Linkoping Cathedral

Despite its growth the Linkoping skyline is still dominated by the Linkoping Cathedral and it has being like that for the last 800 years. The cathedral is a massive structure that can fill you with awe and it has a lot of history associated with it as well. It is one building which is visible from almost anywhere in Linkoping and it can be a good way to find your way if you get lost as well :) . For the three weeks I've being there I got the feeling Swedes are not that much into religion , don't get me wrong they are great people but going to church and religious stuff is not high in there agenda. And the cathedral sort of reflects that feeling , it is not only a place of worship but a place for community gatherings and exhibitions etc as well which is always a great thing if you are a tourist. Which makes this one of the must visit places in Linkoping.

There are lots of things to see inside the cathedral and theres something for almost everyone. If you are a fan of architecture then you will enjoy the different parts of the building which were influenced by the style of that time. If you are a fan of paintings there are plenty of paintings in the wall and the ceiling. If you are a history fan then you can enjoy the beautiful crests on display. Also there are lots of tombs and crown jewels on display so there is definitely something for everyone. The cathedral is at the center of the city and walking distance from the main bus stop and the railway station so you want have any trouble getting there. Since its the tallest building around the town area you want have trouble finding it either.

Perhaps the most famous artwork displayed inside the cathedral, tree of life is made out of gold , silver and glass. Carl Gustav Jahnsson, Jan Ostwald and Torbjorn Vogt were the artists who were involved in creating this and it was placed inside the cathedral around 1997. There are around 150 leaves and different fruits representing different virtues,There are leaflets available explaining details so you don't have to worry too much. It is a very beautiful site especially at night when it is surrounded by lit candles.

The walls of Linkoping Cathedral are filled with family crests of noble families that lived in Sweden. As I mentioned before Swedes use the church more as a gathering place so it is a perfect place to display your family crest. Although I have heard about them but coming from Sri Lanka I have never seeing them so its was a great experience for me. There are around 100 crests displayed all over the cathedral walls and they can fill you with awe. The crests themselves has a lot of history attached with them and if you do happen to find a good guide then it would be much more interesting viewing them. If you have seeing crests before and familiar with them then this might be not a big deal for you , but still I guess its very hard to find so many crests in one place.

As I said Linkoping Cathedral has something for everyone and there are plenty of things to see other than the ones mentioned above. If you are a fan of paintings then there are some beautiful paintings inside the cathedral. Since this is a very old church different architecture styles used in different eras are visible in the church which is very pleasing if you are a fan of architecture. Since Swedes use the church as a gathering place as well there are some beautiful sculpture inside the church as well. The sculpture of a sleeping man was very realistic. Then there are some crowns , seals and jewels used by the kings , some old tombs of noble families , a model display of how churches were built in the old days etc so there is definitely something for everybody. Since its very easy to get there as well a must visit place if you are in Linkoping. Be sure to check out the photographs to get an idea of what you can see.