8 fascinating churches in West Sweden

From grand cathedrals to rural chapels

Royal tombs, hidden crypts, beautiful altarpieces, and towering church spires. Here is a guide to some of the most iconic and beautiful churches across West Sweden. Further down the page you’ll also find a list of more churches to visit.

1. Skara Cathedral

SKARA. Skara Cathedral is one of the two cathedrals in West Sweden. Visit the well-preserved crypt beneath the altar and admire the colourful stained-glass windows created by artist Bo Beskow. Several times a day, the cathedral bells play different melodies. The twin steeples, locally known as “Skara’s trousers”, are one of the city’s best-known landmarks and can be seen long before you arrive in Skara.

2. Ånimskogs Kyrka

ÅMÅL. Near Åmål stands Ånimskogs Kyrka, a whitewashed church of medieval origin with a beautifully preserved 18th-century Baroque interior. The ceiling decorations were painted by artist Hans Georg Schüffner, sometimes known as “God’s painter in Dal and western Värmland”. In the churchyard lies the grave of Otto Hesselbom, another well-known artist from Dalsland.

3. Skee Kyrka

STRÖMSTAD. Near Strömstad stands one of Bohuslän’s oldest churches, a granite church dating from the 12th century.
Among its most notable treasures are “The Black Madonna” and a beautiful 15th-century altarpiece.

4. Edsleskogs Kyrka

ÅMÅL. Edsleskogs Kyrka stands on what was once an important religious site and a centre for pilgrims during the Middle Ages. A spring with healing waters once drew visitors here, alongside an unusually large medieval church built in the 13th century. The present church, built in Neo-Gothic style, replaced the earlier church after it burned down in 1902.

5. Varnhems Klosterkyrka

SKARA. Near Skara stands the impressive Varnhems Klosterkyrka, where no fewer than four Swedish kings are buried, including Birger Jarl, traditionally regarded as the founder of Stockholm. On the hill behind the church lies Kata Gård, the remains of a church from the 10th century. It is considered Sweden’s oldest known church and contains what is known as Sweden’s oldest room.

6. Tranemo Kyrka

TRANEMO. Near Tranemo stands Tranemo Kyrka, a striking church with unusual architecture. Built in 1882, the hexagonal church was designed to gather the congregation around the baptismal font and communion table at the centre of the church.

7. Södra Råda timmerkyrka

GULLSPÅNG. Near Gullspång stands Södra Råda timmerkyrka, a remarkable reconstruction of the medieval timber church that was destroyed in an arson attack in 2001. The original 14th-century church was considered one of the Nordic region’s most important medieval cultural monuments. Today, the reconstruction offers a rare insight into traditional medieval building techniques.

Read more about Södra Råda timmerkyrka

8. Vårviks Kyrka

Near Bengtsfors stands Vårviks Kyrka, regarded as one of Dalsland’s most beautifully situated churches. The church stands proudly on its own island in Västra Silen.
The present church was built in the 1840s and is the third to stand on the same site.

Discover more churches in West Sweden

Below you'll find even more beautiful churches to visit across West Sweden.

Last updated on: 30 June 2026