Discover Hagby: Round Church and Pilgrim Routes

Hagby’s round church and its medieval traces give your trip a clear cultural focus. There are also routes that pass Hagby kyrka, as well as the Iron Age burial ground on the ridge above the village of Norra Hagby. These themes offer different points of interest: architectural history, wall paintings and pilgrim routes sit alongside archaeological traces from an earlier era. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between the routes and choosing a focus that suits your interests. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Hagby, consider what interests you most: cultural history, hiking routes or the pilgrim tradition.

Round Church and Medieval Traces

Hagby’s round church was built in the late 12th century, possibly around the year 1200. Hagby kyrka contains fragments of wall paintings from the early 14th century. The church’s construction and its paintings therefore belong to different historical periods. On 22 May 2016, the church was reconsecrated by Bishop Fredrik Modéus. This reconsecration adds a clearly dated, later milestone to the church’s older architectural and artistic history.

Compare Pilgrim and Hiking Routes

The Östra Sigfridsleden pilgrim and hiking route is just over 30 kilometres long and passes four churches: Hagby kyrka, Voxtorp kyrka, Arby kyrka and Mortorps kyrka. You can divide the route into several hikes with different starting and ending points. This means the total length is not automatically a measure of a single hike; when planning, the starting and ending points you choose are what matter. Section 7 of the Kalmarsundsleden also passes Hagby’s round church. Route details may change; check the current route if you plan to hike this section.

Labyrinth at Hagby kyrka

There is a labyrinth at Hagby kyrka, inaugurated on 12 February 2023. It is outside the cemetery, on the lawn by the wall facing the parish hall. Meditative walks through the labyrinth are possible there. This highlights two distinct aspects of Hagby kyrka: the wall paintings inside the church and the meditative walks in the labyrinth outside the cemetery.

Burial Ground Above Norra Hagby

On the highest part of the ridge above the village of Norra Hagby is a large Iron Age burial ground with around 40 standing stones. This makes its archaeological history reach much further back than the medieval construction of the round church. Its location and stone monuments offer a different point of interest from the church and its wall paintings.

Sigfrids hamn and the Pilgrim Tradition

Another story from the pilgrim tradition concerns Sigfrids hamn. According to oral tradition, S:t Sigfrid came ashore there after a shipwreck in 1033/34. A pilgrim route to the cathedral of the Diocese of Växjö begins at Sigfrids hamn. Unlike the Östra Sigfridsleden, which includes Hagby kyrka as one of four churches, the route from Sigfrids hamn leads to the cathedral of the Diocese of Växjö. Rödfyren on Kolbodegatan is listed as a parking area for Sigfrids hamn.

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