St. Andrew’s Church in Lumparland stands out from the other churches on the Åland Islands. One cannot help but ask where the typical red granite is. While many of the churches on the islands are made of the local red stone, St. Andrew’s Church is instead a white wooden church. It is the oldest of the wooden churches on the Åland Islands and it has a beautiful location near the water. The name of the church in Swedish is S:t Andreas kyrka.
The church is dedicated to the Andrew the Apostle and it is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Its narrow clock tower is only two meters wide and reaches a height of 17.7 meters.
A Historical Past
Lumparland’s St. Andrew’s Church is the oldest of the few wooden churches still standing on the Åland Islands. It dates back to 1728 and is the last of third known churches at the location. The first known mentioning of a chapel in Lumparland is from 1544 when it is believed that the church clock was moved to Kastelholm Castle by the Swedish king Gustav Vasa. The second chapel was destroyed during the the Great Discord in the beginning of the 18th century. It was first after the peace treaty of Nystad in 1721, that ended the Great Northern War, that the church was rebuilt. It is that church that is still standing there today.
Where to find Lumparland’s St. Andrew’s Church?
The church is located in Klemetsby, a village on the island of Lumparland. The bay below the church has provided ships access to both the church and to the bay of Lumparn. It is to be almost at the end of road 3 from Mariehamn towards Långnäs, where a side road takes you to Klemetsby.
If you want to learn more about Lumparland’s St. Andrew’s Church, we can recommend you to have a look at kyrkor.ax (Swedish) >>
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