In the area around Tidan you find lake Östen, which is a typical floodplain lake, nutricious and shallow. It is one of the most valuable bird lakes in the country, and a very important link in the chain of resting places for migratory birds. The beautiful landscape around the lake bears evidence from thousands of years of human activity, and here you can also find several ancient monuments and cultural sights. Lake Östen, together with the rivers Tidan and Ösan, has connected large parts of north and east Skaraborg. A lot of the findings that have been made in the area indicates a very rich district. On your visit here, do not miss the ancient monuments Kung Ranes hög and Askeberga ship cumulus, or the cultural reserve Vallby Sörgården.
It is now 250 years since the first recorded Lucia celebration took place in Sweden. It was in the small village of Horn outside Skövde. It was Carl Fredrik Nyman who wrote in 1764 of how he was woken in the morning, with beautiful Lucia songs, bread and coffee. This tradition probably has its roots right here in Västra Götaland, and it spread across the country in the 19th century.
The church in Horn was built in the 12th century, and today we can still see the original tower from the first structure. The rest of the church was replaced in 1804 by the beautiful stone church that we can see today. In the porch remains the 12th-century iron door, still preserved. The baptismal font also belongs to the oldest items and is from the 13th century. In the 19th century, the only decoration in the church was a simple cross and above it the sun, symbolising God.
The altarpiece, painted by Sigrid Oxenstierna, was installed in 1951 and replaced the big cross and image of Christ that were moved elsewhere in the church. The altarpiece pictures Jesus reaching out towards the people. In the background you can see the mountain Billingen and heavenly Jerusalem. The church bells are old. The larger one was recast in Skara in 1727, and the smaller one is probably even older. The church was comprehensively restored in 1938 and 1981.