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Länna kyrka

Address
Klockargårdsvägen, 645 91, Strängnäs
Municipality
Strängnäs Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Strängnäs

Länna kyrka is a medieval parish church in the village of Merlänna, part of Åker-Länna församling in the Diocese of Strängnäs. Its long building history and unusual internal layout, with the chancel and entrance swapped from their original positions, make it a curious stop for visitors interested in Swedish church architecture.



The church's oldest parts date to around 1200, when a small Romanesque stone church with a narrower chancel to the east was built; the west tower likely belongs to this original structure. During the 14th century the chancel was demolished and the nave extended eastward, turning the building into a hall church roughly double its former length. Towards the end of the 15th century, or around 1500, three brick vaults were added to the ceiling, and a brick porch was likely built on the south side around the same time.

A major rebuilding took place in 1739–1740, when a broad transept was added to the north side. Two of the three brick vaults were removed, the old sacristy and porch demolished, and the tower's ground floor converted into a sacristy. The most striking change came in 1901, during a restoration guided by architect Agi Lindegren: the church's orientation was effectively reversed, with the entrance moved to the north transept and the chancel relocated to the south wall of the nave, where it remains today. The original medieval chancel space in the east is now used as a side chapel. Further restorations in 1960 and 1972–1973 altered the exterior colour scheme to the current red and made changes inside, including bricking up a window behind the altar.

Among the church's furnishings is a sandstone font dating from around 1200, one of the oldest surviving elements of the building. A crucifix on the wall above the font is said to be Russian work, probably from around 1700; it was donated to the church in 1954 and had previously belonged to a Russian Orthodox church in Kotka, Finland. Visitors can also see a restored 14th-century wooden sculpture of Saint Olof and a 13th-century image of Saint Eskil, alongside a 14th-century image of the Virgin Mary that was returned to the church after being elsewhere.

The pulpit dates from 1765 and is thought to be the work of a master Kullberg from Strängnäs, though it has also been attributed to Per Friberg. A carved Baroque-style altarpiece depicting the Last Supper was donated in 1709; it now hangs on the wall beneath the organ loft rather than above the altar.

The church has had three organs over its history. The present main organ, a small mechanically operated choir organ built in 1976 by Åkerman & Lund, is used for services, while a larger 1936 organ by the Danish firm Th. Frobenius & Co, incorporating parts from an earlier 1864 instrument, is reported to be currently unplayable. The churchyard is the resting place of Felix Kersten, though further verification of this and other biographical claims falls outside this guide's scope.

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.

Åker-Länna församling

Länna kyrka

Länna kyrka is a medieval parish church in the village of Merlänna, part of Åker-Länna församling in the Diocese of Strängnäs. Its long building history and unusual internal layout, with the chancel and entrance swapped from their original positions, make it a curious stop for visitors interested in Swedish church architecture.

Klockargårdsvägen, 645 91, Strängnäs

Explore this church: Länna 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

Lista kyrka

Lista kyrka is a medieval parish church near Eskilstuna, in Södermanland, standing within Västra Rekarne parish of the Diocese of Strängnäs. Its origins date to the 1100s, and centuries of alteration have left a building…

Lista kyrka, Eskilstuna, 63514, Eskilstuna

View church details: Lista kyrka
Basic listing

Hackvads kyrka

Hackvads kyrka is a parish church in Hackvad, part of Örebro pastorat within the Church of Sweden's Strängnäs diocese. Though modest in size, its history spans medieval origins, an eighteenth-century rebuilding, and a dramatic fire…

Hackvads kyrka, 716 91, Fjugesta

View church details: Hackvads 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: 13 Sep 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 35f478fa-5855-4bf0-a068-6e2a720e3397

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.