Discover Bagn: Churches and the Begna

For your travel planning, Bagn offers several specific points of interest: Bagn Church in the town centre, the Begna and destinations in the surrounding area. This lets you weigh church heritage, regional history and activities on the water as different reasons for a stay.

Church heritage and memorial sites

Bagn Church is a cruciform church dating from 1736 in the municipality of Sør-Aurdal. In the centre of Bagn, you can reach it via a turnoff from the E16. Ule Church, also known as Bagn Stave Church, is a different type of historic building: it was a stave church with a raised central section and stood in Østre Bagn.

A letter from 1375 mentions the parish of Bagn under the name “Bagns kirkiu sookn a Waldræs”. The two years refer to different things: 1375 dates the mention of the parish, while 1736 dates Bagn Church. A marked path from county road 219 leads to the Ulekyrkjetomta site. A memorial stone and a simple wooden cross stand at the Ulekyrkjetomta site.

Bagn Bygdesamling in the surrounding area

Five kilometres south of Bagn on the E16, Bagn Bygdesamling, an open-air museum, is located in the municipality of Sør-Aurdal. Today, the collection comprises 19 buildings, including a farmhouse from Islandsmoen, a telthus from Vangen in Bagn, a tenant farmer’s house from the vicarage in Bagn and the school from Dølven. Several permanent indoor exhibitions complement the buildings; films are also shown and an audio station is available.

The Begna: fishing and swimming

The Begna flows south from Bagn in Valdres towards Nes in Ådal. Both banks are easily accessible via the E16 and Austsidevegen; road conditions may vary. There are signposted fishing spots and constructed fishing paths along the Begna. In the stretch south from Bagn in Valdres to Nes in Ådal, you can fish for trout, perch, pike and whitefish.

A swimming spot is located just below Fossen Kro in Bagn. The fishing opportunities refer to the river stretch south to Nes; the swimming spot, by contrast, is a specific location in Bagn.

Bagnsbergatn as a hiking destination

Bagnsbergatn, a national war memorial belonging to Bagn Bygdesamling, lies in the surrounding area of Bagn. Bagnsbergatn is accessible to hikers year-round. The approach follows an approximately 550-metre-long gravel or tractor road and then a signposted path. As trail conditions may change, check them before setting out.

Further context in the wider Sør-Aurdal area

The wider travel destination of Sør-Aurdal is also home to Ørneflag, the highest peak in the municipality and the southernmost peak in Valdres. The hike from Storekrak follows the DNT route and is about eight kilometres each way. The ascent takes two to three hours and covers 350 metres of elevation gain.

Discover more destinations: Hedalen, Reinli.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Sør-Aurdal.