Engelbrektskyrkan: the tallest nave in Scandinavia on the Östermalm hill, in Stockholm

Climb the stone staircase that starts from Östermalmsgatan and you find yourself before a block of red brick that seems to grow directly out of the rock. That is exactly what it does: when work on the Engelbrektskyrkan began in 1910, the architect Lars Israel Wahlman chose not to level the granite hill on which the building stands, but to leave it almost intact, in keeping with the town-planning ideals of the time. The result is a church that dominates the Östermalm district from a naturally elevated position, in the residential area of Lärkstaden.

History and architecture

The church was built between 1910 and 1914, following a design competition in 1906, and takes its name from Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, nobleman and leader of the Swedish revolt of 1434, a national hero figure. It is one of the most important examples of Swedish National Romanticism, the movement that in the early twentieth century sought an architectural language rooted in Nordic tradition rather than in imported classical models. The feature that makes it truly remarkable is inside: the nave is 32 metres high, the tallest in all of Scandinavia, supported by brick pillars that open upward like a forest of stone. The plan is cruciform, with elements recalling Byzantine architecture, and the interior can hold around 1,400 people, placing it among the largest churches in Stockholm.

What to see inside

Inside it is worth dwelling on the concrete details. The stained-glass windows are at their best in the afternoon, when the low northern light passes through them and casts colour onto the bare brick; the effect changes from hour to hour and from season to season. The building also houses a large organ and a regular programme of concerts: if you happen to be in the city on a day with a musical event, it is the best way to hear how that soaring nave sounds. The church is a protected historic building, so the furnishings and decorations, too, are part of the whole to observe at leisure.

Why does almost nobody go? Because the mass of visitors in Stockholm concentrates on the churches of the Gamla Stan old town, the Storkyrkan and the Riddarholmskyrkan, easy to reach during the classic tour through the island's alleys. Engelbrektskyrkan, by contrast, is about twenty minutes away, in an elegant residential district that few tourist itineraries touch: those who don't seek it out on purpose won't come across it by chance. It is an early twentieth-century building, not medieval, and this keeps it out of the postcard story of old Stockholm. The practical result is that you often enjoy it with very few people around.

How to get there

Getting there is simple. The address is Östermalmsgatan 20. By metro (T-bana) you can get off at Tekniska Högskolan station, reachable directly from T-Centralen on line 14 (red) in a few minutes, or stop at Östermalmstorg on the green line and continue on foot for about ten minutes. Individual entry is generally free; guided tours and concerts may require a ticket. The approximate opening hours are on weekdays from morning to late afternoon and on weekends from early afternoon, but it is worth checking on the parish website (Svenska kyrkan) before going, as they change for holidays and services. Once up there, take some time for the surrounding neighbourhood too: Östermalm is made of orderly streets, parks and cafés, and the church hill offers a different glimpse of the city.

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