• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Travel Video Blog

myVideoMedia Travel Tips and Videos

  • enEnglish
    • deGerman
  • Africa
    • South Africa
      • Overview
      • Cape Town
      • Johannesburg
      • Kruger National Park
      • Sun City
      • Western Cape
    • Mauritius
    • Egypt
  • Americas
    • Canada
      • Overview
      • Ontario
        • Ottawa
        • Peterborough
        • Toronto
      • Quebec
      • Nova Scotia
        • Halifax
      • New Brunswick
      • Prince Edward Island
      • Newfoundland
    • USA
    • Argentina
    • Brazil
    • Venezuela
  • Asia
    • Cambodia
      • Phnom Penh
      • Siem Reap
    • China
      • Overview
      • Guangdong
      • Chongqing
      • Guangxi
      • Hongkong
      • Hubei
      • Beijing
      • Shaanxi
      • Shanghai
      • Sichuan
      • Tibet
      • Yunnan
    • Dubai
    • Indonesia
      • Bali
      • Java
      • Lombok
    • Kyrgyzstan
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Tajikistan
    • Thailand
      • North Thailand
        • Chiang Mai
        • Isaan
      • Ayutthaya
      • Bangkok
      • Kanchanaburi
      • Ko Chang
      • Krabi
    • Vietnam
      • Hanoi
      • Ho Chi Minh City
      • Hoi An
      • Hue
      • Mekong
    • Uzbekistan
  • Europe
    • Austria
      • Overview
      • Burgenland
      • Carinthia
      • Lower Austria
      • Upper Austria
      • Salzburg
      • Styria
        • Graz
      • Tyrol
      • Vorarlberg
      • Vienna
    • Belgium
      • Brussels
    • Czech Republic
    • Estonia
    • Finland
    • France
      • Alsace
      • Brittany
      • Loire-Atlantique
        • Nantes
      • Normandy
      • Nord-Pas-de-Calais
      • Paris
    • Germany
      • Berlin
      • Frankfurt
      • Hamburg
      • Stuttgart
      • Bavaria
      • Rhineland-Palatinate
        • Moselle
        • Rhine
      • Saarland
    • Greece
      • Overview
      • Attica
        • Athens
      • West Greece
      • Epirus
      • Greek Islands
        • Aegina
        • Crete
        • Hydra
        • Rhodes
        • Santorini
        • Symi
      • Macedonia
      • Central Greece
      • Peloponnese
      • Thessaly
    • Italy
      • Venetian Lagoon
      • Rome
    • Latvia
    • Lithuania
    • Luxembourg
    • Netherlands
      • Amsterdam
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Russia
    • Spain
      • Madrid
      • Seville
      • Cordoba
      • Malaga
      • Murcia
      • Granada
      • Valencia
      • Aragon
      • Catalunya
        • Barcelona
        • Banyoles
        • Girona
        • Lloret de Mar
      • Castile
        • Segovia
        • Avila
        • Toledo
      • Canary Islands
        • Fuerteventura
        • Gran Canaria
        • La Gomera
        • Lanzarote
        • Tenerife
    • Sweden
      • Gothenburg
      • Stockholm
      • Lulea – Swedish Lapland
  • Events
    • Harley Davidson
    • Living History
    • Oktoberfest
    • TBEX
    • Others
  • Travel Tips
    • Hotels – Accomodations
    • Filming in 4k
  • Videomap
You are here: Home / Europe / Sweden / Lulea / Gammelstad Church Town

By myVideoMedia Leave a Comment

Gammelstad Church Town

Gammelstad Church Town, Gammelstads Kyrkstad, was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Gammelstad Church Town

History

1000 years ago, Gammelstad in Swedish Lapland was an island at the mouth of the Lule river. The few people of the North-Bothnian culture group here lived from fishing and hunting and later from reindeer breeding. A rural culture arose at that time.

The church formed the political and cultural center of the widely dispersed population. After the Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323, Sweden and Russia disagreed about their northern border. Present-day Norrbotten was incorporated into the Swedish state. The church sent out priests and simple wooden churches.

In the 14th century, the church was also responsible for administrative tasks, like taxes and national censuses. One would have built a city hall in today’s time. At the beginning of the 15th century, one started the building of a stone church.

In the fifteenth century, a decree determined that trade was permitted only in cities. In 1621, Lulea was founded in lieu of the trading place. But, as early as 1649, one recognized that the port was becoming more and more absorbed by the Scandinavian postglacial rebound. Thus, Lulea was newly founded 10 km downstream, at the present place. Gammelstad is the old town of Lulea. A thousand years ago, Gammelstad was still 10 m lower.

Gammelstad Church Town – Gammelstads Kyrkstad

Gammelstad Church Town
Camilla and Christoffer

Christoffer, our guide from the Visitor center showed us a model of Gammelstad in the 13th century.

The parish of Gammelstad stretched over an area of 90.000 km ², greater than today’s Austria. Some churchgoers needed several days to come here. Thus each farmer, who lived more than 10 km away, was entitled to build a cottage here. Around the church are now about 400 small cottages.

The older population came together on holidays to celebrate the service, do trade and care for social contacts. During this time they were allowed to stay in their cottages. A permanent residence is not allowed in these houses. In the summer the young people come here for the confirmation lesson, often with the intention of finding a partner for life.

Please watch the 4K UHD video here!!!

