Religious sites in Sweden

Näs Church

Näs church was built in the middle of the 13th century, and remains today largely unchanged. The interior was changed during a renovation made in 1910, and according to tradition the tower was originally higher. However, few of the original furnishings have survived. The altarpiece dates from 1692, and made in Burgsvik, while the pulpit is from the middle of the 18th century. The triumphal cross is a copy of a medieval ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Näs, Sweden

Sproge Church

The presently visible stone church at Sproge dates from the 13th century. The nave and choir are the oldest parts of the church, built during the first half of the century. The tower was added at the end of the same century. On the south facade of the church there is a plaque claiming the construction date of the church to be 1058, but this date appears to be pure fantasy. The church however had a wooden predecessor, a st ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Sproge, Sweden

Sandby Church

There has been a church on this site in Sandby since the 12th century. The current church building, which was completed in 1863 to the designs of J F Åbom, contains some reminders of the parish’s long history. These include the original font, made of Gotland marble, and from the first half of the 13th century. Gustav Lundqvist painted the fine altarpiece which depicts Christ welcoming the little children. An e ...
Founded: 1860-1863 | Location: Färjestaden, Öland, Sweden

Funbo Church

The Funbo Church is a medieval stone church, built in the late 12th century. It consists of a rectangular nave, a narrow choir and an apse. The sacristy and the porch were added in the 15th century. The porch was used as the main entrance until 1745, when the current entrance in the western wall was built. The bell tower was erected in 1675. The church interior includes some notable items, such as a 13th century baptisma ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Uppsala, Sweden

Hedared Stave Church

Hedared Stave Church is Sweden's only preserved medieval stave church. For a long time it was assumed Hedared stave church dated to early medieval times because it was built as a stave church. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, the archaeologist and architectural historian Emil Ekhoff argued that the church was considerably later than the stave church in Hemse on Gotland, fragments of which he had found under t ...
Founded: ca. 1500 | Location: Borås, Sweden

Stånga Church

The oldest parts of Stånga Church were built in the 12th century. The middle nave date from the early 1300s and it was designed by master Egypticus. The font, made by master Hegvald, date from the 12th century and crucifix from the late 13th century.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Gotland, Sweden

Sövestad Church

The choir and apse of Sövestad Church date from the 12th century. The brick vaulting and tower were added in the 15th century. The altarpiece is made of white limestone and alabaster. It was donated by Otto Marsvin and Mette Brahe (who lived in Krageholm Castle) in 1626. The crucifix and pulpit date from the 1729.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Ystad, Sweden

Ödeby Church

Öbeby Church was entirely reconstructed in 1680 by Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie. The tower date from the original church built in the 13th century. Ödeby Church is richly decorated, probably by the workshop of Albertus Pictor in the 1470s. The altar is a significant attraction, made in Mechelen, Belgium, in the beginning of the 15th century. The pulpit date from 1681.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Glanshammar, Sweden

Stora Mellösa Church

Stora Mellösa Church was buit in the late 1100s. It was enlarged to the east in the 15th century and the porch and sacristy were added in the 16th century. The chapel of near Göksholm castle owners was built in the mid-1600s. The spire and some other parts were destroyed by fire in 1743. The restoration was made between 1830-1836. The interior date mainly from the 1600-1800s. The font is original from the 12th ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Stora Mellösa, Sweden

Väversunda Church

The Romanesque Väversunda church date from the 12th century. It is decorated with murals made in the 13th and 17th centuries. The triumph crucifix is a replica of original, which is moved to the Stockholm Historical Museum. It is unique in Sweden and reminds of one in Lucca Church in San Marino.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Borghamn, Sweden

Lomma Church

The yellow brick church of Lomma was built between 1871-1873. The present church replaced a medieval building that had stood on the same site since the 12th century. The altar dates from 1566 and it was reconstructed in 1935. There is also a beautiful silver chalice.
Founded: 1871-1873 | Location: Lomma, Sweden

Hackås Church

Hackås Church was built in the 1100s and is probably the oldest in Norrland area. In 1770-1771 it was enlarged and the church got its present appearance. There are frescoes from the 13th century in apsis. The belfry was erected in 1752.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Hackås, Sweden

Bokenäs Old Church

Bokenäs Old Church is one of the most well-preserved medieval churches in Bohuslän. It was founded at some point in the early 12th century, and has been in use since. Except for parts of the interior, the weapon house from the 17th century, and the tower from 1752, most of the church is original. The church is open to the public daily during the summer, and for pre-arranged visits during the rest of the year, du ...
Founded: 12th century | Location: Uddevalla, Sweden

Vemdalen Church

The wooden church of Vemdalen was built in 1624 and moved to the current place in 1763. It was then reconstructed to the octagonal Rococo style. The altarpiece dates from 1755.
Founded: 1763 | Location: Vemdalen, Sweden

Angerdshestra Church

In 1910 during the restoration of Angerdshestra church 30 old pergaments were found revealing that the old church was inaugurated in the 13th century. Today documents are located in Stockholm Historical Museum. The current church was made of wood in 1669 to the site of medieval church. It was enlarged and restored in the 18th century. The oldest artefact is a wooden sculpture of St. Anne, dating from the 15th century. Th ...
Founded: 1669 | Location: Månsarp, Sweden

Bro Church

The original church in Bro was built in the 13th century, but it was largely restored in 1699 and 1937. The ceilings were painted by Christian von Schönfeldt. The altar and font date from the end of the 17th century and pulpit from 1722.
Founded: 13th century | Location: Brastad, Sweden

Dalum Church

Dalum church originally consisted of Romanesque style nave, choir and apsis, built in the 1100s. The tower was added later during the same century. The sacristy was built in 1300s and church got its Gothic details. The tower destroyed in 1500s and the new one was erected in 1600s during the restoration. The bell tower dates from 1693. The current altar dates from 1693.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Dalum, Sweden

Fors Church

Fors Church is first time mentioned in 1338. The major restoration occured in 1709 when the new choir was constructed and windows enlarged. The new sacristy was added in 1900. The paintings in ceilings date from 1746, made by Ditloff Ross. The font was made in 1200s, the Baroque pulpit in 1734 and organs in 1954.
Founded: 14th century | Location: Sjuntorp, Sweden

Hogrän Church

Hogrän Church consists of a Romanesque tower and a Gothic nave and choir. The tower thus is the oldest part of the church, dating from circa 1200. Attached to it was originally an earlier stone church, also Romanesque in style and erected during the 12th century. During the 14th century, it was however replaced by the presently visible Gothic nave and choir. A few details from this earlier church, such as a few sculpted ...
Founded: c. 1200 | Location: Visby, Sweden

Norrlanda Church

A first stone church was built on the site of current Norrlanda Church in the 12th century. To this church a Romanesque tower was added in the 13th century. The presently visible church tower is this tower, and the only remains of the first church. The nave and choir were torn down in the late 13th or early 14th century, and replaced with a new choir and sacristy. A new nave was built slightly later, in the middle of the ...
Founded: 13th century | Location: Gothem, Sweden

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.