Grava kyrka, near Skåre north of Karlstad in Värmland, has taken shape gradually over several centuries. Its cruciform plan and modest exterior reflect a long sequence of extensions, from a small medieval stone church to the building seen today.
The name Grava first appears in a document from 1359, when a priest named Olof is recorded there, suggesting the parish already had its own church in the early Middle Ages. Sources differ on the church's early fabric: one account suggests an earlier small wooden church stood slightly north of the present site, while records agree that by 1635 a small rectangular stone church occupied the current location, though it may date from as early as the start of the seventeenth century.
The building was extended repeatedly. In the 1630s the church was lengthened and the tower enlarged; accounts vary as to whether this tower addition took place around 1635 or 1645. A spire followed in 1661, and in 1684 a south transept was added, giving the church a three-armed plan. A north transept completed the cruciform layout, though sources disagree on the date—1753 according to one account, 1773 according to another. The drawings for this final extension are thought to have been prepared by Christian Haller, associated with the building of Karlstad Cathedral, though this attribution is described as probable rather than certain.
The tower's present appearance is generally dated to 1862, after which the exterior is said to have remained largely unchanged. Inside, the church has three galleries, in the north and south transepts and over the west end for the organ; a gallery for the gentry once stood above and behind the altar but no longer survives.
Among the furnishings, the pulpit dates from 1827 and the altarpiece from 1862, a gilded cross with a shroud cloth that replaced an earlier carved Baroque altarpiece from the late seventeenth century, now kept in Forshaga kyrka. The church was substantially restored in 1932 under architect Bror Almquist, when the interior was given a new colour scheme and new pews installed, and again at the end of the 1990s under architect Jerk Alton, when the side galleries received new staircases, the building was adapted for visitors with reduced mobility, and the pews were recoloured.
Grava kyrka is noted locally as a favoured setting for baptisms and weddings, drawing people from beyond the parish, and it retains a mixture of older and more recent fittings.
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Grava församling
Grava församling
Grava kyrka, near Skåre north of Karlstad in Värmland, has taken shape gradually over several centuries. Its cruciform plan and modest exterior reflect a long sequence of extensions, from a small medieval stone church to the building seen today.
Södra Grava 505, 655 91, Karlstad
Explore this church: Grava kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
Barmhärtighetens kapell holds 110 people and is used for funerals according to the Church of Sweden order as well as civil funerals.
Österleden 30, 691 54, Karlskoga
View church details: Barmhärtighetens kapellVäse kyrka is one of Värmland's largest churches, standing three kilometres north of the village of Väse. It replaced an older stone church, possibly of medieval origin, whose site and traditions it inherited.
Kungsbacka 231, 660 57, Väse
View church details: Väse kyrkaSunnemo kyrka stands in the village of Sunnemo in Hagfors kommun, Värmland. Its origins go back to 1651, when the Sunnemo chapel parish was formed and work began on a church of its own, completed…
View church details: Sunnemo kyrkaNorra Råda kyrka was completed in 1813. The master builder was Johan Westman. The church is located at the intersection of two valleys. The site was once a stopping point for those making pilgrimage to…
View church details: Norra Råda kyrkaSources, credits and English adaptations are identified on each church page. Provider data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0.
Provider catalogue data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser, CC BY 4.0. Separately credited descriptions retain their stated source and licence terms. Catalogue and visiting data reformatted from the provider. The English guide combines and abridges separately credited sources below.
Provider record updated: 22 Jul 2025. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: 7a60142f-6b0b-4343-bcf7-10efdcfcf8bf
This English guide combines, abridges and translates the sources below with AI assistance, with editorial contributions by Churches in Sweden. It has not been independently verified. The adapted guide text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographs and map data have their own terms.