Eystein Church

Eysteinkyrkja is located at Hjerkinn on Dovrefjell, 965 meters above sea level. It was built in 1969 as a church for pilgrims and other travelers in the mountains.

Eysteinkyrkja is built in concrete. This surprises many visitors - shouldn’t a Norwegian mountain church be made of wood? Another thing many wonder about is the church’s appearance: the distinctive roof angles and the way the church interior narrows toward the chancel. Eysteinkyrkja was designed by Magnus Paulsson, and its shape is inspired by the mountain formations in the Snøhetta area. Concrete as a building material made it possible to create the distinctive chancel opening and the dome above the altar.

Churches are often named after a saint or a biblical figure. That is not the case with Eysteinkyrkja, which is named after a king. Eystein Magnusson was king of Norway from 1103 to 1123, and according to the sagas he had sælehus built for travelers crossing Dovrefjell - buildings intended to make travel across the mountains safer for pilgrims and others. We also know that in the Middle Ages there was a church here at Hjerkinn. In the porch there is a portrait of King Eystein, a copy of Norway’s oldest contemporary royal portrait.

Every summer, Eysteinkyrkja serves as a meeting place, information point, and church for pilgrims and others. The Dovrefjell Pilgrim Centre serves pilgrims from here, and everyone is welcome to stop by - for a quiet moment, a conversation, a stamp, or information about the route onward toward Trondheim.