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Bälaryds kyrka

Address
Bälaryds kyrka
Municipality
Aneby Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Linköping

Bälaryds kyrka is a medieval parish church in Aneby kommun, Småland, built of grey stone in the 1200s. Standing five kilometres south-west of Aneby, it belongs to the Diocese of Linköping and retains features from several centuries of alteration.



The church began as a simple stone hall with a straight-ended chancel, later extended eastward during the medieval period. A west tower was added before the 1600s, and in 1729 a sacristy was built to the east. Between 1739 and 1740 a broad north transept was constructed, giving the church its present cross-shaped layout.

The tower reached its current appearance in 1798, when an extra storey and a distinctive lantern were added in timber. In 1807 the old vaulted ceiling and its supporting pillars were removed because of a risk of collapse, which altered the character of the interior considerably.

Several older furnishings survive despite these changes. The sandstone font dates from the first half of the 13th century, making it one of the oldest objects in the church. A carved oak and pine crucifix is attributed to a south Scandinavian workshop of the early 1500s, though the Platser source describes it as a 15th-century triumphal crucifix — a discrepancy worth noting. The altarpiece was painted in 1640, credited by both sources to Johan Werner, court painter to Per Brahe the Younger, though one source gives his name as Werner the Elder and the other as Werner the Younger.

In the porch, fragments of medieval wall painting survive, thought to depict a devilish figure, while the north transept ceiling carries decorative painting from 1755 attributed to the provincial painter Olof Rosenblad of Gränna. A 17th-century pulpit also remains in use.

The church organ was built in 1839 by Sven Nordström of Norra Solberga, with most of its façade pipes still sounding as originally made. It was later altered by several organ builders, including a renovation and partial rebuilding in the late 19th and 20th centuries, reflecting the long history of adaptation found throughout the building.

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.

Aneby pastorat

Bälaryds kyrka

Bälaryds kyrka is a medieval parish church in Aneby kommun, Småland, built of grey stone in the 1200s. Standing five kilometres south-west of Aneby, it belongs to the Diocese of Linköping and retains features from several centuries of alteration.

Bälaryds kyrka

Explore this church: Bälaryds 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

Rönö kyrka

Rönö kyrka is a small parish church in Rönö socken, Norrköpings kommun, in Östergötland, part of Jonsbergs församling within the Diocese of Linköping. Built in the 1640s, it stands near Rönö kungsgård and holds a…

Rönö kyrka, 61027, VIKBOLANDET

View church details: Rönö kyrka
Basic listing

Mjölby kyrka

Mjölby kyrka stands in the centre of Mjölby in Östergötland, its present building dating from 1779. Rebuilt after a devastating fire destroyed its medieval predecessor, the church is notable for its striking 1960s coloured-glass windows…

Kungsvägen 53, 595 41, Mjölby

View church details: Mjölby kyrka
Basic listing

Å kyrka

Å kyrka is a parish church on the Vikbolandet peninsula in Östergötland, within Västra Vikbolandets församling. Standing on a hillock amid open farmland, this nineteenth-century building replaced a much older medieval church whose ruins still…

Å, 61030, Vikbolandet

View church details: Å 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: 29 Sep 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: a22f6c01-850e-4144-9c1f-6d1804c1e662

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.