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Gillberga kyrka

Address
Gillberga kyrka, Värmlands Nysäter
Municipality
Säffle Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Karlstad

Gillberga kyrka, north of Nysäter in Värmland, incorporates the remains of one of the county's few Romanesque apse churches. The original building is thought to date from the late 1100s or early 1200s, making it one of the oldest churches in the region.



The medieval church consisted of a rectangular nave with a narrower, lower chancel ending in an apse to the east. Sections of these original stone walls survive within the present building, though heavily altered over the centuries. The limestone used was reportedly quarried at Kinnekulle and transported across Vänern and the Gillbergasjön to the church site.

The church's appearance today owes much to a major rebuilding of 1731–33, when the nave was extended some 13 metres westward under master mason Christian Haller. This work demolished the original chancel arch, and a wooden screen was later added between the chancel and apse, behind which a sacristy was formed. An earlier tower, raised between 1699 and 1718, had to be demolished around 1730 owing to poor foundations, and was replaced by a temporary bell frame in the churchyard before the present west tower with its lantern was built in 1837–40.

A thorough restoration in 1887 altered much of the church's older character, replacing box pews with open benches and re-panelling the ceiling. A further restoration in 1940–41, led by architect Einar Lundberg, aimed to reverse some of these Victorian-era changes, removing the tongue-and-groove ceiling panelling and restoring a closed altar rail in an earlier style.

Among the church's furnishings, the two-tiered altarpiece with its crucifixion scene was donated in 1665 by Major Sven Persson Hildring and his wife Margareta Roos af Hjälmsäter. The pulpit, carved in 1736 by Nils Falk, was painted some years later by Hans Georg Schüffner. Fragments of two older medieval soapstone font bowls are also kept in the church, alongside a font designed by Lundberg during the 1941 restoration.

The church's most notable treasure is its small bell, generally dated to the 1200s or possibly the later 1100s, making it one of the oldest bells still in use in Sweden. The church stands at the edge of a prehistoric burial ground, a siting shared by many early Christian churches built at older, established central places.

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

  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop

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

Gillberga församling

Gillberga kyrka

Gillberga kyrka, north of Nysäter in Värmland, incorporates the remains of one of the county's few Romanesque apse churches. The original building is thought to date from the late 1100s or early 1200s, making it one of the oldest churches in the region.

Gillberga kyrka, Värmlands Nysäter

Explore this church: Gillberga 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

Eds Kyrka

Eds Kyrka is a parish church of the Church of Sweden, standing about five kilometres south of Grums in Värmland. Belonging to Ed-Borgvik parish within the Diocese of Karlstad, it stands on a site with…

Eds kyrka 1, 664 96, Segmon

View church details: Eds Kyrka
Basic listing

Torrskogs kyrka

Torrskogs kyrka is a whitewashed stone church standing on a headland on the western shore of Lake Lelången in Bengtsfors kommun, Västra Götaland. Built in 1767–1768, it is probably the third church on this site,…

Torrskogs Stom Kyrkviken 2, 666 91, Bengtsfors

View church details: Torrskogs 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: 23 May 2024. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 3ddfda6a-f301-4ecd-8e78-2103a9cd2582

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.