What to do and see in Southern Norway, Southern Norway: The Best Churches & Cathedrals

Bykle old church is located next to the new church building which opened in 2004. This is the oldest and perhaps most distinctive church building in the Setesdal Valley. It is constructed of logs, and has been restored several times. The church, with its altar from 1619, was completely renovated in 1804 when two galleries and a spire were added. The floorboards in the galleries and the timber in the armoury ceiling were originally used in an older church. In 1826, the church was decorated with traditional Norwegian rose paintings by Aslak Wasshus and K.a. Byklum. In the summer of 1997, the rose paintings underwent a thorough restoration.

Norway's oldest half-timber church. Built in 1640. Decorated in Baroque and Renaissance style paintings. Bjornstjerne Bjornson married Karoline here in 1858. Church services, meetings and summer concerts. Open by appointment. Call for further info.

Built approx. 1100-1150. Stone church in the Roman style, with a Baroque alterpiece and pulpit from 1704. Runic stone in the porch. Organ concerts Tuesdays in the summerseason, from 2. July - 201. August at 8 p.m.. The church is open from 10. July - 11. August (11-14), the rest of the year by appointment.

Tromoy church is located at Flademoen on the southern side of Tromoy, and the church was originally a Romansque stone church built around 1150. The church was reconstructed to a cruciform church between 1748-1758, and today this fabulous church is one of Arendal's oldest sights. The church is an old seamark, and due to the unsheltered location, the church is without a tower. The interior of Tromoy church is beautiful. There are wood carvings and painted interior from the 1750s, restored in 1926-1939. Several details in the church are worth mentioning, like the baptismal font made of soapstone from the 14th century, and candlesticks made of brass from 1660 Important people were buried inside the church in the Middle Ages, both in the choir and in the nave. The tombs had large gravestones in the church floor. It has been illegal to bury people inside the church since 1805, and the large gravestones were moved outside during the restoration in the 1750s. They are now visible along the churchyard wall in the west, together with boulders from Tromoy. Tromoy church has been opened to the public in July many summers, to those who wish to study the church. More information, see contact information.

Som Church was consecrated in November 2004. The church has a distinctive style with its red-brick construction and a long glass painting stretching from the altar over the roof to the main door, with the motto from darkness to light. The glass painting is altogether 43 metres long and 1.8 metres broad. This is the work of the artist Kjell Nupen. The church`s architects are Arild Lauvland and Arne amland. Organ meditation, every Wednesday at 13.00.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mandal is the largest wooden church in Norway and is the first monumental building which was built in Norway after the union with Denmark ended in 1814. The architect was Jorgen Gerhard Loser. Construction work began in 1817 and the church was in use already in 1819 but officially consecrated in 1821. The church, built in the Neoclassical Empire style, can seat up to 1200 people. The painting "Resurrection", by the famous local artist Adolph Tidemand, hangs in the room on the left side of the alter. The church service in Mandal Church is every Sunday, usually at. 11:00.

The trinity church is the third church on this site. The first church, a Y-shaped wooden structure, was erected in 1670. A desire to assert the town's status over Kristiansand was probably the motive behind its construction. In the 1830s, the town's shipping industry flourished, the population grew and the church became too small and was therefore demolished in 1832. In 1833, Crown Prince Oscar (Oscar I) laid the foundation stone for an octagonal church. Over the next 50 years, the population of Arendal doubled. According to church law, a church had to have seating which corresponded to the population of the parish, so a new church again had to be built. In 1888, the third church was completed, in spite of the financial collapse of the banks in 1886. It towers above the Arendal skyline with its 87-metre-high tower. The church was ravaged by fire in 1902, but the damage was fortunately not extensive. The large chandelier which now hangs in the church vestibule originates from the town's first church. Copperplate engravings from the 16th century can be seen near the baptismal font. The new pipe organ was built by the German company Werkstätte für Orgelbau Mühleisen, and it has about 3900 pipes between 4 millimetres and 7 metres high. It is (November 2010) the fourth largest church pipe organ in Norway, with 59 voices and built in a German-Romantic style. Opening hours Tuesday-Thursday 1230-1400.

Originally a 10 m long stone church dating back to approximately the year 1000. In 1767 expanded to twice its original size. In 1831 a wing was added on to the north facing wall. The restauration was completed in 1831. Open by appointment,913 20 619.