page_title: Luster, Norway
section_title: Historic churches
hierarchical_section_title: Luster, Norway / Attractions / Historic churches
caption_attribution_description: Urnes Stave church, Norway
context_page_description: Luster is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Sognefjorden in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative centre is the village of Gaupne. Other villages in Luster include Fortun, Hafslo, Indre Hafslo, Jostedal, Luster, Nes, Ornes, Skjolden, Solvorn, and Veitastrond.
  Luster is centered around the inner branch of the Sognefjord, which is called the Lustrafjorden. Its landscape includes fjords, steep mountains, water-abundant waterfalls, blue glaciers, and valleys. Both Jostedalsbreen National Park and Breheimen National Park are partially located in this municipality. The Sognefjellsvegen road goes over a mountain pass in eastern Luster.
  The 2,706-square-kilometre municipality is the 17th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Luster is the 178th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 5,174. The municipality's population density is 2 inhabitants per square kilometre and its population has increased by 4.6% during the previous 10-year period.
  In 2016, the chief of police for Vestlandet formally suggested a reconfiguration of police districts and stations.
context_section_description: Urnes Stave Church
  Urnes Stave Church was built around 1150 and is Norway's oldest Stave church. The Church lies majestically on the top of Urnes. The Stave church is one of four Norwegian Churches on UNESCO`s list of the most precious cultural monuments in the world.
  The Stave churches are constructions of high quality, richly decorated with carvings. In virtually all of them the door frames are decorated from top to bottom with carvings. This tradition of rich ornamentation appears to go back to the animal carvings of the Viking age. The dragons are lovingly executed and transformed into long-limbed creatures of fantasy, here and there entwined with tendrils of vine, with winding stems and serrated leaves. The elaborate designs are executed with supreme artistic skill. The stave church doorways are, therefore, among the most distinctive works of art to be found in Norway. However, it is difficult to connect them with the Christian gospel.
  Old Gaupne Church
  The Old Gaupne Church is a magnificent church that was built in 1647 on a hill directly opposite Gaupne centre.
  Dale Church
  Dale Church is a stone church that was built in gothic style in the year 1250.
caption: Urnes Stave Church
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