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Vallstena kyrka

Address
Vallstena kyrka 1, 624 32, Slite
Municipality
Gotland
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Visby

Vallstena kyrka, on Gotland, is a medieval parish church notable for its unusual double-nave layout, a legacy of an ambitious but only partly completed rebuilding of an earlier, smaller church.



The building began as a small apsidal church of the early 1200s, of which the tower and nave survive. Later that century, plans were drawn up to enlarge the church considerably, including a new two-aisled nave. Only part of this scheme was carried out, in the eastern bay, which is why the church today has its distinctive two-nave form alongside a taller, straight-ended chancel with a sacristy to the north.

The different building phases remain clearly visible from outside: the older tower and nave have rounded Romanesque openings, while the higher eastern section shows pointed Gothic forms. A spire crowns the tower. Inside, the Romanesque nave is covered by four groin vaults resting on a central column, while the eastern parts have tall tent vaults. The triumphal arch, widened in the mid-1200s at the same time as the tower arch, is a striking feature of the interior, with stepped mouldings and unusually well-preserved decorative painting.

Among the church's furnishings is a font of mussel-basin type from the mid-1200s. A richly carved poor box, attributed to the workshop of the so-called Öjamästaren (Master of Öja) and dated to around 1300, bears carved scenes including the risen Christ and the three women at the tomb. The altarpiece with a processional crucifix dates from the 1300s, the pulpit from 1669, and the altarpiece painting from 1730.

The church is enclosed by a churchyard wall with three lychgates; the southern one, with carved details, is thought to date from the 1200s. To the north stands the old parish storehouse, later converted for use as a mortuary.

A restoration was carried out in 1957 to a design by the architect Bengt Romare, during which the foundations of the original apse were found beneath the church floor. The church has had two organs: a pneumatic instrument built in 1930 by Åkerman & Lund, and the current mechanical organ, built in 1973 and acquired from Tingstäde kyrka in 1995.

Opening hours

Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.

Additional opening information is awaiting translation. Check the official visitor-information link before travelling.

Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop
  • Ramp

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.

Norra Gotlands pastorat

Vallstena kyrka

Vallstena kyrka, on Gotland, is a medieval parish church notable for its unusual double-nave layout, a legacy of an ambitious but only partly completed rebuilding of an earlier, smaller church.

Vallstena kyrka 1, 624 32, Slite

Explore this church: Vallstena 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

Rute kyrka

Rute kyrka is a medieval parish church on Gotland, within the Bunge, Rute and Fleringe parish of the Diocese of Visby. Dating largely from the 13th century, it is notable for its extensive early vaulted…

Rute kyrka, 624 58, Lärbro

View church details: Rute kyrka
Basic listing

Bro kyrka

Bro kyrka, on Gotland roughly twelve kilometres north-east of Visby, stands on ground regarded as a sacred site since ancient times. Its pink-toned walls and blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles reward a visit, as…

Bro kyrka, BRO ANNEX 169, 621 73, Visby

View church details: Bro 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: 20 Jan 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: d3c807e9-a7c0-4fe6-9043-987eebd46dd1

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.