King Carl Gustaf visits Sweden’s highest church

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden began his week at great heights with a visit to the highest church in the country. 

The Swedish King visited the church at Sälen, the highest church in Sweden standing at over 700 metres above sea level. 

Archbishop Martin Modéus and Reverend Malou Wirström met King Carl Gustaf when he arrived outside the snowy mountain church before heading inside for the service. 

Sälen is a small municipality that is known for hosting the largest cross-country ski race in the world. There are also several different ski resorts visited by thousands of tourists each year. 

His Majesty was in Sälen for the People and Defense Conference 2025. He joined the 400 participants for the northern conference where over 60 speakers are presenting. 

The theme for 2025 is exploring leadership and governing for resilience. There are several different topics, including government policy, security, civil defence, crisis preparation and management, and global trends. 

This is King Carl Gustaf’s first official engagement of 2025.