Øye: Churches, Kulturstøga and Historic Routes

If you are looking for accommodation in Øye, you can get a sense of the place through its churches, Kulturstøga and historic routes. Local topics range from religious and technical history to a route that leads from the wooded interior into the open mountain landscape of the Filefjell plateau. This gives you several points to consider when making your choice: architectural history, exhibition objects or a historic route connection.

Churches and cultural history in Øye

The names Øye kyrkje and Øye stavkirke refer to two different churches. Øye kyrkje stands at Øyebakka and was built in 1747 as a wooden long church. Øye stavkirke is at the western end of Lake Vangsmjøsa. In the wider destination of Vang, it is thought to date from the 12th century. It has copies of medieval portals, also probably from the 12th century, with rich animal ornamentation.

Kulturstøga displays a sword and a weaving shuttle from the Viking Age, found in a field in Øye. The exhibition also includes a censer from the old Øye stavkirke. Objects from the Viking Age are thus presented alongside an item connected with the former stave church. As exhibition collections may change over time, check which objects are currently on display before visiting.

Eidsfoss 1, known as Øye kraftverk og mølle, adds a technical chapter to the local history. Landowners from the surrounding area founded the facility in the early 1920s; it supplied electricity from 1923 to 1953. This time span places Eidsfoss 1 as a record of a completed period in the local electricity supply.

Historic routes and landscape

The historic route between Øye and Tyinkrysset begins at the end of Lake Vangsmjøsa, by Øye stavkirke. It runs mostly over grass and gravel, leading from the wooded interior into the open mountain landscape of the Filefjell plateau. The description thus combines specific details about the surface with a change in the surrounding landscape. If you are interested in historic routes, it gives you not only two named endpoints but also a sense of the landscape through which the route passes.

The section of Kongevegen over Filefjell runs from Øye stavkirke to Tyinkrysset. The church and the village of Tyinkrysset are therefore the named reference points for this road and route theme as well. By contrast, the details about the surface and the transition from woodland to open mountain landscape belong to the description of the historic route between the two places.

Vang as a broader cultural context

The wider destination of Vang has other distinct themes in architectural and cultural history. Vang Church has a catechism panel from 1620, which previously stood in Vang Stave Church. In 2012, Vang Church also received back a collection of wooden figures, including apostles and Jesus. These figures were probably in the former Vang Stave Church. This qualified statement about their origin is part of the collection’s history.

Høre Stave Church is also part of the wider destination of Vang. It dates from around 1179 and has rich medieval wood carvings of dragons and lions. These churches and collection items broaden the cultural perspective beyond Øye without replacing Øye’s own local history. Sputrefossen, also known as Givrisfossen, is part of Vang’s landscape: the waterfall is one of the larger attractions in Vang municipality and sprays upwards before the water falls down, as it does at other waterfalls.

Consider Øye when looking for accommodation

The historic routes, churches and Kulturstøga give you specific points of reference to help decide whether Øye suits the themes of your trip. If you would like to take a broader cultural view of your stay, you can also consider the distinct buildings and landscape themes of the wider destination of Vang. This lets you choose a destination based on the interests that matter to you.

Discover more destinations: Ryfoss.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Vang.