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Horla kyrka

Address
Kungsgatan 43, Vårgårda
Municipality
Vårgårda Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Skara

Horla kyrka is a small Romanesque church in the parish of Hol, in the south-western part of Vårgårda in Västra Götaland. Considered one of the best-preserved churches in the diocese of Skara, it dates from sometime between the 12th and 13th centuries.



Built of grey fieldstone, Horla church is unusual for having never had a window cut into its north wall, a feature it shares with only three neighbouring churches. Before the 18th century, north-facing windows were rare in general, since that side of a building was traditionally associated with darkness. In 1684 fire, which spread from nearby buildings, destroyed the church so thoroughly that only the walls remained standing; the roof was subsequently rebuilt and the walls repaired.

The outward appearance has changed little since then. A timber porch was added in the 18th century, and in 1845 a further window was cut into the south wall while the two existing windows were widened. The roof covering has changed materials several times over the centuries, moving between shingle, tile and oak shingle, most recently to plain clay tile.

Inside, Horla is notable for retaining its narrow Romanesque chancel arch, decorated with medieval ashlar-imitation painting, a feature few churches in the region have preserved. The furnishings are well preserved throughout, and the gallery is placed, unusually, on the north side of the nave — a reminder that small medieval churches often had to make use of every available space to accommodate their congregations.

The pulpit dates from around 1690, and in 1715 its body was painted, and its sounding board carved, by the Borås sculptor Gustaf Kihlman, who also produced the altarpiece that same year. South of the church stands a free-standing wooden bell tower, built in 1697 by the master builder Jon of Säckegärde and clad in timber in 1721. The large bell is of a late medieval standard type and bears no inscription. The current organ was built in 1966 by A. Magnusson Orgelbyggeri of Gothenburg.

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.

Vårgårda pastorat

Horla kyrka

Horla kyrka is a small Romanesque church in the parish of Hol, in the south-western part of Vårgårda in Västra Götaland. Considered one of the best-preserved churches in the diocese of Skara, it dates from sometime between the 12th and 13th centuries.

Kungsgatan 43, Vårgårda

Explore this church: Horla 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

Bjärklunda kyrka

Bjärklunda kyrka is a parish church in Härlunda, in the Skara diocese of Västra Götaland, built in 1781 to serve two neighbouring medieval parishes, Bjärka and Härlunda, which had previously worshipped in separate churches.

Malmgatan 3, 53231, Skara

View church details: Bjärklunda kyrka
Basic listing

Kölaby kyrka

Kölaby kyrka is a stone church on the edge of Trädet in Ulricehamn, part of Redvägs församling in the Diocese of Skara. Built in the 1830s in the Empire style, it stands on the site…

Kyrkvägen 1, 520 26, Trädet

View church details: Kölaby kyrka
Basic listing

Forsviks kyrka

Forsviks kyrka is a wooden church in Forsvik, Karlsborgs kommun, built in 1934 to designs by Carl-Otto Hallström. Standing where a stream leaves Lake Viken, it deliberately echoes the timber church-building traditions of the eighteenth…

Undenäsvägen 7, 54673, Forsvik

View church details: Forsviks kyrka
Basic listing

Eggby kyrka

Eggby kyrka is a parish church in Skara kommun, Västra Götaland, part of Valle församling within the Church of Sweden. Its medieval tower survives from an earlier church, while the main building dates from the…

Malmgatan 3, 53231, Skara

View church details: Eggby 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: 21 Sep 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: c12469b8-10de-4e44-a675-2cf91eb002e9

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.