Södra Råda gamla kyrka

The Södra Råda Gamla Church used to be a timbered church from the beginning of the 14th century. It was one of the oldest preserved wooden churches in Sweden and it was especially known for its wonderful preserved paintings which covered the walls and ceiling. The oldest images were dated from 1323. The works were considered one of the best-preserved Scandinavian paintings from the Middle Ages. On the 12th of November 2001, the church burned down. A man, who was mentally ill, was convicted for enlighting the fire which had destroyed the church. Since then, a project led by the Swedish National Heritage Board has been excavating the site and reconstructing the church. They decided to only use medieval methods to reconstruct everything.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments
  • Interior features
  • Social heritage
  • Links to national heritage

Visitors information

  • Steps to enter the building or churchyard
  • On street parking at the building

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/D.O.G.A.

Kristinehamns kyrka

Kristinehamn Church, designed by the architect Carl Georg Brunius in 1846 and built from 1847 to 1858, is one of the earliest examples of neo-Gothic architecture in Sweden. Kristinehamn Church is the second church in the city. When Kristinehamn was granted town rights in 1642, the old parish church in Varnum was moved to Kristinehamn, about 300 metres northwest of the present church site. This old church was abandoned in 1858 when the new church was completed.

Wikimedia Commons

Mariestads domkyrka

Mariestad Cathedral, built between 1593 and 1619, is not the main church in the diocese of Skara (that title is held by Skara Cathedral). The plan is that of a late neo-Gothic church, with crossed arms, lancet windows, pointed columns and internal white cross vaults. The chancel has a three-sided end and has been copied extensively in the diocese. The unadorned natural stone facades and the spire were only added in 1905 during the restoration by Folke Zettervall.

Wikimedia Commons/D.O.G.A.

Östra Fågelviks kyrka

Östra Fågelviks church was started in 1715 and work proceeded in stages until 1726, when a stone church with a typical plan of the time, consisting of a rectangular nave and a three-sided choir, was completed. Prior to this, there had been a wooden church on the same site since 1691. It burned down only after a decade of existence.