Old Town Tour and Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen Preview

Welcome to Stockholm's Old Town Tour and Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen. There are over 40 points of interest to discover. Discover the rich history and stunning architecture that characterise these areas, from the charming cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan to the serene waterfront views of Skeppsholmen. The history of the Swedish naval base is significant and adds to the overall cultural heritage of Stockholm. Each location offers a unique glimpse into Stockholm's vibrant past and present, making it an unforgettable experience for every visitor. Whether you're a history enthusiast, an architecture lover, or simply seeking a picturesque stroll, every visitor will have an unforgettable experience. As you wander through these enchanting streets, you'll encounter fascinating stories and delightful surprises at every turn, ensuring a memorable journey through Stockholm's captivating heritage.

The Old Town walking tour encompasses:

• An introduction to Stockholm's history
• On Palace Hill, the Royal Palace and statues are located.
• The Stockholm Cathedral
• Stortorget The market square commemorates historical events and showcases architectural features.
• Viking Rune Stone
• Priest Street, Prästgatan
• The German Church, St. Gertrudes
• Västerlånggatan (Western Long Street)
• Martin Trotszig takes his steps.
• Österlånggatan 4 points of interest (Eastern Long Street)
• The statue and historical background of St. George with the Dragon are worth exploring.
• The old commercial thoroughfare is home to the oldest painting in Stockholm.
• "The Iron Boy" is the name of the sculpture.
• The Finish Church
• Conclude the tour by returning to Palace Hill.
• Additional information about medieval Stockholm

Stop 1 — Palace Hill

Walk to the middle of Palace Hill, near the Royal Palace and Stockholm Cathedral, and face outward toward the water.

You're standing on Palace Hill, and already the city is showing off. From up here you can see that Gamla Stan — which simply means "Old Town" in Swedish — is actually an island. To your east lies the Baltic Sea, stretching out toward the archipelago. To your west, there is a broad shimmering expanse of water called Lake Mälaren, Sweden's third-largest lake. The city of Stockholm grew precisely here because this island controlled the narrow passage between the two bodies of water. Whoever held this island held the trade routes. And whoever held the trade routes held the power.

People figured that out surprisingly early. After the Viking Age wound down — around the 1100s — settlers began putting down roots here. The first official written record of the settlement dates to the late 1200s. That makes this place nearly eight hundred years old, and on a clear morning, standing up here with the water glittering on both sides and those medieval rooftops tumbling away below you, it genuinely feels it. [pause and take it in]

This is where your story of Stockholm begins.

Stop 5 — Gustav III

Look at the obelisk at the top of the hill.

and then

Look down to the waterfront to the statue of Gustav Iat the bottom of the hill.

The obelisk standing here was erected by King Gustav III , who reigned from 1771 to 1792. He put it up to honour the citizens of Stockholm who supported him during the Russo-Swedish War of the late 1700s. The original obelisk was replaced by this one in the 1800s, but the gesture remains.

Gustav III was a genuinely fascinating character — cultured, charismatic, and convinced that absolute power was simply more efficient. He centralised government, reformed the legal system, and had a deep passion for the arts. He brought the first opera and theatre to Sweden. He was, essentially, the man who decided that Swedes deserved culture and was going to make sure they got it whether they asked for it or not.

He was assassinated in 1792 at a masquerade ball at the Royal Opera House — shot in the back by someone who rather strongly disagreed with his governing style. He survived the shooting but died two weeks later from blood poisoning. It later inspired a Verdi opera, which means Gustav III is one of the few Swedish kings to be remembered in the Italian operatic tradition. He might have appreciated that.

Stop 6 — Stockholm Cathedral

Walk up to the Stockholm Cathedral — Storkyrkan.

You're standing outside Storkyrkan — which translates simply as "the Great Church" —though it was originally dedicated to St Nicholas. This is the oldest church in Stockholm, founded in the 13th century on what is still the highest point of the Old Town island. That original church was a modest wooden structure. Over the centuries, fires and ambition transformed it into what you see today: a soaring Baroque exterior with a Gothic interior full of arches, vaulted ceilings, and several hundred years of Swedish history pressed into every wall.

