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Borrby kyrka

Address
Korsoren, 27630, Borrby
Municipality
Simrishamns kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Lund

Borrby kyrka, also known as Sankta Maria kyrka, stands prominently over the open plain of Österlen in Skåne. Its tall spire, said to be inspired by Klara kyrka in Stockholm, was damaged in the storm Urd in 2016 and later reinstated, restoring the church's landmark silhouette.



The present church was built between 1838 and 1841 to designs by Jacob Wilhelm Gerss, replacing a stone church that had stood on the site since the 1100s. It was originally a plain, light-filled building, though later decades brought additional embellishments, including the tall spire with its four smaller flanking towers.

From the earlier medieval church, a font dating to the early 1200s survives, attributed to the Gotland stonemason known as Calcarius and notable for its carved acanthus scrolls and small animal and human heads at the base. The church's large bell, known as the Maria bell, was cast in Lübeck in 1492 and brought to Borrby in 1520; it is said to be the largest church bell in the Österlen area and bears a relief of the Virgin and Child, an image also used on the parish seal. A smaller bell dates from 1617.

Wall paintings from the demolished medieval church were not preserved in the original, but watercolour copies of them are kept in the sacristy, offering visitors a glimpse of the earlier building's decoration.

The church is noted for its painted windows, produced by the Stockholm firm Neumann and Vogel between 1910 and 1912, depicting central themes of Christian faith. The altarpiece, a large oil painting known as Jesus kommer till byn (Jesus comes to the village), was completed by Mårten Eskil Winge in 1866.

Among the church's furnishings is a votive ship, a four-masted barque model rigged with square and staysails, hung above the south door in the nave. A medieval triumphal crucifix that once hung in the chancel arch has since been moved to the Historical Museum in Lund. The church's organ has been rebuilt and altered several times since 1841, most recently with a new instrument built between 2024 and 2026 incorporating the façade of an 1863 organ case.

Opening hours

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

Additional opening information is awaiting translation. Check the official visitor-information link before travelling.

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

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop
  • Ramp
  • Accessible toilet

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

A listed ramp does not confirm step-free access throughout the building.

Gärsnäs församling

Borrby kyrka

Borrby kyrka, also known as Sankta Maria kyrka, stands prominently over the open plain of Österlen in Skåne. Its tall spire, said to be inspired by Klara kyrka in Stockholm, was damaged in the storm Urd in 2016 and later reinstated, restoring the church's landmark silhouette.

Korsoren, 27630, Borrby

Explore this church: Borrby kyrka

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

Other churches in the same diocese

Basic listing

Gamla kyrkan

Gamla kyrkan in Kävlinge is a Romanesque parish church begun in 1157, later abandoned and eventually restored to become one of Skåne's more unusual church survival stories. Built of local fieldstone with sandstone dressings, it…

Annelundsgatan 8, 24430, Kävlinge

View church details: Gamla kyrkan
Basic listing

Bräkne-Hoby kyrka

Bräkne-Hoby kyrka is a large parish church in Bräkne-Hoby, Blekinge, built in 1872 on the site of a medieval predecessor. Designed by the Lund cathedral architect Helgo Zettervall, it is often described as the largest…

Kyrkovägen 1, 372 60, BRÄKNE-HOBY

View church details: Bräkne-Hoby 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: 20 Aug 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 5ec13885-5536-4481-99d3-5174e53e74a0

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.

Suggest a correction

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.