Gammelstad Church Town
Hägnan
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In the heart of Gammelstad's Church Town you will find Nederluleå church, the largest late medieval stone church in the North of Sweden!
Nederluleå church was built in the 15th century as a parish church for the villages by the Kalix, Råne and Lule rivers, but also to mark Swedish supremacy when Ruissia was growing.The parish was sparcely populated but rich in trading goods such as salmon and fur. The farmers in the area could therefore afford to build the largest church in the North of Sweden. It is believed that it was initiated by archbishop Jakob Ulfsson and consecrated on the apostle St. Peter's day, on the 29th of June 1492.
Ulfsson sailed through an open archipelago and walked through the old gateway on the northern side of the church, a gateway that up until today is considered as one of the most beautiful in the country. He consecrated a church where the stones themselves are a sight, with more than 40 different types of rock.
The interior of the church is impressive as well. The vaulted ceilings, the murals, the altar screen and the crucifix above the entrance to the chancel all testifies of prosperous times and the old catholic belief from the early 16th Century. Today the church is a protestant church. The pulpit, the momerial tablets and the large windows were added during the 18th Century. Today's modern era has resulted in new benches, a large organ and gold colored lamps, which gives the church a warm light during dark midwinter evenings.
Opening hours
Nederluleå church belongs to Nederluleå församling (Nederluleå parish). It is open to visitors on set days every week, during the winter season Monday-Wednesday 11:00-15:00. Since it is an active church it's often occupied with church services and other church activities outside of its official opening hours.
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LocationGammelstad
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