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By kyrka

Address
Kapellgatan 6, 77551, KRYLBO
Municipality
Avesta Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Västerås

By kyrka is the parish church of By, in the Dalarna region of Sweden, standing prominently on the Kyrkbyåsen ridge. Consecrated in 1793, it replaced an earlier medieval church and remains a landmark visible from a considerable distance around.



The site has a long history of worship: tradition holds that a wooden stave church stood nearby as early as the twelfth century, later replaced by a stone church whose foundations were uncovered by excavation in 1869. In the fifteenth century a grey-stone Gothic church was built on the present site, decorated with biblical ceiling paintings and brick friezes, including unusual images of the sainted kings Olav and Erik. This medieval building suffered a serious fire in 1542 and further storm and lightning damage in 1715, and by the late eighteenth century its walls were dangerously cracked, prompting the decision to build anew.

Construction of the current church began in 1791, with the building largely completed for use within five months, reportedly inspired by the rapid building of the tower at nearby Folkärna church. Local builder Eric Sjöström led the work, though the parish preferred his original designs over amendments imposed by the royal Superintendent's Office. The church's tower, some 42 metres high, received its spire in 1794 and houses five bells, the oldest tradition of which is recorded as far back as 1576, though the bells have since been recast more than once.

Inside, visitors can see furnishings gathered from the church's various building phases, including a Romanesque font of Gotland limestone dating from the early thirteenth century and a triumphal crucifix of around 1300, both believed to have originally stood in the earlier stone church. A separate processional crucifix of the fourteenth century, thought to be German or Rhenish work, hangs above the pulpit, itself carved in 1842. Numerous brass chandeliers of varying ages hang throughout the nave, some gifted by local families across three centuries, alongside two crystal chandeliers originally from a now-vanished chapel at Horndal.

The church's silver collection spans several centuries, including a Baroque wine jug thought to date from the 1600s and vessels and christening bowls donated by local benefactors, some crafted by named silversmiths from Falun, Sala and Västerås. A wooden altar cabinet attributed to the workshop of Jan Borman in Brussels, dating from around 1510, is also associated with the church's older furnishings.

The present organ was originally built in 1861 by J. Gust. Ek and later enlarged in 1926, retaining its older facade and some original pipework. The church underwent a substantial renovation in 1959–60, and the surrounding churchyard, extended and replanted in the 1890s, still incorporates stone from the walls of the earlier church that once stood nearby.

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.

By-Folkärna pastorat

By kyrka

By kyrka is the parish church of By, in the Dalarna region of Sweden, standing prominently on the Kyrkbyåsen ridge. Consecrated in 1793, it replaced an earlier medieval church and remains a landmark visible from a considerable distance around.

Kapellgatan 6, 77551, KRYLBO

Explore this church: By 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

Mikaelikyrkan

Mikaelikyrkan in Västerås, completed in 1966, was the first of a wave of modern parish churches built for the city's expanding suburbs. Named after the archangel Michael, it is notable for its striking modernist architecture…

Hammarbacksvägen 1, 724 67, Västerås

View church details: Mikaelikyrkan

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: 8 Jun 2022. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: ad324ad5-1601-4fa6-9b61-4ee9a3cb1b46

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.