In an extraordinary engineering feat, Sweden's iconic Arctic church has begun its remarkable 3-kilometre journey to a new home as the town of Kiruna gradually relocates due to expanding iron ore mining operations.
A Town on the Move
The 121-year-old Kiruna Church, considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings, is being painstakingly transported to its new location over several days. The Gothic Revival structure, built in 1907, must be moved as ground deformations from nearby mining activities threaten its original site.
Engineering Marvel
Specialists have installed the wooden church on dozens of remote-controlled wheeled platforms that will inch the 5,800-tonne structure along at a cautious 3-5 km/h. The delicate operation involves navigating roads, roundabouts and even railway tracks during its unprecedented relocation.
Cultural Heritage Preserved
"This isn't just moving a building - it's preserving our community's heart," said local historian Erik Lundmark. The church, constructed in traditional Swedish style with distinctive red wooden panels, holds immense cultural significance for Kiruna's residents.
Global Attention
The relocation has attracted worldwide interest, with livestreams tracking the church's progress. Social media users have dubbed it "the slowest road trip in history" as cameras capture the structure's glacial progress through the Arctic landscape.
The move forms part of Kiruna's wider 20-year relocation plan, with hundreds of buildings being shifted or rebuilt as the town gradually moves northeast to escape the expanding mine's impact zone.
