Viksta Church is a medieval church located north of Uppsala. Viksta Church was built circa 1280. An earlier, probably wooden roof and ceiling was replaced by the present roof supported by vaults sometime between 1430 and 1460. The frescos which decorate the vaults were painted in 1503. The church still largely retains its medieval appearance; the biggest change made after the Reformation was an enlargement of the windows carried out in 1761. The eastern (choir) wall still has the original medieval windows. On the same wall are some unusually well-made gable decorations made with brick. The external, wooden belfry was built in 1744-45 while the cemetery wall still contains two medieval lychgates.
The church contains a number of medieval art objects. The wooden triumphal cross is medieval, and so is a gilded copper processional cross (14th century). Another precious item is a chalice from the early 16th century. In the choir stands two wooden sculptures from the Middle Ages depicting female saints, one of which has been identified as Bridget of Sweden.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.