Gammelstad Church Town

Luleå, Sweden

Gammelstad Church Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in Gammelstaden near the city of Luleå. It is the best preserved example of a type of town that was once widespread throughout northern Scandinavia. As Church Village of Gammelstad, Luleå, it was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1996. At its centre is an early 15th century stone church surrounded by 424 wood-built houses. The houses were only used on Sundays and during religious festivals to accommodate worshippers from the surrounding countryside who could not return home the same day because of the distance and difficult travelling conditions.

The church in Gammelstad is the biggest medieval church in Northern Sweden. It was built in the 15th century, and according to tradition it was inaugurated by Archbishop Jacob Ulfsson in 1492. The whitewashed bell tower was built in 1851.The interior is richly ornamented and furnished. The late-medieval frescoes in the chancel are by the School of Albertus Pictor. They were whitewashed over in the 18th century but restored in 1909. To the right of the altar there are medieval pews and a reconstructed bishop´s throne or cathedra. The triptych above the altar was built in Antwerp in around 1520 and cost 900 silver marks, and enormous sum which the farmers of Luleå are said to have paid in cash. The pulpit and memorial tablets were made by Nils Jacobsson Fluur at the beginning of the 18th century.

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Details

Founded: ca. 1492
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Sweden
Historical period: Kalmar Union (Sweden)

More Information

www.lulea.se
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Andrea Stoddard (12 months ago)
This was an amazing experience! My mom my sister and I came all of the way from Denver, CO and it was so profound how deep of a connection I felt to my Swedish roots while I was here.
Paul Allen (12 months ago)
Great place to visit especially the Church and outside centre. Enjoy the walk everywhere
lorraine squires (14 months ago)
Very pretty and peaceful. Visited in winter so lots of snow making it very pretty. Would like to visit in summer when cafe, shop etc are open.
KARL MARCHIAFAVA (2 years ago)
Cool place. Nice people working there. Lots of history.
saurabh jain (2 years ago)
Nice place for day out. Sunny day will help. If possible go on Tuesday they have old way of baking bread.
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