Odda kirke

What makes it special

Odda kirke is a long church in off-white timber, a design common in Norwegian parishes in the 1860s and 1870s. From the street it reads as a plain wooden church, but the nave inside was built to seat about 500.

The oldest material here is the stone in the foundation. The medieval church on this site was pulled down to make way for this one, and part of its stone was laid into the new foundation.

The organ came later, built by Norsk Orgel- og Harmoniumfabrikk. It has thirty-six stops, with electric action to both the keys and the stops.

That long plan is what you notice first. From the door you see the whole room at once, a single timber nave sized for a full parish congregation.

Visiting

One call to the Odda parish office, on 53 65 09 00, arranges your visit. The church keeps no daily opening hours, so agree a time and say how many of you there are.

The office answers the phone Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 13.30. Office hours can change, so ring a few days before you plan to come rather than on the morning itself.

Once the door is open, walk the length of the nave towards the altar. Then find the organ, and allow time to sit in a pew before you leave.

Tips

The old churchyard filled early in the twentieth century, so later burials went to Berjaflot cemetery, a short way south, which has its own small chapel. If you are looking for a particular grave, ask the parish office whether the old churchyard is open to walk through and where the grave you want lies.