Snöstorp Church

In his design, Langlet worked on the basis of ancient Roman round churches, but changed the appearance to give Snöstorp Church a hexagonal shape instead. He also drew inspiration from Byzantine architecture, with the result that the church is reminiscent of an Eastern knight’s castle with its battlements and towers. In his day, Langlet was renowned for the fact that his buildings were cost-effective. The cost of Snöstorp Church amounted to 37,000 Swedish kronor, which is equivalent to approximately 2–4 million in today’s money. Langlet also worked in Norway for several years.

Langlet positioned the pulpit in the middle of the church, but this was redesigned in the 1930s by Harald Wadsjö. The pulpit now rests on a pillar carved with chains, to the left of the altar. At the top of the chains is a picture of St. Olof, the Norwegian saint-king. By the floor you can see a picture of the troll Skalle with a distorted face. This is a symbol of how Christianity defeated paganism. Snöstorp Church has also been adorned with works of art by Erik Olson from the Halmstad group.

Sweden’s most beautiful church

In 2006, Snöstorp Church was named Sweden’s most beautiful church in Årets Runt’s vote. It was the first time a church in Halland had been voted the most beautiful in the country.

The medieval church

Before Snöstorp Church was built, an older, medieval church had been located on this site, consisting of a rectangular longhouse and a chancel area in the east. The chancel probably acquired this design in the late Middle Ages. There was a walled tower in the west and a late medieval porch on the southern side. The church also had brick arches, probably dating back to medieval times. By tradition, the church was probably a so-called mobile church on the pilgrimage route to Nidaros in Norway. The building was demolished in the 1880s in conjunction with the construction of Snöstorp Church.