Varnhem and Kata gård
Varnhem is one of the excursions we recommend most often, and it is only a few kilometres away. There you can walk around the great abbey church, where Birger Jarl is buried, and then continue up the hill behind it to Kata gård. There some of Sweden's first Christians were buried as early as the Viking Age. Many go by car, but if you have time it is lovely to walk along Getaryggen, the ridge that starts right next to the campsite.
The abbey church
The abbey church where Birger Jarl rests
The monastery at Varnhem was founded around the year 1150, when monks from Alvastra were given land by a rich widow called Sigrid. It burned down in 1234, but with the help of, among others, Birger Jarl it was rebuilt, bigger than before, and when the church was finished in 1260 it was one of the largest in Sweden.
Birger Jarl himself is buried here, at the altar of the Holy Cross, and when the grave was opened in 2002 a DNA analysis could show that it really is him. Stockholm would gladly have moved its founder to a tomb at City Hall, but Varnhem said no, and the grave there still stands empty. The church also holds several kings, among them Inge the Elder, who according to tradition held court at Axevalla on the other side of our lake.
The monastery itself no longer exists. Danish troops burned the monastery buildings in 1566, and what remains today are the ruins around the church. The church was restored in the 1600s by Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, who made it his family's burial church.
Visiting: the church is open all year and entry is free. In summer there are guided tours and music in the church. Current opening hours and guided tours are listed by the Church of Sweden.
Kata gård
Kata gård and the Christian Vikings
Up on the hill behind the church lies Kata gård. When archaeologists began digging here in 2005 they found a cemetery with thousands of graves around a small farm church, and the first had been buried in the Christian way as early as the 900s. So there were Christians in Varnhem long before the monks came, and before Olof Skötkonung, according to tradition, was baptised at Husaby.
The farm is named after Kata, who probably owned it in the 1000s. She is mentioned on a runestone together with her husband and her brother, and today you can see her grave through the glass floor in the building that stands over the ruin. If you want to see how she may have looked, there is a life-size reconstruction of her at the Västergötland Museum in Skara.
The exhibition is called Christian Vikings in Varnhem and has models of both churches and stories to listen to via QR codes.
Visiting: Kata gård is open from spring until early November. From the car park it is about 300 metres, following the red signs, and for those who find walking difficult there is a lift up to the exhibition and two parking spaces for people with reduced mobility near the building.
Quick facts
Monastery founded
around 1150, by Cistercian monks from Alvastra
Church consecrated
1260
Buried in the church
Birger Jarl (d. 1266), Duke Eric, Queen Mechtild, the kings Knut Eriksson, Erik Knutsson, Erik Eriksson and Inge the Elder
Monastery closed
estates confiscated 1527, buildings burned 1566
Kata gård cemetery
from the 900s, thousands of graves, just over 300 investigated
The crypt
the walls may date from the 1000s, perhaps Sweden's oldest preserved room
Admission
free in the abbey church
Distance from Valle Camping
approx. 4 km (5 min by car, 15 min by bike, 50 min on foot)
Getting there from the campsite
Overview map
- Car
about 5 minutes. Park in the large car park at Valleporten.
- Bike
about 15 minutes. When it is dry you can cycle along the hiking trail, and with a good bike it works in any weather.
- On foot
it is about 4 km and takes roughly 50 minutes. You can walk along the road, but it is nicer to take the Ökull trail from the campsite and continue along Getaryggen, the long ridge that starts east of Lake Ökullasjön. That route is also about 4 km.
- Bus
There are buses to Axvall and Varnhem, but the stops are several kilometres from the campsite. You can walk, but it is a long way, so we recommend a taxi for the last stretch. Timetables and journey planning at Västtrafik
- Rent a bike from us
From Valle Camping to Varnhem
Once there: Rosenstigen is a walk of about 2 km along the Ulunda brook that takes you past the abbey church, old mills and Kata gård, so you see most of it in one go.
Some of our guests arrive by bicycle. Road 49 past the campsite has no cycle path today, so do not cycle along it. There are minor roads from Skara, Skövde and Varnhem, but they are detours and therefore longer than the distances by road: it is 10 km to Skara, 16 km to Skövde and 4 km to Varnhem. The Swedish Transport Administration is building a walking and cycling path as part of the rebuilding of road 49. Bicycles
More in Varnhem
- Valleporten by the car park has an InfoPoint, toilets and a pizzeria.
- Music in the church: in summer concerts are held in the abbey church. See Västsverige's event list.
- Guided tours: in summer the church and Kata gård are guided. Groups can book their own tour.
Tip: combine Varnhem with a visit to Axevalla hus. Inge the Elder, who is buried in the abbey church, is said to have held court at Axevalla by Lake Husgärdessjön. Read about Axevalla hus.
Frequently asked questions
How far is it from Valle Camping to Varnhem?
About 4 km. It takes roughly 5 minutes by car, 15 minutes by bike and 50 minutes on foot.
Does it cost anything to enter the abbey church?
No, entry is free.
Who is buried in Varnhem abbey church?
Among others Birger Jarl, the kings Knut Eriksson, Erik Knutsson and Erik Eriksson, and King Inge the Elder.
What is Kata gård?
An exhibition over the ruin of a Viking Age farm church, with graves visible through a glass floor. It shows that there were Christians in Varnhem as early as the 900s.
When is Kata gård open?
From spring until early November. See current times on kata-gard.
Can you visit Varnhem in a wheelchair?
Yes, Kata gård has a lift and parking for people with reduced mobility.
Stay close to Varnhem
With Valle Camping as your base, the lake, the countryside and Skaraborg are close by. Choose your accommodation and dates.
