The Gammelstad Church Village in Luleå

What is a church village?

Gammelstad, with its church and 404 wooden buildings and a total of 552 separate rooms, is the largest and best-preserved example of a church village in Sweden.

Church villages, uniquely found in northern Scandinavia, grew in the north due to large parish areas and difficult geographical and weather conditions – factors that made it quite a trip for churchgoers to actually get to church. Solution? Build a village around the church where you could sleep overnight, meet other parishioners, and stay for weekly masses and church celebrations.

Open-air museum

The red cottages were traditionally used as intended up until the 1950s. Today, the church village is a living community and an open-air museum. Some of the cottages are still used by churchgoers for major seasonal church celebrations.

To do in Gammelstad Church Village

You can go on quaint lantern guided tours, visit a church cottage or take a ride with a horse and sleigh. You can also learn about traditional cooking, and try handicrafts such as butter churning, blacksmithing, bread baking and candle making.