Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The new church of Våler, built in 2015, has a fan-shaped plan with a steel supporting structure, but on the outside, the church is clad exclusively in pine and on the inside birch is used extensively. The church has four projecting windows in each direction. This creates associations with the former cruciform church that burned down. The altarpiece from 1697 and the baptismal font from around 1200 remain from the old church.

The Valère Basilica, whose first church was erected in the 12th century, is a major architectural work that harmoniously combines the Romanesque and Gothic styles. Since 1987, the entire Valère site has undergone numerous restorations. The organ of the basilica, probably built between 1435 and 1437, is the oldest playable organ in the world.

The Vålerengen church is a stone church with a tower next to the choir, built in 1902 according to the plans of the architect Holger Sinding-Larsen. In 1979 the church burned down, leaving only the walls and the tower. The church was then rebuilt with a completely new interior in 1983-84, with Asbjørn Stein as architect.

The Valestrand church, which was consecrated in 1873, is a typical long church characterised by a relatively simple Gothic Revival and Swiss-style, with towers to the west and gabled windows. The church was built by the builder Anders Jacobsen Syre according to plans by Ole Vangberg. The nave and aisle are divided by rows of columns, and between the choir and the nave, there is a crucifix with turned pillars in the upper part. The colours, which are probably the original ones, were painted in 1973 after Ove Quales' research.

Valide Tzami mosque was built in 1615 and is one of the oldest mosques on the island of Lesbos. It still preserves its minaret made of red stone quarried in Ayvalik, although the upper part of the minaret has been lost. In the past, the interior was decorated with colourful frescoes and the ceiling was embellished with stucco. It also had a front courtyard paved with stone and a marble fountain decorated with engraved arabesques and accessed by marble stairs. It is a protected monument since 1981, though it hasn't been restored.

The church in Valjala is the oldest preserved stone church in Estonia. It was built from 1227, at the time of the Livonia Crusades (13th century). In the third quarter of the 13th century, the small church of that time was transformed into a fortified church. The defensive church contains both Romanesque and Gothic elements. In 1922, thunderstruck the church and burnt the baroque helmet of the tower.

Valjevo Cathedral was built from 1992 to 2010. This massive church, the second-largest in Serbia, was built in the Serbo-Byzantine style and was designed by the Belgrade architect Ljubica Bošnjak.

Valjok Church, formerly Valjok Chapel, is a long church dating from 1932. The small building was erected in the years 1931-32 according to the drawings of the architect Harald Sund. The colour scheme and decorations inside the church are clearly Sami.

The church of Valkeala was designed by Armas Lindgren and Bertel Liljeqvist and was consecrated in 1927. The present church of Valkeala is the fourth on the site. The first church in Valkeala was completed in 1631 and the second in 1674. The third church was consecrated in 1798 and was destroyed by fire in November 1920. The octagonal wooden bell tower of the church of Valkeala dates from 1782.

Vall Church is one of the 92 medieval churches on the island of Gotland.