Bodin Church

Although the churches of Bodø were destroyed in 1940, a short three kilometer walk will take you to the Bodin Parish Church. Situated in a beautiful setting, not too far from a small stream and a wooded area that is great for hiking, the church is in the former parish of Bodin which was later subsumed into Bodø. Originally completed circa 1240, the church evokes thoughts about what the area and life must have been like when it was built. It was been remodeled and refashioned several times. The sanctuary was enlarged in 1785 and the medieval part of the church was destroyed and rebuilt as part of the renovations of 1894. Yet, the small stone altar that dates from the 1300s is still extant.

Outside the church, there are a couple of interesting features as well. Across the road from the church is a monolith. There is no signs to indicate where it is from or what its disposition might be (is it real or a replica?); however, there is a similar Iron Age monolith (bautastein in Norwegian) on the grounds of the Nordland Museum, which was moved when the airport was built in 1952. Approximately 300 feet east of the Bodin Church there is another small monument standing alone in a small empty field. This monuments honors the memory of Soviet soldiers who died in Norway in the Second World War and (somewhat cryptically) indicates that some were buried “here.” Whether that is in Norway or specifically Bodin / Bodø, it is unclear. 

As I took this picture of this church I happened to look down and see a crumbled package of Lucky Strikes on the ground. I thought to myself, my dad would have loved this church.