The cathedral was recently restored to its original Baroque colour — a warm, confident hue that suits its elevated position. The wrought iron gates at the western entrance were made in 1675 by Peter Schultz and feature allegorical figures: on the south pillar, Reason; on the north pillar, Divine Love. Make of that ordering what you will.

The history inside these walls is astonishing. The first Swedish royal coronation here took place in 1336 —Magnus VI and Blanche of Namur. The last was King Oscar II in 1873. On 4 November 1521, Christian II of Denmark was crowned King of Sweden within these walls — and within days, the square you'll be visiting shortly became the scene of one of medieval Europe's most notorious massacres. We'll get to that.

More recently, Crown Princess Victoria married her personl trainer Daniel Westling here in 2010. And in 1994, the Swedish Prime Minister and the Royal Family gathered here in the wake of the Estonia ferry disaster, in which over 850 people lost their lives. This church has held joy and grief with equal steadiness for seven centuries.

Outside the entrance, look for the statue of Olof Petri — the man who brought the Lutheran Reformation to Sweden in the 1500s and, with his brother, translated the Bible from Latin into Swedish for the first time. He'll come up again before the tour is done.

If you'd like to step inside — and we really do recommend it — there's a small entrance fee. You'll find St George and the Dragon, Europe's oldest wooden equestrian statue. A breathtaking silver altarpiece from 1652. The oldest votive ship model in Europe hanging from the ceiling. And a painting of Stockholm from the 1500s that carries more political intrigue than most spy novels. We'll tell you about that painting a little later on.

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Stop 7 — Stortorget

Walk to Stortorget — the large cobblestone square at the heart of Gamla Stan.

Welcome to Stortorget — the Old Market Square — the oldest plaza in Stockholm, dating back to the

mid-1200s. [pause and look around the square]

For centuries this was the heartbeat of the city: a bustling market where merchants sold everything from herring to hardware, where festivals were held, proclamations were made, and where the political life of Sweden was conducted in full public view. Today it's lined with restaurants and cafes in those iconic colourful townhouses —deep red, ochre yellow, powder blue — and on a sunny day it's frankly one of the most beautiful small squares in Europe.

But before you settle in for a coffee and decide the whole thing is just charming, we should tell you what happened here in November 1520. Because this square has a very dark story to tell, and you really should hear it.

Stop 11 The Viking Rune Stone

Walk to the crossroads of Prästgatan and Kåkbrinken. Look at the lower section of the wall.

Here, embedded into the base of the wall at the corner, is something truly ancient — a Viking rune stone, more than a thousand years old. [crouch down and look closely] It's broken and weathered, but if you look carefully you can still make out the runic inscription. It was made by two people named Torsten and Frögunn in memory of their son. A small, heartbreaking monument to grief.

The stone originally came from the Uppland region north of Stockholm — it's not native to this island. Somewhere along the way, it ended up being used as building material, which tells you quite a lot about how the medieval builders felt about the Viking past. Recycling, essentially, but with considerably more history than your average kerbstone.

Now, look at the runic pattern on the stone. Do you see a shape that looks a little like the Bluetooth symbol on your phone? That's not a coincidence. The Bluetooth wireless standard was named after Harald Bluetooth the Great — the Viking king who united the Scandinavian tribes. His nickname reportedly came from his fondness for blueberries, which stained his teeth a distinctive blue. So every time you connect your headphones, you are in some small way honouring a Viking with purple teeth. Technology is marvellous.

Runic memorial stones like this one have been found across Scandinavia and as far away as what is now Tehran, which gives you a sense of just how far the Viking world extended.

[look at the corner of the wall] Notice the cannon barrel at the street corner — positioned horizontally at ground level. It's not a weapon; it's a traffic management device. In the days of horse-drawn carts navigating these tight medieval corners, wheels and axles would constantly chip away at the building corners. The cannon barrels were set into the ground to absorb the impact. Quite practical, and also rather stylish.

