Husaby Church
An eleventh-century church below Kinnekulle, by the spring where Sweden's first Christian king is said to have been baptised.
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Husaby church has a massive western tower block of three towers, unusual in Sweden and dated to the eleventh century, with the nave and chancel added and altered afterwards. Below it is a spring, and the tradition - recorded much later and not documented at the time - is that Olof Skotkonung was baptised at it by the English missionary Sigfrid around the year 1008, which would make him the first Christian king of the Swedes. Historians treat the detail cautiously while accepting the general picture. The bishop's palace ruin stands in the field beside the church, and the whole site sits under the terraced hill of Kinnekulle.
What you actually see
- A three-towered west block - eleventh century, unusual in Sweden.
- The baptism spring - the tradition attached to Olof Skotkonung.
- A bishop's palace ruin - in the field alongside.
- Kinnekulle behind - the terraced hill above the site.
When to go
May to September for reliable opening. An hour.
Honest expectations
The baptism story is tradition, not record, and the site presents it plainly enough. Opening hours are short outside summer. The church is small. There are few facilities nearby.
Nearby
Kinnekulle rises immediately; Lake Vanern is west.
What to pack for Husaby Church
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
