Granhult Church, built around 1220, is the oldest surviving wooden building in Sweden and one of the greatest cultural treasures of the region. it was intended to be demolished in 1829, but due the resistance of the inhabitants it was left to stay. The church was returned to worship use in 1879.
The interior dates mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries.The altarpiece was painted by Torbern Char in 1699. The walls are richly decorated with paintings dating from 1750s, although traces of medieval paintings also remain. Musical evenings and other events take place here during the summer. Guided tours of the church are available.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.