A few churches on Gotland, 20-22 March 2020

During our stopovers along the years on Gotland, we had visited quite a few of the medieval churches in Gotland. We took an early spring weekend in Gotland, as at a time Sweden was not confined, and we went through the country side from wonders to wonders as all churches are covered with frescos from the Middle-Ages...

Ninety-three medieval churches are located on Gotland. As Gotland converted to Christianity during the XIth century, the inhabitants started constructing stave churches, wooden constructions inspired by the Norsemen. None of these stave churches have survived. They were replaced during the XII century by stone churches. During the prosperous Hansa trade times of the XIII century, churches were reconstructed and expanded with some adopting a more gothic style and incorporating stained glasses. No new churches were erected in Gotland after the 1400s'.

Dalhem church

Here is a sample of our discoveries during the weekend...


These are the seven churches that we visited during the weekend. All were open to visitors! Click on the link for each church if you wish to see the detail of the frescos for each!

Dalhem church

Dalhem church is a medieval church in Central Gotland built during the XIII and XIV century. The church underwent a complete restauration from 1899 to 1914. More on BalticSailors here...

Anga church

Anga church is a romanesque medieval church built in the XIII century. The choir and the apse are dating early 1200s' while the nave dates from 1250 and the tower from 1265.  More on BalticSailors here...

Levide church

Levide church is a medieval romanesque style church in Gotland. More on BalticSailors here...

Bunge church

Bunge church is a mediaval chuch in the North of Gotland that  was built in the XIV  century. It uses a double-nave architecture which is very particular to medieval Gotland churches. It originated in the need for the churches to become more fireproof by building stone vault over the church. With the size of the churches increasing, one or two pillars were build in the middle of the church to support the stone roofing. More on BalticSailors here...

Linde church

Linde church is a medieval church in Central Gotland built in romanesque style between the XII and the beginning of the XIII century. More on BalticSailors here...

Gothem church

Gothem church is one of the largest medieval churches in Gotland. The construction started at the beginning of the XIII century. The original church was romanesque in style and during the XIII and XIV century, it was rebuilt in gothic style. Note that the concept of "gothic style" originates from the Italians during the Renaissance, referring to this style of architecture brought by the Goths to Italy,  in a pejorative way! More on BalticSailors here...

Gerum church

Gerum church is a medieval romanesque church in the south of Gotland built in the XIII century. It consists of a chancel and an apse from about the year 1200, a rectangular nave with a central column and a tower from the second half of the XIII century and around 1300. More on BalticSailors here...