[look up Prästgatan] See those wooden arms projecting from the rooftops? Those are winch arms. With pulleys, blocks and rope, heavy goods were hoisted up into attic storehouses — the upper floors of these buildings were essentially warehouses. Many of those attics are now living spaces, and the loading hatches at ground level have become windows. Old Town apartments with a fascinating origin story.

Prästgatan, by the way, means Priest Street. Swedish clergy lived to the north; German clergy to the south. Order was maintained in the city, at least spiritually, by postcode.

Stop 12 Prästgatan.

Walk a short distance away from the rune stone along Prästgatan and pause near number 48.

You're walking along one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Stockholm, and it's worth taking a moment to actually look at the buildings around you. [slow down and look at the facades]

The medieval gateway entrance to the walled city was located on this very street. Up ahead at number 48, you'll see three shorter buildings — a classic example of medieval construction style. Under the cream hues of the facade are large, deep burnt-red bricks, and bigger than anything you'd find in a modern building. Every third brick is laid upright rather than flat — a structural technique that gives these walls their extraordinary strength and longevity.

[look at the horizontal iron rods crossing the facades] Those exterior iron rods are supporting the floor joists and outer walls, holding centuries-old buildings together with admirable stubbornness. But look more closely at the decorative tips the blacksmiths forged onto each rod — curls, points, elaborate flourishes. Different shapes were fashionable in different periods, which means you can read the approximate age of a building simply by the shape of its ironwork. It's like a very niche, very Swedish form of archaeology. And also, genuinely quite beautiful.

Continue down toward Tyskabrinken — German Hill. In medieval Stockholm, roughly half the city's population was Dutch or German — merchants and traders who arrived through the Hanseatic trade network and stayed. Their influence is visible in the architecture of nearly every street you walk.

Stop 13 ... The German Church

Walk to the German Church — Tyska Kyrkan — also known as St Gertrud's.

Look up. [look up at the spire] That spire reaching 96 metres into the Stockholm sky belongs to the German Church — Tyska Kyrkan, or St Gertrud's — and it is taller than Storkyrkan, the cathedral. Which is why, every single day, tourists confidently point at it and say "ah, the cathedral!" It is not the cathedral. But it is magnificent.

German merchants dominated this neighborhood throughout the Middle Ages, driven here by the enormous commercial power of the Hanseatic League , which essentially ran Baltic Sea trade for several centuries. The land here was occupied by the German Guild of St Gertrud long before the church was consecrated in 1842. At its peak, this was the social, spiritual, and commercial center of the German-speaking community in Stockholm.

[look at the four corners of the tower.] At each corner of the tower, carved dragon heads serve as water spouts. Even the guttering is dramatic in this neighborhood.

The interior is genuinely beautiful — vaulted ceilings, stunning stained glass, a magnificent 17th-century apostle altar, and the Düben organ on the south side, which is a replica of the original — the original having been sold to a church in northern Sweden, a decision that presumably seemed reasonable at the time. Sunday services are still held at 11am in German. The church is open Friday through Saturday, 11am to 3pm, and Sunday 12:30 to 4pm, with a small entrance fee. Unless, of course, you speak German and want to attend a service. !!

Stop 14 — Västerlånggatan.......

Walk to Västerlånggatan — the main shopping street running through the heart of Gamla Stan.

You've arrived on Västerlånggatan — the Western Long Street — which is today the main shopping artery of Gamla Stan, and quite a lively one. [look up and down the street] Restaurants, cafés, amber jewellery, traditional crafts, a Viking-themed shop with helmets that may or may not be historically accurate, and yes — somewhere down there, a Viking-themed restaurant in a basement. Stockholm has fully committed to the Viking tourism economy and we respect that enormously.

The buildings nearest to the water were traditionally where the sellers and traders set up business. Their foundations sit on wooden beams — the same wooden stilts that have underpinned this island for centuries.

You may notice some of the architecture looks slightly different here — stockier, with smaller windows and thick walls. That's Romanesque architecture, which arrived in Scandinavia around 1200 to 1300. It's sturdy, solid, and quite different from the pointed arches of Gothic that came later. These buildings were built to last, and they have.

