Skip to main content

Tärendö kyrka

Address
Laestadíusvägen 38
Municipality
Pajala Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Luleå

Tärendö kyrka is a wooden parish church in the village of Tärendö, in Pajala municipality in northern Sweden. It belongs to Pajala församling within the Diocese of Luleå, and its origins trace back to a royal decision in 1877 to build a church on the Nivankorvanmaa site.



The church was built between 1877 and 1879 to designs by the architect Fredrik Ekberg, and was consecrated on 18 April 1880 together with its burial ground, by the rural dean P. O. Grape. Records suggest that in 1899 the local church meeting appointed a board to arrange the installation of a stove for heating the building, a practical concern for a church so far north.

The building has a log timber frame, with a nave running north to south. The tower and main entrance stand at the north end, while a sacristy is attached to the south gable. The exterior walls are covered with vertical grey-painted timber panelling, giving the church a plain but characterful appearance typical of Norrbotten's timber churches.

A substantial restoration took place in 1941–1942, carried out to plans by the architect Bertil Höök. The pulpit was made by the joiner Johan Erik Isaksson Huhtainen, a local craftsman whose work forms part of the church's original fittings.

The current altarpiece, painted by Torsten Nordberg of Stockholm, was put into use in the autumn of 1949; it depicts Christ among contemporary people in an everyday setting, an unusual choice for a church altarpiece of its time. The earlier altarpiece, from 1890, has been retained and now stands at a baptismal altar to the west of the main altar. The font itself dates from 1947 and was the first to be used in the church; above it hangs an ornate brass chandelier.

The organ was built in 1990 by Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri, a well-regarded Swedish organ-building firm, and remains part of the church's furnishings.

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
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop
  • Ramp
  • Accessible toilet

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

A listed ramp does not confirm step-free access throughout the building.

Pajala församling

Tärendö kyrka

Tärendö kyrka is a wooden parish church in the village of Tärendö, in Pajala municipality in northern Sweden. It belongs to Pajala församling within the Diocese of Luleå, and its origins trace back to a royal decision in 1877 to build a church on the Nivankorvanmaa site.

Laestadíusvägen 38

Explore this church: Tärendö 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

Flarkens kapell

Flarkens kapell is a small chapel in Flarken, in Robertsfors kommun, Bygdeå parish. Built by local villagers in the early twentieth century, it remains owned by a local voluntary association rather than the church authorities,…

Kyrkvägen 3, 91598, BYGDEÅ

View church details: Flarkens kapell
Basic listing

Forsnäs kapell

Forsnäs kapell is a small wooden-style chapel in Forsnäs village, deep in the forests north of Råneå in Luleå kommun, Norrbotten. Built through the efforts of local residents in the late 1930s, it remains a…

Västerlångvägen 6, 955 95, Niemisel

View church details: Forsnäs 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: 14 Feb 2024. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 44c87a49-57c3-4756-8e6f-a1f40397604a

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.