With a history spanning nearly a thousand years, Varnhem’s imposing abbey church holds a wealth of fascinating stories waiting to be discovered. The church and monastery were founded in 1150. Here you can walk beneath the church’s Romanesque-Gothic vaults, explore the monks’ lives in the monastery ruins, or visit the monastery museum, which tells the full story of the church’s history.

However, Varnhem’s history stretches back even further than that. On the hill, just behind the monastery church, you’ll find Kata Farm. Here you can see the remains of one of the oldest churches in Sweden, a private farm church from the Viking Age, dating all the way back to the 10th century. 

The sensational discoveries made by archaeologists during excavations of the church ruins tell a fascinating story about the period before the monks arrived there in the 12th century. The church’s crypt may well be the country’s oldest preserved room.

Varnhem is also located at the foot of the Billingens plateau, and there are several beautiful hiking trails here that let you explore the unique natural surroundings.