 5 hours away
Weisbaden: about 4 hours away
Goslar: about 20 minutes away
Wernigerode: about 50 minutes away
Berlin: about 3 and a half hours away

Amsterdam: about 5 hours away

Where to Park

We parked at the wrong spot the first time since we just followed the GPS to the church. It turns out there is a large parkplatz just next to the church. Use this address: Am Bocksberg 7, 38644 Goslar.

There is a path that leads from the parking lot to the church, but it’s a dirt path. Keep the dirt in mind if it’s just rained recently—you might want to wear boots. And if you take a stroller and it’s muddy, the wheels could get stuck.

Have you seen thethe Gustav Adolf Stave Church in Germany in real life yet, or is it on your bucket list? I’d love to hear if you visit it!

Related

Tweet
Pin8
Share
8 Shares

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: europe, germany, goslar, harz region, travel

Comments

  1. Grandma Scharf says

    11.05.2021 at 6:24 pm

    I’m glad you take such beautiful pictures. It will help the kids to remember the wonderful places they visited while you were overseas. Thanks for keeping me on your list.
    Love you!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

hey, I'm Jess!
I'm an Air Force wife and mom with three kids currently living in Germany. I'm always planning our next trip and feeding my hungry family with easy meals. If I'm not doing one of those two things, you'll probably find me drinking a second cup of coffee, reading a book, or taking a nap.

I'm so happy you're here!
read more

follow along

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search the Blog

  • The Kids
  • Good Eats
  • Military
  • Family
  • Travel
  • This Mom Thing
  • Pregnancy

Archives

Today’s Top Posts

  • FREE PCS Binder Printables and Cheat Sheets
    FREE PCS Binder Printables and Cheat Sheets
  • A New Mexico Biscochito Recipe
    A New Mexico Biscochito Recipe
  • Visiting Mount Etna on Your Own with Kids
    Visiting Mount Etna on Your Own with Kids
  • Everything You Need to Know About Moving to Vicenza, Italy
    Everything You Need to Know About Moving to Vicenza, Italy
  • What to do When you Find Out You're Pregnant
    What to do When you Find Out You're Pregnant

Never Miss a Post!

Enter your email address and receive every new posts via email.

where we live:

Book an Adventure

brands i love

300*252 kids subscription boxes Wandrd Travel + Camera Pack

Come Shop With Me!

Let's party!
Need some new kitchen stuff, or an awesome gift for someone special? I'm going on year six as an independent consultant with Pampered Chef, and would love to help you. See what's in our catalog here!
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Meet Jess

Copyright © 2022 · Jessica Lynn Writes · Design by Freeborboleta

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT