[6] Heddal Stave Church is a popular tourist attraction, and it is open to the public during the summer season.
[7] In the 19th century, it became one of the first stave churches to be featured in a scholarly publication, described and depicted in one of Johannes Flintoe's illustrations.
[9] To strengthen its massive structure, interior staves are alternated between short ones versus full-length ones.
Initially, these portals acted as a thematic separation between the inside, which resembles the beginning of Christianity, versus the outside, recalling the end of paganism.
[15] On the interior of the church's chancel and nave were found the remainders of medieval wall paintings, overpainted with 17th century décor.
[16] By 2008–2010, the distempered paintings were refurbished to their original medieval designs, similar in style to those in the Torpo Stave Church, showing a connection between their figurative and decorative forms.
[12] Although a more thorough survey of the church's archeological site has not yet been conducted, notwithstanding its uprooting and restorations, there may still be remnants of its original cultural layers beneath the cathedral.
This was one of the first major restorations of a medieval building and there was little experience with and understanding of the construction of stave churches among architects in general and from the newly started Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments, which approved the plans.
After the rebuilding, the interior appeared in a distinctly empire style, and there were sometimes major construction engineering problems due to moisture and fungal damage.
Large parts of the nave are made of new materials (only two of the intermediate staves and some arch knees are original).
[19] The old stave church does not have a built in heating system, and large fluctuations in temperature are not good for the centuries-old timbers.
The barn "church" was named the Låvekirken and it houses the parish offices and has a large meeting space for the congregation in the winter.
Five farmers (Raud Rygi, Stebbe Straand, Kjeik Sem, Grut Grene and Vrang Stivi) from Heddal had made plans for a church, and they decided to have it built.
Raud had three options: fetch the sun and the moon from the sky, forfeit his life-blood, or guess the name of the stranger.
Still wandering about he had unconsciously arrived at Svintruberget (a rocky hill southeast of the church site) when he suddenly heard a strange but most beautiful and clearly audible female song: