Krokeks Konvent is a former convent right at the border between the provinces of Södermanland and Östergötland. It has also been known as Vårfruklostret and was originally home to Franciscan monks. Today, it lies in Norrköping Municipality in the eastern part of Sweden. There are no longer any monks here, and the old church that for centuries acted as the seat of the parish is after a fire in 1889 only a ruin. The locality of Krokek is a few kilometers to the south at the shores of the bay Bråviken.
A Short History of Krokeks Konvent
The first known written mention of Krokeks Konvent dates back to 1440. The convent was in operation until the Swedish Reformation in the first half of the 16th century. The time of the convent was over but the area would be home to the church for a few more centuries. A new chapel was built here in the 16th century and was 1594 replaced by the Gunilla Church. A new church was built in 1748 to replace the Gunilla Church. That church survived until 1889 when it was consumed by a fire. It was not rebuilt and a new church was instead built in nearby Krokek.
Things to Do and See
What is left at Krokeks Konvent is Krokeks Ödekyrka. This is the abandoned church ruins that were left after the 1889 fire. This has left a graveyard that has been mostly untouched since and where you can find gravestones, also for normal peasants, that have been left. Walk along the gravestones, enter the center of the church ruins, and imagine how this isolated spot once played an important role in the local history.
How to Get to Krokeks Konvent
- Flights: The nearest airport is Norrköping Airport (NRK), 32 kilometers southwest. Sweden’s largest airport, Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), is 180 kilometers to the northeast.
- Car: Krokeks Konvent is along Road E4 just to the northeast of Norrköping.
- Bus: Buses from Östgötatrafiken connect Krokeks Konvent with the surrounding area.
- Train: Kolmården Railway Station is in nearby Krokek and there are trains between Norrköping and Stockholm.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 142 kilometers (1 h 30 min)
- Gothenburg – 330 kilometers (3 h 20 min)
- Malmö – 474 kilometers (4 h 50 min)
- Linköping – 61 kilometers (45 min)
- Kiruna – 1373 kilometers (14 h 20 min)
Explore More of Östergötland and Sweden
