Gammelstad Church Town
Encyclopedia
Gammelstad Church Town is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
situated in Gammelstaden
near the city of Luleå
, Sweden
at the northern end of the Gulf of Bothnia
. It is the best preserved example of a type of town that was once widespread throughout northern Scandinavia
. As Church Village of Gammelstad, Luleå, it was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
The town is located about 10 kilometers upstreams Lule River
. At its centre is an early 15th century stone church surrounded by 424 wood-built houses. The houses were only used on Sundays and during religious festivals to accommodate worshippers from the surrounding countryside who could not return home the same day because of the distance and difficult travelling conditions.
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
situated in Gammelstaden
Gammelstaden
Gammelstaden or Gammelstad is a locality situated in Luleå Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden with 4,892 inhabitants in 2005. It is known for the Gammelstad Church Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-External links:...
near the city of Luleå
Luleå
- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
at the northern end of the Gulf of Bothnia
Gulf of Bothnia
The Gulf of Bothnia is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the Åland Islands, between the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea.-Name:...
. It is the best preserved example of a type of town that was once widespread throughout northern Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. As Church Village of Gammelstad, Luleå, it was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
The town is located about 10 kilometers upstreams Lule River
Lule River
Lule River is a major river in Sweden, rising in northern Sweden and flowing southeast for before reaching the Gulf of Bothnia at Luleå. It is the second longest river by watershed area or length in Norrbotten County , but is the largest by average discharge.It has a watershed of 25,240.5 km² of...
. At its centre is an early 15th century stone church surrounded by 424 wood-built houses. The houses were only used on Sundays and during religious festivals to accommodate worshippers from the surrounding countryside who could not return home the same day because of the distance and difficult travelling conditions.