In the 1970s, Västerlånggatan was actually Stockholm's main high street shopping destination — before the modern city centre developed further north. It's now more curated and considerably more charming.

Coming up on your left: the city's narrowest street.

Stop 15 — Mårten Trotzigs Gränd

Turn left into Mårten Trotzigs Gränd — the narrow alley with steps. The entrance is slighty hidden behind wrought iron doors so keep your eys peeled

Officially, this is the narrowest alley in Stockholm, measuring just 90 centimetres — about 35 inches — at its tightest point. [try to walk through] It connects the two main long streets via a small stone staircase lit by a handful of old lanterns. Look how close they are positioned next to the ajacent building. At certain hours, in certain light, it is possibly the most atmospheric lane in all of Scandinavia. At peak tourist season, it is a slow-moving queue of people trying to take the same photograph. Both things are true simultaneously.

The alley is named after Mårten Trotzig, a German merchant who arrived in Stockholm in the 16th century, built a fortune trading iron and copper, and became one of the wealthiest men in the city. He purchased the buildings on both sides of this lane and set up his business here. The alley had no official name— people simply called it his, and eventually that stuck.

As you climb the steps, it's traditional to make a wish. We're not making any promises, but the success rate appears to be sufficient to keep the tradition alive.

At the top, turn right and head back down the slope.

Stop 16 — The Golden Peace.........

At the foot of the slope on Österlånggatan...... Eastern Long Street, look for the restaurant Gyllene Freden.

The building in front of you has been a restaurant since 1722. [look at the sign above the door] That makes Gyllene Freden — the Golden Peace — one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in Europe. The sign outside is original to the 1700s: a maternal figure holding a palm leaf and a scroll inscribed "Golden Peace," surrounded by vine leaves and golden grapes. The name refers to Sweden's relief at reaching a period of relative peace after years of exhausting warfare.

In 1919, the restaurant was in danger of closing. Swedish artist Anders Zorn stepped in and donated it outright to the Swedish Academy — ensuring its survival and giving the Nobel Prize committee a permanent lunch venue. The Swedish Academy regularly dines here. One imagines the Nobel Literature Prize has been debated, disputed and decided over many a glass of aquavit in this very dining room.

To put the drinking culture of 18th-century Stockholm in context: the city had at least 700 taverns and inns —roughly one for every hundred residents. On this street alone there were ten. Life expectancy was short — three out of every ten children didn't survive their first year — and in that context, a warm tavern and a glass of something strong was one of life's more reliable comforts.

We highly recommend a meal or a drink here. Continue along the winding Österlånggatan — Eastern Long Street.

Stop 17 — Österlånggatan: The Mansion at Number 37

Walk along Österlånggatan and pause outside number 37.

This is one of the finest surviving examples of 17th-century middle-class Stockholm. [look at the façade] Built in 1662, the building retains its original walls, beams and truss construction — including the entrance gateway and staircase. That plastered façade you're looking at is centuries old, which in a city that has suffered as many fires as Stockholm makes it something of a miracle. The interior features woodwork from the early 1800s and original tiled stoves, which in a Swedish winter is not merely decorative. The Stockholm City Museum has classified this building "blue" — the highest level of cultural and historic protection available in the city.

[look above the entrance] Above the doorway at number 37, there's a Dutch inscription that translates as:

"When things go well, we have many friends." A sentiment so universally human that someone thought it worth carving in stone in the 17th century — and here it still is, waiting for someone to read it.

Now look higher — at the very top of the doorway. [look up] A phoenix rising from the ashes. This was the official emblem of the Stockholm fire brigade, established in 1746 following a series of devastating city fires. A new fire insurance law required residents to pay an annual fee in exchange for guaranteed protection. A building without the phoenix plaque? In the event of a fire, the brigade would prioritise neighbours who had paid up. Insurance, it turns out, is a very old idea.

Fire alarms in the Old Town were communicated via church bells — different sequences indicating different locations in the city. Everyone knew the code. You had to.

