Källa on Öland: fortified church, burial ground and lime kiln

Källa is in northern Öland. The village of Vi, on Road 136, provides a clear geographical reference: Källa kyrka and the cemetery are located there. Källa Old Church is on the road to Källahamn and is one of Sweden’s best-preserved fortified churches. For your travel planning, the village brings together a named church and various historical themes, from medieval architecture to traces of the stone trade.

The church and medieval history

On Öland, Källa Old Church is the best-preserved example of a church that served both secular and ecclesiastical functions in the Middle Ages. This dual function gives the fortified church a distinctive historical context: it can be viewed not only as a sacred building, but also as a building with a secular function. The two descriptions emphasize different aspects: one concerns the preservation of fortified churches by national comparison, while the other concerns the medieval dual function and the church’s place in Öland’s history.

Burial ground and places of historical remembrance

The burial places also point to different periods. The oldest gravestone in Källa’s old cemetery probably dates from the 12th century. There are 300 visible graves preserved at Vi alvar burial ground. These are different points of reference: the gravestone is associated with an early trace, dated with some caution, while the number of visible graves indicates the extent of the burial ground.

Until the end of the 18th century, Vi alvar was also the execution site for Åkerbo härad; a memorial stone commemorates this. The burial ground and memorial stone represent different forms of historical remembrance: burials and the commemoration of the former execution site. Those interested in the village’s history will therefore find not just a single historical reference, but several different traces.

Church architecture, road markers and lime kiln

Källa nya kyrka is also located in the village of Vi. It was built in 1887–1888 as a single-nave hall church in the Neo-Gothic style. Its features include a three-sided polygonal ceiling and pointed-arch windows. The village thus offers information about two churches built at different times: the medieval fortified church and the church constructed in the late 19th century.

A milestone bearing the inscription “1/2 MIL 1866” stands on the old main road, just south of Källa hembygdsgård. Immediately to the north are two historic road maintenance stones bearing the inscriptions 318B and 319. The inscriptions and their positions along the old road give each of these markers its own point of reference.

Lime processing is another topic. Nybyugnen lime kiln was originally built in 1868 and restored to its original condition from a ruin in 1997 by Källa Hembygdsförening. Along the cycle path, you can see rubble stones used to pack the kiln. The dates distinguish the original construction from the later restoration; the visible stones add a concrete detail to the kiln’s history.

Källa Hamn was the island’s most important port for stone exports until the end of the 19th century. This port history offers a separate perspective on the historical importance of stone in Källa; it can be considered alongside the history of the lime kiln without treating the two places as a single site.

Källa on a cycling or walking route

There is also a way to combine local history with getting out and about: Källa is worth a visit on the coast-to-coast circuits or the circuits along the eastern side of the cycling and walking trails in Persnäs. Check the current route description before your trip, as route information may change.

Discover more destinations: Räpplinge, Köpingsvik, Rälla, Borgholm, Löttorp, Djupvik, Byxelkrok.

Go to the main travel overview: Borgholm.