Places with a story
Holmestrand kirke
Holmestrand kirke is a rare Y-shaped timber church at the foot of the steep hillside behind the old coastal town. Its unusual plan preserves the story of residents establishing their own church close to home.
About the place12
Two arms of the building form the congregational space and a third contains the chancel. This arrangement gives the church a distinctive interior and silhouette. It belongs to Botne parish today, but the town's original reason for building it was the difficult uphill journey to the older church at Botne.
History and local connections2
Royal permission for a separate town church came in 1671. Building began after land was provided in 1673, and consecration followed on 15 February 1674. The bell tower at the southwestern arm was added in 1764. Later rebuilding, including work associated with Christian Heinrich Grosch, changed the furnishings and appearance without removing the characteristic Y plan.
What to look for2
The exterior's meeting rooflines are easiest to understand by considering the three arms. Inside, furnishings from different periods tell another part of the story: the altar painting showing women at the empty tomb was made in 1829, while older gifts include a seventeenth-century chandelier. The church's current interior is therefore a historical mixture rather than an untouched original room.
Plan your visit12
Use Holmestrand's parish information to locate the correct church and ask about access if you want to see the interior. Allow for acts of worship and ceremonies, and do not assume that a general tourist description supplies current opening hours. The building's position below the hillside is itself useful for understanding why a town church was needed.
Sources
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