Gammelstad (translated Old Town) is the former mainly religious center of the city of Luleå in northern Sweden. There are around 400 huts (kyrkstugor) around the impressive stone church, the construction of which began in the 13th century. When church services were held, people came from near and far, so that they could spend the night in these accommodations.
The huts served primarily as accommodation during religious events. But at the same time, the otherwise rare opportunities for encounters took place for the Swedes, who spent a large part of their lives in small, distant communities or even in isolated farmsteads in the more distant surroundings. They met each other here and of course the local residents of Luleå. So (married) couples were often found and not only the religious groups but also the gene pool of the province of Norrbotten benefited from this tradition.
The many small alleys between the picturesque and well-preserved huts impress at any time of the year and attract many tourists, especially in the high season. It was therefore rather quiet during our visit at the beginning of May, which was good for the photo motifs. Since the church motif of the Nederluleå Church is very well known, we did not use documentary photos here, but combined several shots with a special preset as HDR and thus created an image that reflects our impression of our visit.
A visit to the tourist information is worthwhile. The friendly employees explain a lot and the coffee tastes good here too.
