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Älvkarleby kyrka

Address
Östanåvägen 83, 81470, Älvkarleby
Municipality
Älvkarleby Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Uppsala

Älvkarleby kyrka, sometimes called the 'Bride by the Dalälven', is the oldest church in its parish, standing above the river. Built in the late medieval period, it preserves striking ceiling paintings and medieval fittings that make it well worth a visit.



The church's nave dates from the late fifteenth century, begun in 1478 and consecrated in 1490 by Archbishop Jakob Ulvsson, with a dedication to Mary Magdalene. From the outset it had richly decorated vaults, and the porch is thought to be original to this period.

As the parish grew, the church was extended in the 1690s, and by 1702 a new three-sided chancel had been completed, with a burial vault for local ironworks patrons beneath the floor. A new sacristy replaced the medieval one, and a small ridge turret was added above the chancel, though this was removed in 1829. Much of the building's present external character reflects this early eighteenth-century building campaign.

Inside, the medieval vault paintings were uncovered during restoration work in 1890–91, having previously been whitewashed; they were further cleaned during a thorough renovation in 1964–65. The medieval altarpiece, decorated with saints and a central image of Mary, and the sturdy medieval font with its plaited-band decoration, are both contemporary with the church building and remain among its most notable furnishings; the font is still used for baptisms.

The church holds several memorials to the Leijel family, including armorial shields and donated items such as an altar painting. Among its most valued possessions is a signed 1563 painting by Joachim Bueckelaer depicting Christ's road to Golgotha, given to the church by the Leijel family, reportedly in the early eighteenth century. It is set within a baroque-style memorial surround commemorating David Leijel the elder and his wife, both buried, along with other family descendants, in a vault beneath the chancel shared by the Leijel, Anckarström and later Tottie families.

The church contains an organ on the gallery and a piano near the chancel used for services. East of the church stands a red-painted wooden bell tower dating in its present form from 1834, and to the south, within the churchyard, a wooden funeral chapel built in the later nineteenth century.

Opening hours

Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.

Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Hearing loop

Listed by the provider; availability has not been independently checked. An unlisted facility is not necessarily unavailable.

Älvkarleby-Skutskärs församling

Älvkarleby kyrka

Älvkarleby kyrka, sometimes called the 'Bride by the Dalälven', is the oldest church in its parish, standing above the river. Built in the late medieval period, it preserves striking ceiling paintings and medieval fittings that make it well worth a visit.

Östanåvägen 83, 81470, Älvkarleby

Explore this church: Älvkarleby kyrka

Church information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.

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Basic listing

Frösthults kyrka

Frösthults kyrka is a medieval parish church near Fjärdhundra in Uppsala county, roughly fifteen kilometres northwest of Enköping. Its nave and chancel date from around 1300, and the building retains striking medieval features beneath a…

Frösthults kyrka, 74971, Fjärdhundra

View church details: Frösthults kyrka
Basic listing

Hölicks kapell

Hölicks kapell stands at the southern tip of Hornslandet, above the old fishing hamlet of Hölick near Hudiksvall. Building began in 1929 and the chapel was completed in September 1930, with Archbishop Nathan Söderblom conducting…

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Ekeby kyrka

Ekeby kyrka is a parish church in Ekeby, between Gimo and Alunda in Uppland, forming part of Gimo pastorat. Its stone building replaced an earlier medieval timber church and retains striking early sixteenth-century ceiling paintings…

UPPSALAVÄGEN 21, 74742, GIMO

View church details: Ekeby kyrka

Sources & credits

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 May 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: b09011bb-2f01-4866-a152-e7f37a6a05b4

Guide sources

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.

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Church data retrieved 24 Sep 2026. Visiting details have not been independently verified.

Sources, licences & reuse

Independent guide

Churches in Sweden is an independent guide. It is not an official Svenska kyrkan website and does not imply sponsorship or endorsement.

Church information

Source: Svenska kyrkan — Platser, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. English adaptations by Churches in Sweden are identified on each profile. Our adaptations solely from Platser are offered under CC BY 4.0. Guides combining Wikipedia with other compatible sources are identified individually and offered under CC BY-SA 4.0; this covers that guide text, not the whole website. Separately credited third-party material retains its stated terms. Independently written descriptions are identified on their profiles. Imported material has not been independently verified. Original names and visiting details are retained; presentation is reformatted. Each profile identifies its source record and any additional supplied credits.

You may reuse the licensed church material under CC BY 4.0, including commercially, with the required attribution, licence link and indication of changes. No additional site restriction overrides those rights. The licence does not automatically cover separately credited images or map data.

Provider disclaimer

Svenska kyrkan supplies Platser data without guaranteeing that it is correct, current, complete across its organisation, or always available. The material is provided as-is and as-available, subject to the licence’s disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability.

Svenska kyrkan kan ej garantera att den data som finns i Platser:
– är korrekt.
– är aktuell.
– är komplett för hela Svenska kyrkans organisation.
– alltid är tillgänglig.

Preserved provider agreement · Full licence

Automatic diocese associations use the organisation codes from Svenska kyrkan UnitAPI. An association does not establish ownership or denomination. External editorial sources are credited separately.

Map and photographs

Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL and © OpenMapTiles. Tiles and style are served by World Class Maps. Map rendering uses MapLibre GL JS. The map’s own attribution remains visible.

Photographs are credited individually with their own licence or permission. The API data licence does not automatically cover photographs. No images are imported automatically.