Närpes Church, church in Närpes, Finland
Närpes Church is a stone building with traditional design located in the town of Närpes, Finland. The structure has a cross shape with a main nave and two transepts, surrounded by around 150 protected wooden stable buildings from different periods that visitors can still see today.
This church was built around 1435 as a stone structure to replace an earlier wooden building. Over the centuries, transepts were added to expand the space, and in 1757 a bell tower was constructed under the direction of Matts Honga.
Närpes Church stands at the heart of a community with strong local traditions and its own distinct Swedish dialect that visitors can hear spoken by residents today. The people here have kept their customs alive through generations, visible in their way of life and how they use the church for gatherings beyond religious services.
The building is located in the town center and is easy to reach, with the surrounding stable buildings accessible on foot for exploration. Visitors should be prepared for a quiet, respectful atmosphere, particularly when services are taking place or when special events like concerts are scheduled.
Hundreds of wooden stable buildings once surrounded the church, with about 150 of them now protected as heritage structures, some potentially dating back 400 years. These buildings reveal how farming families traveled from distant farms to attend services, parking their horses and vehicles for the day.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
