Gammelstad Church Town - Luleå, Norbottens Län, Sweden
N 65° 38.733 E 022° 01.700
34W E 547317 N 7280789
The old church town of Gammelstad near Luleå displays the unique features of a village used only for weekends since the 16th century.
Waymark Code: WM144CR
Location: Norrbotten, Sweden
Date Posted: 04/12/2021
Views: 0
The visitor center north of the Nederluleå Kyrka church shows the history of the church town in a free exhibition, slide shows and small films, and tours through the church town of Gammelstad, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996, are also on offer.
The church town was built in the 16th century as the center of the city of Luleå at that time. Since the land uplift and silting up of the river mouth meant that access to the sea was no longer in the immediate vicinity, the city center was relocated almost 10km down the river. The houses remained to make it easier for the population to visit the church. The population arrived on Saturdays, stayed overnight, attended the Sunday service and then left again. Over the centuries, the legislature regulated that the houses of the church town may only be used for this purpose. Accordingly, many of the more than 400 houses lack amenities such as running water or electricity.
The guided tour through the narrow streets of the church town takes about an hour. In addition to visiting a church house, if there is no service, there is also a tour of the church. The nearby outdoor museum Hägnan gives additional insights in the life of the people of the area during the 18th and 19th century.
The church town is open all year round, the visitor center, which is located in Kyrktorget 1 in 954 33 Gammelstad, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during summer from the beginning of June to the end of August. During the rest of the year, the opening times are from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
Sources:
- Website on Gammelstad Church Town on the tourism pages of Luleå
- Website of the tourist information at Gammelstad
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