Skip to main content

Karlslunda kyrka

Address
59, 388 50, Påryd
Municipality
Kalmar Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Växjö

Karlslunda kyrka is a parish church in Påryd, in Kalmar kommun, Sweden, serving the Karlslunda-Mortorp parish. Its timber construction and detached bell tower set it apart from the stone churches typical of the region, reflecting a practical and distinctive local building tradition.



The present church replaced an earlier, smaller wooden building known as Arby chapel, which dated from 1687 but had become cramped and poorly maintained. Rather than repair the old chapel, the parish decided in 1812 to build afresh, and the new church was constructed in 1816–1817 to designs by Axel Almfelt. It was consecrated in September 1818.

Unusually for a Swedish church of this period, it was built using horizontal timber rather than stone, the material more commonly favoured for ecclesiastical buildings. The church originally comprised a nave with a sacristy to the rear; the porch at the western end was not added until 1974–75. No tower was ever built onto the church itself. Instead, the bells hang in a separate wooden bell tower with a distinctive helm-shaped roof, the current structure dating from 1840. It houses two bells, cast in Karlskrona in 1841 and in Kalmar in 1868 respectively.

The church's interior follows a hall-church design, with a barrel vault and tall windows admitting plenty of light. Its furnishings have changed over time: a major restoration in 1952–56 saw the original combined altar-and-pulpit structure adapted, with small reliefs by the sculptor Bror Marklund added to the altarpiece, while a new freestanding pulpit was installed against the north wall. A separate freestanding altar and altar rail were added in 1975.

Among the church's furnishings is a painting depicting the Crucifixion, now kept in the sacristy, which originally formed the central panel of the older altar-pulpit; it is attributed to Anders Friske of Kalmar. The font dates from 1919, and there is a textile wall-hanging created by Märta Afzelius. The organ has been rebuilt more than once, most recently in 1968, when a new mechanical instrument was installed within the earlier 1874 case.

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.

Södermöre pastorat

Karlslunda kyrka

Karlslunda kyrka is a parish church in Påryd, in Kalmar kommun, Sweden, serving the Karlslunda-Mortorp parish. Its timber construction and detached bell tower set it apart from the stone churches typical of the region, reflecting a practical and distinctive local building tradition.

59, 388 50, Påryd

Explore this church: Karlslunda 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

Nybro kyrka

Nybro kyrka, the parish church of Nybro in Kalmar county, was consecrated in 1934 and serves the Nybro-S:t Sigfrids parish within the Diocese of Växjö. Built in dark brick, it stands as a notable example…

Kyrkoesplanaden 2, Nybro

View church details: Nybro kyrka
Basic listing

Aneboda kyrka

Aneboda kyrka is a wooden church beside Lake Stråken in Aneboda, in the Lammhult parish of Växjö diocese, Sweden. Built at the very end of the nineteenth century, it is notable for its exposed roof…

Aneboda kyrka, 363 94, Lammhult

View church details: Aneboda kyrka
Basic listing

Kävsjö kyrka

Kävsjö kyrka is a small wooden church in Gnosjö kommun, in the Diocese of Växjö, and the third church to have stood on this site. A wooden predecessor was built here as early as the…

Kävsjö kyrka, 33574, Hillerstorp

View church details: Kävsjö 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: 15 Feb 2024. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 7bf3a4b0-dace-4901-a54b-76a3b6d93044

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.