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Vika kyrka

Address
Vikavägen 126, 791 95, Falun
Municipality
Falu kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Västerås

Vika kyrka is a parish church in the village of Vika in Dalarna, part of Vika-Hosjö parish in the Diocese of Västerås. It is best known for its well-preserved sixteenth-century wall paintings and its striking medieval timber roof structure.



A wooden church is thought to have once stood on this site, probably destroyed by fire, followed by a smaller stone church. It has even been suggested that a pre-Christian cult site may have existed here before Christianity reached the area, likely in the 1100s. The present stone church was consecrated in 1469, although some parts, including the sacristy, are older.

The building consists of a tall, spacious nave beneath a steep, shingle-clad roof, with an attached sacristy to the north-east and a porch to the south-west. The lower parts of the walls are built of rough stone, with brick above. The roof structure itself dates from the time of the church's construction, and the timberwork in the nave shows the marks of late medieval carpentry technique, suggesting the work of only a handful of craftsmen; the porch roof is of a slightly later, related technique.

The church's sixteenth-century wall paintings, uncovered during a renovation in 1917–1918 led by Sigurd Curman, are a particular highlight. That work also revealed traces of even older paintings, including several consecration crosses. One painting on the eastern wall, showing the evangelist Luke's attribute the ox, is said to have inspired a poem by the Swedish poet Erik Axel Karlfeldt. The same renovation uncovered a bricked-up singers' gallery, a so-called gapskulle, which contained a number of medieval wooden sculptures now displayed around the church—visitors are met in the porch itself by a carving of Saint George and the dragon.

Among the furnishings, the limestone font dates from the early 1500s, and the altar cabinet is attributed to the painter Jordan Målare, from the latter half of the 1400s. The current pulpit dates from the 1650s and was installed during the 1917–1918 renovation; it previously belonged to the church of Vadstena hospital and is said to recall an earlier pulpit that stood in Vika from the 1630s until 1774.

The church has had several organs over the centuries, the earliest recorded from 1614, with rebuilds and replacements following in the 1700s and 1900s. The current organ, a mechanical instrument with 22 stops, was built in 1966 by A. Magnusson orgelbyggeri of Gothenburg. In 2018, Swedish Radio's Christmas morning service was broadcast from the church.

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

  • Hearing loop

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

Falu pastorat

Vika kyrka

Vika kyrka is a parish church in the village of Vika in Dalarna, part of Vika-Hosjö parish in the Diocese of Västerås. It is best known for its well-preserved sixteenth-century wall paintings and its striking medieval timber roof structure.

Vikavägen 126, 791 95, Falun

Explore this church: Vika 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

Hedemora kyrka

Hedemora kyrka is the parish church of Hedemora, Husby och Garpenbergs församling in Dalarna, standing at Kyrkogatan 20 in the town of Hedemora. Its long history stretches back to the medieval period, and it remains…

Kyrkogatan 20, 776 30, Hedemora

View church details: Hedemora 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: 17 Oct 2022. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: e82b332e-6dc3-4359-8d98-1b167aa1bf15

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.