Holsen: Church, Stabburet and History

Holsen tells its history through tangible buildings and objects: the wooden Holsen Church stands by Lake Holsavatnet, Stabburet is located at Fletene, and Holsen Bedehus has its own building history. Travellers looking for a place with cultural and historical discoveries will find more here than a single date. The different buildings, their furnishings and their recorded functions make Holsen a destination for travellers interested in life and building traditions in the region.

Holsen Church and its history

Holsen is an old church site, first mentioned in 1360. Today’s Holsen Church is a wooden long church with 200 seats. It was consecrated on 11 December 1861 by Provost Johan Christie; the plans were drawn up by architect Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. Its symmetrical appearance and centrally positioned tower define the building’s described form. The church also houses a brass baptismal bowl dated to 1620. Another piece connects it to its earlier history: the door of the former stave church hangs in the stairway leading to the church loft.

This history extends beyond the present church building. One of the last stave churches in Sunnfjord stood in Holsen; it was demolished sometime after 1722. For the consecration of Holsen Church in 1861, Ola Nilssen Haarklou, father of the composer Johannes Haarklou, put together a choir. This was probably the first choir in Sunnfjord. The church site therefore brings together several aspects: the older stave church, the construction of the present place of worship, and a musical occasion associated with its consecration.

Stabburet and Holsen Bedehus

Stabburet stands at Fletene in Holsen. It is a storehouse for grain, flatbread, other baked goods and salted meat. It is considered the oldest registered medieval building in Førde. It is also thought to be the oldest farmhouse in Førde—an assessment whose cautious wording is part of this second classification. The year 1524 is carved into one of its beams. Several tar crosses on the building were intended to protect the provisions from evil spirits. The building, its use and the beliefs about its protection thus tell different sides of the story of this house.

Holsen Bedehus also brings together several building phases. It was completed in 1908 and was created from an older schoolhouse, built in 1862 and moved from Svåra. The Bedehus stands on the Fleten farm on the north side of Lake Holsavatnet, about one kilometre from Holsen Church. Its interior includes a painting of Jesus walking on water, embroidered Bible verses and an appliquéd textile with a star motif. Those who value buildings and their furnishings as different ways to explore cultural history can consider these details alongside the accounts of the church and Stabburet.

Holsen as a travel destination

The setting by Lake Holsavatnet is part of the local landscape: Holsen Church stands in Holsen by the lake, and the Bedehus is on its north side. An earlier road is of interest for understanding the history of transport: from the 1840s, a narrow, winding road was cleared over Rørvikfjellet through Holsen to Førde. This historic route should be distinguished from present-day travel conditions.

The lake is also associated with a more recent activity. Open-water competitions in Sunnfjord began in Lake Holsavatnet in 2022 and have been held every year since. Together with the buildings, this offers several themes for a trip: historic architecture, religious objects, food storage and an activity on the water. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can consider whether Holsen’s church and building history or the town’s connection with the lake better suits your travel interests. More about the area: Haukedalen.

For the broader travel overview: Førde.