Altunaby, or Altuna, is a small settlement with the parish church in its center. It is in the historical province of Uppland, in an area that is today a part of Enköping Municipality in Uppsala County. This rural settlement lies within a small forested area surrounded by farmland.
A Short History of Altunaby
Altuna Parish has its origins in the Middle Ages and its former Medieval church was replaced in the 19th century with the white stone church that stands here today. As a result of the Swedish Municipal Reform of 1862, the parish operations were split between the local government of Altuna Municipality and the church congregation. The municipality was in 1971 incorporated into Fjärdhundra Municipality, which in turn became a part of Enköping Municipality in 1971. The church congregation is since 2006 a part of Fjärdhundra Congregation.
Things to Do and See
Welcome to the Swedish countryside, a rural part of Uppland surrounded by farmland. The church and the runestone might be the most attractive sights in Altunaby, but there is a lot more to enjoy in the vicinity. This is especially true if you enjoy hiking or cycling along countryside roads.
Altuna Church
Altuna Church is a white stone church that was inaugurated in 1850. It replaced a medieval stone church. The church is today one of six churches making up Fjärdhundra Congregation. The others are Fröshult, Härnevi, Simtuna, Torstuna, and Österunda. These are all part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Runestone U1161
Altunaby has one runestone, the U1161. It is actually three stones today that all stand outside of the church. In addition to the runes, the stones also tell a story with carved figures such as a knight.
Altuna Hembygdsgård
Altuna Hembygdsgård is the local community center that is in nearby Fröslunda. It consists of the 19th-century school building, which has been turned into a school museum with old memorabilia connected to the area.
How to Get to Altunaby
- Flights: Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) is 99 kilometers to the east.
- Car: Altunaby is close to Road 254 between Fjärdhundra and Heby.
- Bus: Buses from UL connect Altunaby with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 98 kilometers (1 h 5 min)
- Gothenburg – 432 kilometers (4 h 57 min)
- Malmö – 652 kilometers (7 h 6 min)
- Linköping – 226 kilometers (2 h 53 min)
- Kiruna – 1172 kilometers (14 h 8 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
Are the runestones originals or reconstructed duplicates? Thanks in advance for clarification. ????
Most of the runestones that are scattered around the countryside of Sweden are originals. Some has been restored or have the runes painted, but there are not many of these that are replicas. For the ones that are standing in Altuna, no local source is mentioning anything about that they have been replaced with replicas, so we can only assume that they are the originals. 🙂