Petäjävesi Old Church

Completed in 1765, Petäjävesi Old Church is a wonderful example of beautiful and durable wooden construction. Legend has it that the church, like the chapel that stood earlier on the same spot, was built without permission. Small farmers in the area were not prepared to wait for approval from the Stockholm cathedral chapter and erected the cruciform church in 1763 in just 35 days. In 1994 Petäjävesi Old Church was added to Unesco’s world heritage list as a tribute to Nordic wooden architecture.