Urnes Stave church, Norway (Unesco WHS) - Stockfoto

Urnes Stave Church (Norwegian: Urnes stavkirke) is a stave church at the Ornes farm, along the Lustrafjord in the municipality of Luster in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway.In 1979, the Urnes stave church was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.The church was built around 1130 or shortly thereafter, and still stands in its original location; it is believed to be the oldest of its kind. It provides a link between Christian architecture and the architecture and artforms of the Viking Age with typical animal-ornamentation, the so called 'Urnes style' of animal-art.