Christoffer tells us that during this time the girls sit at the windows of the cottages and are then addressed by young men. All of course under the strict supervision of the parents. To this extent, Gammelstads Church Town has crystallized as a marriages market since it is often the only way to get to know each other.

We have noticed the cultural difference compared to some areas in Germany, such as in the Eifel. The villages have insulated and treated with hostility themselves centuries for a long time against each other in Germany. This is the reason that three surnames prevail in most villages today. They stayed among themselves. This is not the case in Sweden.

Tour around Gammelstad Church Town

Gammelstad Church Town

We start with our guided tour at the church. The wall around it is interrupted only by two doors. Embrasures testify, that of this the church was used also for defense purposes.

Nederlulea Church

The carved altar screen was made in1520 in Antwerp and costs 900 silver marks. It is said that the Lulea farmers paid this enormous sum by cash. This shows the prosperity of the population. The altar screen is one of the most beautiful in the country.

Nederlulea Church

The pulpit and the commemorative plaques were made by Nils Jacobsson Fluur at the beginning of the 18th century. The organ with 4200 pipes, built by Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri AB in Gammelstad, was inaugurated in 1971.

Nederlulea Church

South of the church is the mighty community storehouse. First, the people paid their tax here and later it became as a storage for the seed.

Gammelstad Church Town

Across the street is the community hall, place of assembly and prison.

Gammelstad Church Town

At some houses, we see big grappling hooks. Christoffer explains to us these serve the firefighting. The danger that a wooden house is on fire is, of course, very large.

There was not a fire brigade so one had to help himself. One pulled down the burning parts with the grappling hooks and then one tried to damp down or to extinguish the fire.

Gammelstad Church Town

Past a mighty draw fountain, presumably responsible the water supply of the Gammelstad Church Town, we go cottage No. 253 in Framlänningsvägen. It is open for visitors during summer.

Gammelstad Church Town

A young woman gives us an overview of the facilities and some insights about the life in this cottage. The facilities are simple, but there is everything necessary for everyday life. Stove, washing-place, bed and table already cover the needs. Sometimes there is a wardrobe and a couch.

Gammelstad Church Town

We walk only a few hundred meters through a beautiful cultural landscape to our next stop.

Gammelstad Church Town

Open-air museum Hägnan

Open-air museum Hägnan

Meadows, happy animals, playgrounds, and visitors, especially with children, bring the old times to life.
It is around the noon, time for lunch. We enjoy a Swedish gravad lax.

Open-air museum Hägnan

Afterward, Marita awaits us. She is one of the good souls of the open-air museum. First, she leads us through the house, which probably belonged to a local family.

Open-air museum Hägnan
In addition to an extensive kitchen inventory, there is even a loom.

Open-air museum Hägnan
Marita

Marita wants to bring us closer to the daily life of that time. Therefore she invites us to make our own butter. At the time then, butter was as valuable as money. From the proceeds, one could allow himself a certain luxury. Some bought silver cutlery, others built windows in the back part and upper part in their houses.

Open-air museum Hägnan

We experience the unplanned problems in the course of a day while we are churning butter. The pestle is not fixed correctly and prevents the butter from getting stiff. Only when this is repaired provisionally, the result turns out well to all satisfaction. In the meantime, others prepare the salt.

Next, we produce the typical Swedish bread. The oven is already preheated and at operating temperature. Eager and with great fun, we knead, divide, and roll. When handling the bread in the oven, however, no one can reach the routine of Marita.

Open-air museum Hägnan

We notice the enthusiasm of Marita for the village and especially for the old life.

Then she invites us to her cottage. We thankfully accept the invitation. Marita shows how she lives here and gives us more information about the everyday life in Gammelstad Church Town.

Gammelstad Church Town

She also brought our home-baked bread. We enjoy it with butter and a cup of coffee.

Gammelstad Church Town

Marita is especially proud of the location of her house. Through the window, she surveys the entire church square and is always informed about what’s is going on in Gammelstad Church Town.

During our visit in Lulea we stayed at the Clarion Hotel Sense

You might also like > Live cooking at Kaptensgarden

Many thanks to Christoffer from the Visitor Center of Gammelstad and Camilla of Visit Luleå, who accompanied and chauffeured us-us on this day. Our special thanks go to Marita from the Hägnan Museum for the invitation to her own cottage.

Text, photos and video: Copyright © myVideoMedia

Dieser Beitrag in: deDeutsch

Advertisements

Filed Under: Europe, Lulea, Sweden

* = Affiliatelink. We may get a commission when you click and buy something. No fear, you do not pay more as if you buy or book directly from the supplier. The commission helps us to provide this blog free of charge for you.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Advertisements



Booking.com

Follow Us

Facebooktwittergoogle_pluspinterestyoutubeinstagram

Search

Stay up to date

Subscribe

Topics

Abbey Animals Archaeological site Architecture Attraction Beach boat trip bus by car Castle Cities city City tour Cruising Culture drone flight Entierro de la Sardina Event Flight Harbor History Hotel Lake Market Monastery Mountains Movie-set Museum Music National Historic Site Nature Osh Pamir Highway People Restaurant River Ships Silk road Sukhothai Temple Train travel UNESCO World Heritage Site Vintage Wildlife Wine
Travel bloggers association
Click here to join the PTBA*
Advertisements
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Media & PR
  • Imprint
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2011–2019 myVideoMedia GmbH ·D54518 Altrich

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkNoRead more