Swedish Church Relocates to Make Way for Iron Ore Mine

How do you move one of Sweden's most beloved wooden churches down the road? With a little engineering, a lot of prayer—and some Eurovision for good luck.

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The Kiruna Church—called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish—is being moved this week along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east as part of the town's relocation. It's happening because the world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town.

This week, thousands of visitors have descended on Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town at 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle. It's home to roughly 23,000 people, including members of the Sami Indigenous people, spread over nearly 19,500 square kilometers (7,528 square miles).

Lena Tjärnberg, the church's vicar, kicked off the move with a blessing Tuesday morning after the church was lifted on beams to be wheeled across town.