Gammelstad Church Town

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Gammelstad Church Town
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Gammelstad Church Town

Gammelstad Church Town (Swedish: Gammelstads kyrkstad) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 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.

The town is located on a small island in the delta of the Lule River. At its centre is an early 15th century stone church surrounded by 424 wood-built houses. The houses were built to house worshippers who had travelled in from the surrounding countryside and would be unable to return to their homes before nightfall.

Gammelstad was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.


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