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Harbo kyrka

Address
Prästgården 104, Harbo
Municipality
Heby kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Uppsala

Harbo kyrka is a medieval parish church in Harbo, Heby kommun in Uppsala län, with origins believed to date from the 1400s, although the parish itself is recorded as early as the 1300s, suggesting an earlier building once stood on the site.



The exterior gives the impression of an eighteenth-century building, largely due to its mansard roof, but inside the church retains much more of its late medieval character. The western part of the nave is covered by three star vaults of a type that became common towards the end of the fifteenth century, supported by robust brick piers built after the massive granite walls were already standing.

The vault paintings visible today are almost entirely the result of the 1892 restoration, though it remains unclear whether they drew on any surviving traces of older medieval decoration. Earlier paintings once existed in the porch, showing folkloric and moralising scenes, but these were covered over in 1712 as unseemly, and the porch itself was demolished in 1776 when the church was extended eastward, so nothing of them survives.

Among the church's furnishings is a notable group of wooden sculptures, the oldest of which is thought to be the large medieval triumphal crucifix, dating from the mid- or late 1400s. Other medieval carvings include two apostle figures and a Madonna, along with fragmentary statuettes believed to come from a destroyed altar cabinet, representing Saint John, a damaged Saint Erik, and the Virgin Mary.

The freestanding bell tower outside the churchyard wall was built in 1762 by a miller from Viby, replacing an earlier and by then dilapidated structure; a bell tower on the site is mentioned as far back as 1651. The larger of the two bells was recast in 1723, though sources differ slightly on the date of the smaller bell's casting, with one giving 1734 and another 1743.

A brick burial chapel of 1810, built by Baron Carl Vilhelm von Knorring for his parents, stands on the eastern side of the churchyard and is now used as a mortuary chapel. The church also holds a collection of silver, including brudkronor (bridal crowns), a seventeenth-century wine jug, and a communion chalice made in Uppsala in 1797, along with an organ built in 1850 with a facade designed by the architect Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander.

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.

Contact & official information

Östervåla-Harbo pastorat

Östervåla-Harbo pastorat

Harbo kyrka

Harbo kyrka is a medieval parish church in Harbo, Heby kommun in Uppsala län, with origins believed to date from the 1400s, although the parish itself is recorded as early as the 1300s, suggesting an earlier building once stood on the site.

Prästgården 104, Harbo

Explore this church: Harbo 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

Malsta kyrka

Malsta kyrka stands on a sloping site above the northern shore of Lake Malstasjön, north of Norrtälje. This modest medieval parish church, built of grey stone, is one of Uppland's many hall churches and retains…

Malstavägen 225, 761 71, Norrtälje

View church details: Malsta kyrka
Basic listing

Grisslehamns kapell

Grisslehamns kapell is a small chapel in the village of Grisslehamn, on the northern tip of Väddö in Roslagen. Consecrated in 1909, it belongs to Väddö parish but is owned by the local community and…

Lillsjön 25, 764 56, Grisslehamn

View church details: Grisslehamns kapell

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: 30 Mar 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 9a41cba3-586e-4240-a0b3-fbbcb356a2cb

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.