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Vänersnäs kyrka

Address
Kyrkbyn 534, 46890, Vargön
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Skara

Vänersnäs kyrka stands on the Vänersnäs peninsula in Vänersborg Municipality, within Skara diocese. A church has existed here since medieval times, though the building visitors see today largely dates from its reconstruction after a devastating fire in 1941.



The earliest church on this site was a rectangular nave built of sandstone, with a chancel to the east of which no trace now survives. A carved tympanum stone, decorated with a tree-of-life motif and once set above a doorway, survives from this early building. By the 1670s the chancel had been demolished and absorbed into an extended nave.

A visitation in 1690 found the church in poor repair, and much of it was subsequently demolished. Rebuilding in 1702 widened the church to the south and moved the main entrance to the west gable. Further remodelling in 1734–36 added a three-sided chancel, and a tower was built in 1874, replacing an earlier porch and sacristy.

In February 1941 fire destroyed the church almost entirely; only the damaged walls survived, while the furnishings and bells were lost. Fortunately several valuable items were rescued before the flames took hold. The church was rebuilt on the old walls to designs by architect Axel Forssén, keeping the exterior largely unchanged, and was reconsecrated in September 1942 (sources give the date as either the 13th or the 20th of that month).

Today the whitewashed brick church, with its slate-covered roof and tower, is entered through the west tower and has a plain interior with fixed pews along a central aisle. The medieval font is the only surviving pre-fire furnishing. The 1942 altarpiece is by the artist Saga Walli, and the pulpit, carved by Erling Valldeby to designs by Gunnar Erik Ström, dates from the same period.

The organ, built in 1942 by Nordfors & Co and later enlarged in 1965, remains playable but is no longer the instrument in regular use, a digital organ having taken its place. The church is noted locally as a popular setting for baptisms and weddings.

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

  • Toilet

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

Västra Tunhems pastorat

Vänersnäs kyrka

Vänersnäs kyrka stands on the Vänersnäs peninsula in Vänersborg Municipality, within Skara diocese. A church has existed here since medieval times, though the building visitors see today largely dates from its reconstruction after a devastating fire in 1941.

Kyrkbyn 534, 46890, Vargön

Explore this church: Vänersnäs 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

Gillstads kyrka

Gillstads kyrka is a parish church in the village of Gillstad, in Lidköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County. Its history stretches back to the medieval period, though the building visitors see today largely reflects later rebuilding…

Råda församlingshem 1, 53196, Lidköping

View church details: Gillstads kyrka
Basic listing

Berga kyrka

Berga kyrka is a stone-built medieval church, originally dedicated to St John the Baptist, standing on a rise amid Iron Age and Bronze Age burial fields in the old village of Berga, Västergötland. Its origins…

Bergaby

View church details: Berga 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: 30 May 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: aa2a31d1-a0a0-46cf-840a-79582865934f

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.