St Olav's spring and Bergseng Church

Here pilgrims would fill their bottles in the hope that the holy water from Olav’s Spring would grant protection and blessings on their journey across the mountains. According to legend this spring was especially known for having healing qualities for children. If children, or their clothes, were washed there, the children were believed to become strong. Olav’s Spring was located at the northern end of the old churchyard in Dovre.

Until 1736, a stave church stood here below the Dovre rectory. It was called Bergsengkirka and was built sometime before the Black Death, probably in the 13th century. Perhaps Pietism’s opposition to holy springs was one of the reasons why a new church site was chosen in Dovre in the 18th century. The stave church was demolished, but much of its interior was moved to the new Dovre Church. Among the items transferred were the soapstone baptismal font, which likely originates from the older Svendgard Church, the baptismal bowl from 1646, the communion chalice, the parish banner from the 1650s, and the altarpiece and altar table from the 1680s.