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Ljungs gamla kyrka

Address
Kyrkvägen, 45933, Ljungskile
Municipality
Uddevalla Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Göteborg

Ljungs gamla kyrka, in Ljungskile parish in Västra Götaland, is a medieval church that fell into ruin and was later restored. Its long, layered history makes it an unusual stop for visitors interested in how a forgotten building can be brought back to a form of use.



The church is thought to have been built in the 1100s or early 1200s, following a Romanesque plan with a rectangular nave and a narrower chancel divided by a triumphal arch. A significant repair is believed to have taken place in the 1620s, and between 1729 and 1733 the chancel was rebuilt and widened into the three-sided shape still seen today. In 1791 the interior was decorated with paintings by Johan Henric Dieden.

The building's fortunes changed in 1904, when it was abandoned and left to fall into ruin. It remained in this state for over a decade until 1919, when the ruin was repaired and conserved under the architect Anders Roland. Further work followed in 1937, when a roof, windows and doors were reinstated and the exterior walls rendered with plaster, gradually returning the structure to something closer to a functioning building. A more thorough restoration took place in 1950–1951, based on proposals by the architect Knut Nordenskjöld, giving the church much of its present appearance.

Several of the church's furnishings date from this twentieth-century revival rather than from its medieval origins. The carved wooden font, with a hexagonal, chalice-shaped bowl, was made in 1960 by Walfrid Andersson, while the pulpit, with its octagonal basket, was created in 1956 to designs by Axel Forssén. The organ was built in 1970 by the Magnusson organ workshop.

Having been rebuilt from a ruined shell, the church today remains a simple, sparsely used building, without electric heating, a loudspeaker system, toilet or running water — a reminder of its long period of abandonment before restoration.

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

  • Parking

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

Ljungskile församling

Ljungs gamla kyrka

Ljungs gamla kyrka, in Ljungskile parish in Västra Götaland, is a medieval church that fell into ruin and was later restored. Its long, layered history makes it an unusual stop for visitors interested in how a forgotten building can be brought back to a form of use.

Kyrkvägen, 45933, Ljungskile

Explore this church: Ljungs gamla kyrka

Church information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.

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View church details: Slättåkra 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: 26 May 2026. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 1a3fb6a6-f688-43b3-bbf3-87eb6a000bb3

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.