It’s unusual that churches in Sweden charge people for entrance, but when Storkyrkan in Stockholm (the church in which Victoria soon will marry) recently reopened, that’s just what they decided to do. The church has been closed for repair and now when you enter, you must do so to the tune of 40 SEK ($5). It’s a special situation, because of Storkyrkan’s small parish (around 3,000 members) and because of the location and history. Storkyrkan is considered important. “(The church) is a holy room, but it is also a museum. In other countries, the churches often have separate museums where they charge visitors. We do not have anything like that, but we do have great treasures of art in the actual church,” said Åke Bonnier, Dean in Stockholm’s cathedral parish. The entrance fee only applies for those who come to the church as tourists, not for members of the parish or for those who go there to light a candle or pray.

Storkyrkan, a.k.a. Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Saint Nicolaus Church), is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town, and is situated next to the Royal Palace.
The most famous of its treasures is the dramatic wooden statue of Saint George and the Dragon attributed to Bernt Notke (1489). The statue, commissioned to commemorate the Battle of Brunkeberg (1471), also serves as a reliquary, containing relics supposedly of Saint George and two other saints.

More information (in Swedish only): www.stockholmsdomkyrkoforsamling.se/page.php?p=421