Hol: Building History and Traditions

Hol offers points of interest for a trip focused on building history and regional culture. The view extends from the village of Hol to the wider municipality of Hol: In Hol sentrum, the Hol bygdearkiv, built in 1988, shares a building with the Hol library branch. Other historic buildings, churches and museums add to the picture at municipal level.

Church History and Historic Rooms

Hol gamle kyrkje is the oldest church in the municipality of Hol. The wooden church was built in 1200 and has a cruciform layout; its original stave-church section, dating from around 1200, remains part of the building. The church was first mentioned in writing in 1328. As a building dating from before 1650, it is automatically protected as a historic monument. The different dates offer insight into different aspects of its history, from its early construction phase to its first written mention.

Tingstugu and Prestestugu are part of the historic ensemble near the church. Tingstugu was built around 1815. People warmed themselves there before and after church services, and young people danced there at weddings. Prestestugu dates from 1844 and is located next to Tingstugu and near the church. Alongside their building history, these buildings offer a tangible glimpse of how the community once used them. During the summer season, Hol gamle kyrkje is used for services and other events. Hallingdal Museum/Buskerudmuseene is responsible for guided tours of the church in summer. Check the current arrangements for guided tours before visiting.

Traces at the Churchyard and by Holsfjorden

The churchyard also offers its own perspective on history. Several grave monuments in the cemetery at Hol gamle kyrkjegard feature depictions of the goddess of victory Victoria, known as Nike in Greek mythology. There are also low obelisks. This type of obelisk was used by the Romans as a victory monument, boundary marker and gravestone; these historical uses describe the type, not the specific function of each obelisk in the cemetery. A monument near Hol gamle kyrkje commemorates those who fell in the Napoleonic Wars. The church is located by Holsfjorden. A short walk around the cemetery is also described as a peaceful, reflective experience.

Museum Life and Recurring Events

Hol Bygdemuseum in Hagafoss is laid out as an old farm from Hol, with a crofter’s cottage and a summer farm. The museum was founded on 8 November 1914 and comprises 17 buildings. Holsdagen is held there every year in summer. The event shows what an old farmers’ wedding in Øvre Hallingdal might have looked like in the 19th century. The museum also holds an annual Viking Day. As event details may change, it is worth checking the dates and programmes for your planned travel period.

Culture and Excursions in the Wider Destination of Hol

There are further cultural and scenic points of interest in the wider destination of Hol. Fekjo Cultural Heritage Park has burial mounds dating from the Viking Age and going back as far as the 9th century; most of the graves investigated were women’s graves. The park also includes seven charcoal kilns and an iron-production site, as well as landscape art by Gunnveig Nerol and Terje Isungset. The approximately 12-kilometre-long Ustedalsfjorden Rundt is a combined hiking and ski trail and is connected with Fekjo and Hol’s cultural heritage.

Dagali Museum displays buildings and objects from Dagali, Skurdalen, Tunhovd and Uvdal. It is arranged as an old farm with various buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Art exhibitions are held there in summer in Kjønås-stabburet. Museum Day during Dagali Days in mid-July is a tradition featuring an outdoor church service, refreshments, open houses and various activities; exact dates and programme details may vary.

The most common ways to get to Hol are by train from Oslo or Bergen, by bus and by car. Haugastøl is a starting point for the Rallarvegen: the 82-kilometre cycling route follows the Bergen Railway via Finse, Hallingskeid and Myrdal to Flåm. It is busy with cyclists in summer; check seasonal conditions before setting out. When planning your holiday-apartment search, you can weigh up whether church and museum history or excursions in the wider destination will be the main focus of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Geilo, Haugastøl, Ustaoset, Hovet, Dagali, Eggjareir.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Hol.