Places with a story
Gimmestad gamle kyrkje
Gimmestad gamle kyrkje is a small timber church on the southern side of Gloppefjorden. Painted interiors, historic seating and carefully preserved details offer an intimate view of older parish life. Local people saved this building when a replacement church threatened its survival.
The place12
The present church dates from 1692 and has space for approximately eighty people. It replaced an earlier building that had been destroyed in a storm. Its familiar red exterior is comparatively recent: the church was painted white in the nineteenth century and received red paint in 1914. Appearance alone therefore does not tell the whole story of its age.
History and local connections1
When a new church was built, the old building faced demolition. Kringom records that the ministry recommended removal in 1902, but local people instead saved and repaired it. That decision preserved an interior whose painted decoration mainly belongs to the 1720s, together with older altar and baptismal furnishings from the early seventeenth century.
What to look for1
Look for the decorated walls, historic pulpit and seating, including a seat associated with marriage. Wooden hat pegs carry details of parish life, while an unusual preserved cod hangs in the church and is connected with the biblical story of Jonah. These objects need interpretation as religious and local historical material, rather than being treated simply as curious decorations.
Planning a visit2
Use Visit Gloppen's church information and contact the parish church administrator about a guided visit. The tourism service describes group visits by arrangement rather than unrestricted daily museum access. Confirm that the old church, rather than the newer parish building, is the place included in your booking, and follow instructions around fragile interior surfaces.
Sources
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