Linköping Cathedral

Sweden's tallest medieval church, built over four centuries from the 12th to the 16th

Linköping Cathedral is one of Sweden's oldest and finest medieval churches, built over four centuries from the 12th to the 16th. The building is a textbook in Romanesque-to-Gothic transition: the lower nave walls are Romanesque, the choir is early Gothic, and the elaborate stone carvings on the portals represent some of the finest medieval sculpture in Scandinavia. The cathedral remains an active church — services are held daily, and the choir is one of the best in Sweden.

The interior contains numerous medieval frescoes, carved choir stalls, and a remarkable 15th-century astronomical clock that performs a mechanical procession of figures at noon and 3pm on weekdays. The cathedral spire, at 107 metres, is among the tallest in Sweden. The cathedral square — Stortorget — is the historic centre of Linköping, ringed by 18th and 19th-century buildings.

things to do sight church historical site
A story
Linköping Cathedral was the site of the so-called Linköping Bloodbath in 1600, when Duke Karl — who would become Karl IX of Sweden — had five Swedish nobles beheaded in front of the cathedral after defeating his enemies in the War of Succession. It was the largest political execution in Swedish history and effectively ended the power of the old Swedish aristocracy. The stains on the cathedral steps are, according to local legend, the blood of the executed nobles.