Skip to main content

Trankils kyrka

Address
c/o Nordmarkens Pastorat Box 106, 67223, ÅRJÄNG
Municipality
Årjängs Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Karlstad

Trankils kyrka is a cruciform timber church in Årjäng, Värmland, whose oldest parts probably date from the 17th century, though the church site itself has medieval origins. Its shingled, red-painted exterior and modest interior conceal several unusually old and notable furnishings.



The church has transepts to the north and south, a sacristy attached to the east, and a tower to the west. Its precise building history is poorly documented: a dendrochronological study in 1980 suggested the oldest timbers date from the 1600s, though the church is already mentioned in written sources from the late 17th century, and it is possible parts of the structure are medieval.

The building was altered and extended in the 1730s and again in 1824, giving it much of its present form. A thorough restoration in 1949 gave the church its current red shingle cladding and deliberately emphasised its older character, removing a Neo-Gothic interior scheme dating from the later 19th century.

Among the furnishings, the soapstone font is thought to be the oldest surviving object, dating from the 13th century and identified as a Norwegian Smaalenen-type font; the brass basin is modern. Above the font stood a small Madonna figure carved in lime wood around the mid-13th century. This carving was stolen in a break-in in 2012, later recovered in Spain in 2015, returned to Sweden in 2018 and reinstated in the church in 2019 — a striking episode in the object's long history.

The pulpit is a 17th-century work, traditionally associated with the parish's first Protestant minister. Traces of mid-18th-century wall paintings, later painted over, remain visible on one wall, and the altarpiece, depicting Christ in Gethsemane, is an 18th-century work by an unidentified artist. Of the two bells in the tower, the smaller is thought to be medieval, recast in 1740, while the larger was cast in Amsterdam in 1729.

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.

Trankils församling

Trankils kyrka

Trankils kyrka is a cruciform timber church in Årjäng, Värmland, whose oldest parts probably date from the 17th century, though the church site itself has medieval origins. Its shingled, red-painted exterior and modest interior conceal several unusually old and notable furnishings.

c/o Nordmarkens Pastorat Box 106, 67223, ÅRJÄNG

Explore this church: Trankils 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

Dalby kyrka

The present-day Dalby kyrka was consecrated in 1928 to designs by the architect Bror Almquist, replacing a wooden church from the 18th century.

Långav 24, 68060, Sysslebäck

View church details: Dalby kyrka
Basic listing

Karlskoga kyrka

Karlskoga kyrka, in its oldest parts dating from the end of the 16th century, is the oldest building in the town of Karlskoga. Its long history stretches from a modest timber church commissioned by Duke…

Kungsvägen alternativt Centrumleden i Karlskoga stadskärna, Karlskoga

View church details: Karlskoga 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: 24 Oct 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: ae2a96e4-e62f-4e5a-bc20-2de26f0e3ba4

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.