Strangnas Cathedral

The cathedral was begun in the thirteenth century and finished in brick over the next two hundred years, standing above the town on the lake shore with a tower and spire that carry a long way across the water. It is where the assembly elected Gustav Vasa king in June 1523, the event conventionally taken as the start of the modern Swedish state. Inside there are three medieval altarpieces from Flanders, the largest of them made in Brussels in 1490 and given by Bishop Kort Rogge, a set of burial chapels, and a cathedral library that traces its origin to a gift of books in 1316 and is one of the oldest working libraries in Sweden. The town below is small, with wooden houses along the streets that run down to the harbour.

What you'll find

• A brick Gothic cathedral - built over two centuries.
• The site of the 1523 election - of Gustav Vasa as king.
• Flemish altarpieces - the largest made in Brussels in 1490.
• The cathedral library - with roots in a gift of books in 1316.

When to go

Year round; hours vary with services. An hour.

Good to know

The library is not always accessible. Services close the church to visitors. Strangnas is quiet and empties in the evening. The interior is plain by continental standards.

Nearby

Mariefred and Gripsholm are east; Enkoping is north across the lake.

Key facts