Valestrand Church


Valestrand Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sveio Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Valestrand, just south of the village of Valevåg. It is one of the churches for the Valestrand og Førde parish which is part of the Sunnhordland prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1873 using designs by the architect Ole Vangberg. The church seats about 420 people.

History

The Valestrand area had historically been part of the Valen Church parish. By the 1870s, that church was too small and it was decided to build a new church. It was also decided to build the new church in a more central location for the parish, so it was built about south of the old church site. The new church was consecrated on 15 October 1873 by the Bishop Peter Hersleb Graah Birkeland. The old Valen Church was then rebuilt as a schoolhouse.