One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Scandinavia, it is situated opposite Linköping Castle, on a site that has been in use as a church since the 11th century.

In 1320, a programme of interior decoration was undertaken, with the arcades of the nave embellished with carving and sculptural decorations; these bear stylistic hallmarks typical of the development of the English High Gothic; the carved roof bosses of the nave vaults, completed about the same time, and thought to be by the same sculptor, feature the green man common to the folklore of the British Isles.

Further embellishment of the church took place in 1330, when the tympanum of the south portal was decorated with relief scenes from the Nativity and the Passion, in a German style.

The cathedral has a significant 16th century altarpiece by Dutch Golden Age painter Maarten van Heemskerck, Crucifixion,[2] a polyptych painted for Sint-Laurenskerk, Alkmaar.

[2] The cathedral is featured on the cover of the album Opus Eponymous by Ghost, whose founder, Tobias Forge, is a native of Linköping.