Vang stave church, Stave church in Karpacz, Poland
Vang stave church is a Protestant wooden house of worship in the Silesian mountain town of Karpacz, Poland, measuring roughly 9 by 19 meters (30 by 62 feet). The structure rests on vertical posts connected by horizontal beams and corner braces, while walls and door frames display dense carvings with plant and symbolic motifs.
The building originated around 1200 in Norway and originally served a Catholic community. Prussian King Frederick William IV arranged for the church to be relocated to Silesia in 1842, where it was rebuilt as a Protestant place of worship.
The building takes its name from the Norwegian village where it originally stood and retains the dragon figures and post balustrades of medieval Nordic timber construction. Inside, Norwegian carvings combine with liturgical elements from the evangelical tradition added after the relocation.
The church is open for visits from April through October between 9 and 18, and from November through April between 9 and 17. Narrow wooden stairs lead to different levels with galleries and carved timber elements.
Some portals with runic inscriptions were reversed during reconstruction, so their carvings now face inward. The original wooden shingles on the roof were replaced with modern materials, while the load-bearing beams remain.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
