A road church is a roadside church, one of a network of such churches in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

( da, vejkirke),

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

(german: Autobahnkirche, open all year),

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, an ...

( et, Teeliste kirikud),

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

( fi, tiekirkko, sv, vägkyrka),

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

( no, veikirke),

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

(

Murmansk oblast Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) o ...

) and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

( sv, vägkyrka). The churches are kept open for tourists during the summer holiday season.

Czech Republic

The only road church in the Czech Republic is the Chapel of Reconciliation ( cs, kaple Smíření), located at D5 motorway in west

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

near Pilsen, built in 2008.

Denmark

:'' List of road churches in Denmark''

Estonia

:'' List of road churches in Estonia''

Finland

:'' List of road churches in Finland'' The first road churches ( fi, tiekirkko, sv, vägkyrka) were opened in Finland during the 1990s. There are about 265 churches that act as roadside churches in the summer time. Most of the churches are

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...

and some are Finnish Orthodox.

Germany

The first road church was opened in Germany in 1958. In 2012 there are 39 road churches or chapels. Some of them were built on purpose in a

rest area A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway serv ...

, others are old village churches which happen to be situated near an access point. In liturgical terms, they range from ecumenical chapels with no formal rank up to fully consecrated Roman Catholic churches. Churches are open all year. Emmauskapelle-8501

# Ökumenische Autobahnkapelle Dammer Berge # Ökumenische Autobahnkapelle Roxel # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche Exter # Evangelisch-lutherische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche Peter und Paul, Uhyst am Taucher # Ökumenische Autobahnkapelle Geismühle # Katholische Autobahnkapelle St. Raphael, Nievenheim # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche Gelmeroda # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche Waldlaubersheim (Martinskirche) # Katholische Autobahnkirche St. Christophorus Himmelkron, Bad Berneck # Autobahnkirche "Maria, Schutz der Reisenden", Adelsried # Katholische Autobahnkirche St. Christophorus, Baden-Baden # Katholische Autobahn- und Pfarrkirche "Maria am Wege", Windach # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche Duben # Katholische Autobahnkapelle St. Antonius, Gescher/Coesfeld # Ökumenische Autobahnkapelle "Galluskapelle", Leutkirch im Allgäu # Evangelische Autobahnkirche Medenbach # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche Kavelstorf # Ökumenische Autobahnkapelle "Jesus - Brot des Lebens", Groß-Hesepe # Ökumenische Autobahnkapelle "Emmauskapelle", Engen (near Singen) # Ökumenische Autobahnkirche "Licht auf unserem Weg", Geiselwind # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche Werbellin # SVG-Autohofkapelle Schlüchtern #

Autobahnkirche Siegerland Autobahnkirche Siegerland or Autobahnkirche an der A 45 is an ecumenical Christian road church at the Bundesautobahn 45 near Wilnsdorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Opened in 2013, the building has received several architecture awards. Histo ...

# Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche St. Benedikt, Hohenwarsleben # Evangelische Autobahn-, Stadt- und Klosterkirche Brehna # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche St. Petri, Brumby # SVG-Autohofkapelle Hessisch Lichtenau # SVG-Autohofkapelle Schwabhausen # Ökumenische Autobahnkirche Waidhaus # SVG-Autohofkapelle Kirchheim/Hessen # Ökumenische Autobahnkirche Jakobikirche, Wilsdruff # Evangelische Autobahn- und Gemeindekirche St. Pancratius, Rothenschirmbach, OT der Lutherstadt Eisleben # Autohofkapelle an der A 44 Kassel-Dortmund, Abfahrt Diemelstadt # Evangelische Autobahnkirche St. Kilian # Autobahnkapelle Kassel "Licht auf dem Weg" # Autobahnkapelle Hamm # Autobahnkirche RUHR in Bochum # Autobahnkirche St. Paul, Wittlich # Autobahnkirche St. Thomas von Aquin, Trockau # Evangelische Nikolaikirche und katholische St. Marienkirche

Grasdorf (Holle) Holle is a village and a municipality in the district of Hildesheim, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km southeast of Hildesheim, and 15 km west of Salzgitter. It was mentioned in Tom Clancy's bestseller ''Red ...

Italy

Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6346984

San Giovanni Battista, Highway A11 San Giovanni Battista or dell'Autostrada del Sole is a church in Campi Bisenzio, near Florence, Italy, within a large motorway rest area shared between two autostrada roads. It can also be reached on foot from a local road outside the autostr ...

, called "Church of the Motorway" (1960–64), by

Giovanni Michelucci Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect, urban planner and designer, was born in Pistoia, Tuscany, on 2 January 1891 and died on the night of 31 December 1990, two days before his 100th birthday, at his studio-home in Fiesole, in Florence's hills ...

Norway

::''

List of road churches in Norway A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...

Russia

::''

List of road churches in Russia A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...

'' There were two road churches in

open in summer 2012.

Sweden

::'' List of road churches in Sweden''

References

{{reflist Churches in the Czech Republic Churches in Denmark Churches in Estonia Churches in Norway Churches in Russia Churches in Sweden 1958 introductions