Cemeteries and World Heritage in Europe

Many cemeteries in Europe can be found within the borders of a World Heritage Site. There is only one cemetery which is a World Heritage Site on its own. That one can be found in Stockholm in Sweden. The name is Skogskyrkogården, or the Woodland Cemetery in English. The cemetery came from an international competition in 1915 for the design of a new cemetery in the south of Stockholm. The contest was won by two Swedes, Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerenz. 

The architects used the landscape in order to create an extraordinary environment of tranquil beauty that had a profound influence on cemetery design throughout the world.

Besides a cemetery the grounds also house a crematorium with three chapels, Faith, Hope and The Holy Cross. In one of the pavilions the visitor can find an exhibition on Skogskyrkogården and World Heritage. 

Whenever you are in Stockholm this is wonderful excursion of the beaten track. It is easily to reach by Metro, the T-bana 18 and it has its one stop. Upon entering the grounds you will pass a wall of tears, a part of the wall has a small waterfall flooding along it. Visitor can walk the ground and enter the pavilions (provided no services at the moment) and see swedish design in its early years. The largest can be entered under a large roof supported by pillars and a wonderful bronze statue of an ascension. A lot of bended wood has been used together with large frescoes. The columbarium its besides the chapels and in the landscapes there are several other chapels. Some remote, some with large leading lanes to them. The most famous Swede the be buried here is Greta Garbo, she has a peaceful place in the woodlands.

Besides Skogskyrkogården one can find many cemeteries as part of a World Heritage Site. Just to name a few, the Josefov Jewish Cemetery in Prague (www.greatphotos.eu/praguejosefov), the Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki in Finland (www.greatphotos.eu/sammallahdenmaki), the Antakalnis cemetery in Vilnius, Lithuania (www.greatphotos.eu/antakalnis), the royal tombs in Marrakesh (www.greatphotos.eu/saadientombs).