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Vänge kyrka

Address
Gamla Salavägen 31, 75576, Vänge
Municipality
Uppsala Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Uppsala

Vänge kyrka is a parish church in Vänge, roughly a dozen kilometres west of Uppsala, with origins reaching back to around 1200. It remains an active place of worship within the Church of Sweden and is notable for its medieval wall paintings.



The oldest part of the building is the western section of the nave and the tower, dating from around 1200, when it was built as a Romanesque church. It was later extended eastwards, probably in the 14th century, becoming a hall church. During the 15th century a porch was added and the interior was given cross vaults; a sacristy built in the north at this time was later demolished. The present west tower dates from building work completed in 1667, though the bells continued to hang in a separate bell frame until 1750.

A more substantial remodelling took place between 1882 and 1886 under architect F. R. Ekberg, when the annex church at Läby was closed and its congregation absorbed. This added the transepts, the five-sided eastern extension and the upper part of the tower, along with buttresses at the choir and tower. The exterior was given a Neo-Romanesque character at this time. Plans for a new main entrance through the narrow west tower were abandoned after concerns that the tower could collapse. The 19th-century reworking of the interior was largely undone in a 1935 restoration led by architect Erik Fant, when much of the furnishings were also renewed.

The church's most notable feature is a series of vaulted ceiling paintings by Albertus Pictor from the 1480s, which survive in good condition; wall paintings from the same period were largely lost through later window alterations and whitewashing. The sandstone font, decorated with rich ornament on its bowl, dates from the 1100s and was made in the Mälaren region, making it older than the current building itself. A striking wooden sculpture of the apostle James, a North German work of the 1480s, stands by the pillar between choir and transept; it only came to Vänge in 1934, having previously belonged to a church in Småland.//The current pulpit, from the 1935 restoration, carries three figures by sculptor Anton Lundberg representing Faith, Hope and Charity, while a gilded dove beneath its canopy survives from an earlier pulpit of 1669. An hourglass from 1708, made by Gerhard Meijer of Stockholm, is also among the church's furnishings, along with several brass chandeliers, one of which was donated in 1772.

The two bells in the tower were recast by K. G. Bergholtz, the larger in 1881 and the smaller in 1886; the larger bell had earlier been recast in 1789, though its original age is unknown. The church organ, built in 1979, incorporates the façade of an earlier 1886 instrument and stands on a platform in the north transept.

Near the church stands the former Vänge parsonage, a listed historic building since 1993, with 18th-century wings and a timbered tithe barn on its grounds, as well as a former parish school building from 1882–83.

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

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

Norra Hagunda församling

Vänge kyrka

Vänge kyrka is a parish church in Vänge, roughly a dozen kilometres west of Uppsala, with origins reaching back to around 1200. It remains an active place of worship within the Church of Sweden and is notable for its medieval wall paintings.

Gamla Salavägen 31, 75576, Vänge

Explore this church: Vänge kyrka

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

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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: 5 Jun 2025. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 22cb563d-0826-43da-9305-2aa88e44b1c9

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.