Grangärde Church Village

Located on a peninsula between the two beautiful lakes Bysjön and Björken is Grangärde Church. The very first small church was built here in the 1400s. To provide a residence for the priest, a rectory was also constructed.
Occasionally, the bishop would visit the church to ensure everything was in order. In a protocol from a bishop’s visitation, it is noted that the Grangärde rectory had as many as 25 outbuildings, meeting “all the needs and purposes of a rectory.”
 

This area has been inhabited for over a thousand years. At Korsnäsudden, located on the western shore of Lake Björken, there are remains of Stone Age settlements and a burial ground from the Vendel period. However, it was during the 1700s and 1800s, when furnaces and ironworks were at their peak productivity and shipping was bustling, that the church village experienced its golden age.
 

In the past, it was easiest to transport iron by boat for export around the world. From Grangärde Church Village, there is an extensive lake system with five navigable lakes in succession heading south. This made the church village one of several centers for iron production in Bergslagen.
 

The old country road runs through the church village along the ridge, where houses are gathered around the church. Several well-preserved miners’ houses, a manor house, and two squares remain. Around one square are shops, while the other was historically the administrative center. Here you’ll find the Gästgivargården, which served as both a courthouse and a meeting place for the local parish leaders responsible for hiring the organist and priest, as well as maintaining the church and its properties.
Next to the parish house lies Finnstugan, where people from the forested Finnmark region could stay overnight when attending church.
 

Right by the lake stands a large, beautiful lake warehouse built of slag stone. Farmers loaded their grain through the front doors, and boats collected it from the lakeside.
 

MÅRTEN’S & KULLEN’S CHURCH PATHS
In the 1700s, the church and the priest were vital. At least once a month, everyone had to attend church—ironmasters with their families, tenant farmers, and even laborers working at the ironworks. Despite long distances, attendance was mandatory.
In summer, people used the church paths, which also served as routes to work in the furnaces or forests. To keep the paths clear, nearby farms collaborated on their maintenance. In winter, routes were shortened as they could traverse frozen waterways and marshes.
 

Facts
Grangärde Church Village is an old center for miners, with a church dating back to the 1400s. Visit the village on your own; it is well-signposted.
Grangärde has two preserved church paths, Mårten’s and Kullen’s church paths. These paths wind through deep forests, alongside babbling brooks, and occasionally open up to breathtaking views.
You can start from Kullen in the north or Dalkarlsberg in the west, reaching Grangärde Church via Norrbo. The path is hilly and spans 30 kilometers.
 

Foto: Toppbild: Fredrik Findahl, bild 2 höger: Malin Slotte