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Today, Jelsa features a charming collection of small houses from the 1700s, with the beautiful wooden church from 1647 as its closest neighbor. Jelsa has been a site for inns and trade since the late 1600s and a church site since the 1200s. From 1855, Jelsa was included on the steamship route map in Ryfylke.
The current church is in the Renaissance style and was completed in 1647. The church was built by the best craftsmen of the time. Several changes have been made in more recent times. In the 1950s, parts of the old interior decorations were restored. Not far from the center of Jelsa lies the protected vicarage and a gallery. The schoolhouse, the Riiberg School, was built in 1774 with funds from a foundation established by Marcille Riiberg in 1755. Marcille Riiberg was the niece of the Jelsa priest Mentz Blix. She lived with her uncle in Jelsa for a time. Marcille must have been a wealthy woman. In 1751, she bought both Jelsa and Sand churches. The school served as a primary school for the children of Jelsa, but in addition, two youths at a time received free education at the school for two years, so that they could later go out into the villages as teachers in the itinerant school system. For over 40 years, the Riiberg School sent out teachers across Ryfylke, but in 1820, the school was closed for financial reasons. The primary school continued in the building until the early 1900s. On the initiative of the staff at Jelsa school, the schoolhouse was restored and converted into a museum between 1974 and 1983. More information and opening hours at www.ryfylkemuseet.no
By taking the cultural history trail in Jelsa, you can learn more about the rich history of the place. You can also explore beautiful hiking trails. Maps are available under "Hiking" here on visitsuldal.no, at selected shops, and at the Suldal tourist information office. Jelsa also has several swimming beaches, its own hotel, boat rentals, and guided paddling tours via FjordExpedition, as well as some of the best strawberries in the region: Jelsa strawberries.
