© Gammelstads Kyrkstad
Why is Gammelstad Church Town a World Heritage Site?
On 7 December 1996, Unesco added Gammelstad Church Town to the World Heritage List of cultural and natural settings of outstanding value to humanity.
"Gammelstad Church Town is an outstanding example of the traditional Church Town found in northern Scandinavia. It illustrates in excellent way the adaptation of traditional community planning to the special geographic and climatic conditions that prevail in a harsh natural setting."
The World Heritage Site comprises the church surrounded by the Church Town, the old quarters, the public buildings and parts of the more recent permanent settlement. The Church Town tradition, i.e. the custom of staying the night in the church cottages in connection with church attendance, is crucial to its status as a World Heritage Site.
The justification for inscription was
"Gammelstad Church Town is an outstanding example of the traditional Church Town found in northern Scandinavia. It illustrates in excellent way the adaptation of traditional community planning to the special geographic and climatic conditions that prevail in a harsh natural setting."
Church town tradition
The World Heritage Site comprises the church surrounded by the Church Town, the old quarters, the public buildings and parts of the more recent permanent settlement. The Church Town tradition, i.e. the custom of staying the night in the church cottages in connection with church attendance, is crucial to its status as a World Heritage Site.
