Gammelstad Church Town
Hägnan
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Of the 71 church towns that we have once had in Sweden only 16 remains. Many of them are greatly reduced in size or mere ruins of what they once were. Gammelstad Church Town is not only the largest and most well-preserved church town in Sweden, it's largest church town in the world.
The church town phenomenon is a Scandinavian phenomenon, typical especially for the North of Sweden. Back in the days the population was obliged to visit the church regularly, which caused the need for cottages where the farmers on the countryside could spend the night, since the distances geographicly were very large in this part of the country.
The church town was not only a place where people came to attend church, they also came for markets and district court sessions. Here they could socialized across the village boundaries and look for partners from other villages. The church town tradition in Gammelstad is still ongoing and a few times a year the congregation is invited to celebrate religious feasts and other events.
The exhibition cottage (cottage nb 253-254) was built in the mid 18th Century and is today owned by Nederluleå Local History Society, that uses it as an exhibition cottage. The cottage is open to visitors during the summer and for specific events during the winter.
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LocationGammelstad
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