Brahekyrkan

Experience Visingsborg’s historic royal chapel, Brahekyrkan, built in the early 17th century. Inside, you can see clear traces of the medieval Ströja church, the royal chapel for the 12th-century royal castle at Näs.

The church is open daily during the summer season, from mid-May to August.

When you step into Brahekyrkan, you’ll be struck by the abundance of decorations adorning the church. The predominant blue tones in the ceiling and wall paintings beautifully frame the church space and its other embellishments.

Among the highlights are a medieval sculpture of Saint Birgitta, several exquisite brass plaques, and a unique chandelier crafted around a narwhal tusk. In the past, people believed the tusk was a unicorn horn that could cure illnesses; shavings from it were used as medicine.

Ströja Church – a medieval royal chapel

Built in the 12th century, Ströja Church served as a royal chapel for the castle at Näs. It featured a royal gallery and an adjacent private chapel room for the king’s personal prayers.

Today, you can see remnants of the medieval church inside Brahekyrkan. Notable examples include the 13th-century baptismal font and the sacristy door adorned with intricate ironwork. Inscribed on the lower part of the door, the blacksmith wrote in runes, “Asmund made a beautiful door,” a claim that is hard to dispute.

Located in the village of Ströja, the church originally served as the parish church for the southern part of the island. When King Erik XIV granted Visingsö as a county to Per Brahe the Elder in the 1560s, Ströja and two other villages were cleared to make room for Visingsborg.

Brahe Church – built by the Brahe family

Despite these changes, Ströja Church remained standing. In the early 1600s, Magnus Brahe decided to rebuild it as a royal chapel for Visingsborg Castle. Most of the old church was demolished, except for “the ancient tower,” as recorded in a 17th-century document.

The new Brahekyrkan, known then as Wisingsborg’s Royal Chapel, was inaugurated in 1636. Per Brahe the Younger, ruling the county at the time, continually enriched the church with new adornments and made exterior improvements over the years. The grand sandstone and marble portal was added in the 1650s, and the spire was constructed in the 1670s. The church’s striking green copper roof was a gift from Count Per Brahe’s sister, Christina Brahe, in 1680.

Brahekyrkan houses the Brahe family’s burial vault, crowned by statues of Per Brahe the Younger and his wife Christina Catarina Stenbock. While many members of the Brahe family rest here, Per Brahe himself was buried against his will in Östra Ryd Church in Uppland.

How to get here

Brahekyrkan is located on Visingsö near the harbour. It is close to attractions like the Kungsladugårdarna, the oak forest, and Wisingsborg’s garden.