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Säfsnäs kyrka

Address
Säfsbyn, 770 10, Fredriksberg
Municipality
Ludvika Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Västerås

Säfsnäs kyrka is a wooden parish church at Säfsbyn in Dalarna, serving Gränge-Säfsnäs congregation within the Diocese of Västerås. It replaced an earlier octagonal chapel and remains a distinctive example of 18th-century Swedish church building.



Construction of the present church began in 1758 and it was consecrated on 5 September 1762, replacing an older octagonal chapel that had itself only been consecrated in 1723. The building is a symmetrical cross-shaped timber church, a form once common in rural Sweden and still recognisable in its plan today.

A gallery was originally built only at the western entrance and served from the outset as an organ loft. A further gallery above the southern entrance, known as the Gravendal gallery, was added in 1854 by ironworks owners from Gravendal, reflecting the local industrial patronage that supported the church over the centuries. The sacristy behind the altar was built somewhat later than the main structure.

The interior was altered in 1897, but much of this work was reversed during a thorough restoration beginning in 1959, when the original iron roof sheeting was also replaced with copper. Visitors can still see an older altarpiece depicting Christ on the cross, painted by the artist C. Hjulström, along with a ceiling painting above the altar offering a schematic depiction of the Trinity.

Two memorial tablets (epitaphs) hang in the church, commemorating Sebastian Grave and his wife Anna Christina, née Chenon, and separately Lars Polhammar and his wife Magdalena, née Grave — names tied to the ironworking families associated with the parish.

The freestanding bell tower, completed in 1787, holds three bells of varying age: the smallest dates from 1637, the largest from 1771 (recast and enlarged in 1897), and a middle bell from 1872. The church's first organ was acquired in 1769, built by pastor Svante Nicolaus Brodin of Karbenning; it was later replaced by the current instrument, built in 1936 by Åkerman & Lund's Nya Orgelfabriks AB.

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

Ludvika församling

Ludvika församling

Säfsnäs kyrka

Säfsnäs kyrka is a wooden parish church at Säfsbyn in Dalarna, serving Gränge-Säfsnäs congregation within the Diocese of Västerås. It replaced an earlier octagonal chapel and remains a distinctive example of 18th-century Swedish church building.

Säfsbyn, 770 10, Fredriksberg

Explore this church: Säfsnäs kyrka

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

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Basic listing

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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: 29 Oct 2024. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: c146dab4-cc29-46aa-a990-ad80f84414c7

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.