Stop 18 — Storhoppagränd

Look right for the narrow alley marked with number 6 above the entrance — Storhoppagränd

Storhoppagränd — Large Hop Alley — is one of the less-visited corners of the Old Town, which means it has retained a wonderful sense of quiet authenticity. [look up at the stair gable above the entrance] That stepped gable design is medieval in origin, and this is one of the very last surviving examples in the city. The main building was constructed between 1585 and 1602, with updates in 1640 and 1747 — each era adding a layer to the story.

From 1818 to 1930, the building further down the alley to the left was home to Sweden's last active guild: the Draymen. There is a sign hanging from the outside wall in front of the entrance. The Draymen managed the transport, bottling and distribution of wine and spirits across the city — a guild with a very important job, as any Stockholmer would agree. Their emblem is still above the door: a log knife and a suction straw, used to pierce barrels and sample the contents. Quality control, one presumes.

From the Middle Ages through to the 19th century, every craftsman in Stockholm was required by law to belong to a guild. The guilds set standards, protected trades, and managed training. The Draymen outlasted them all, surviving as Sweden's very last official guild until the 1930s. Raise a glass to them next time you open a bottle.

Stop 19 — Österlånggatan 29

Continue along Österlånggatan and pause outside number 29.

From the 18th century to 1850, this building housed a lively tavern and wine cellar — exactly the kind of establishment that made Eastern Long Street such a sociable address in old Stockholm.

In 1782, a young American traveller passed through Stockholm and lodged here for two weeks. He was seventeen years old, travelling from Russia to Holland, and his name was John Quincy Adams. He would later become the 6th President of the United States.

One likes to imagine young John Quincy sitting in the tavern downstairs, trying Swedish food for the first time, perhaps attempting a few words of the language, and writing long, serious letters home to his father. He was that kind of young man. Stockholm, it seems, was just a stop on the itinerary — but it's a pleasing thought that one of America's founding political figures once spent a fortnight in a Inn and wine cellar on this very street.

Stop 19 ... St George and the Dragon

Head up the hill to the statue of St George and the Dragon.

[look at the statue] This dramatic outdoor statue depicts a knight on horseback driving his lance into a writhing dragon at his feet. It looks like pure chivalric legend. But in Stockholm, it's also pure politics.

The knight represents Sten Sture — a 15th-century Swedish regent who defeated a Danish king. The dragon symbolises Denmark. The princess being rescued symbolises Sweden. The sculptor was making a very clear statement about who was the villain in Swedish political history, and was not being remotely subtle about it.

There are two St Georges in the historical record: one a legendary hero of folklore who slew a dragon; the other a real person from the Middle East around 275 AD, persecuted for his Christian faith and executed. Both are celebrated for extraordinary courage in the face of overwhelming force, which is presumably why the name felt right for a Swedish resistance hero.

[look at the knight's face] Notice that the knight is not looking at the dragon. His eyes are on the princess. He has defeated the monster almost as an afterthought. It's either very cool or incredibly smug, depending on your perspective.

The outdoor statue you see here was cast in the early 1900s. The original — inside Storkyrkan — is Europe's oldest wooden equestrian statue. It contains relics of St George sent directly from Rome, which means it is simultaneously a piece of medieval art and a religious artefact of remarkable provenance.

Stop 21 — Vädersolstavlan

Now turn away from the statue and head up Stockholm's oldest shopping street, Köpmansgatan. This street has been trading for over 700 years ... thats a lot of shopping.

Look for a shop window along the lane on the left displaying a replica painting — the Vädersolstavlan.

In this window, look for a colourful painting of Stockholm that appears to show the Old Town sitting on wooden stilts rising from the water. [find the painting] This is a replica of Vädersolstavlan — The Sun Dog Painting — believed to be the oldest known colour image of Stockholm, dating to the 16th century. The original hangs inside Storkyrkan.

The painting was commissioned by Olof Petri — the same man whose statue stands outside the cathedral, who translated the Bible into Swedish and brought Lutheranism to the country. He was not merely a man of faith; he was a man with very definite opinions about power.

[look closely at the painting] See the Three Crowns Castle on the left, and the Great Church on the right? Notice that Petri has painted the church slightly higher than the castle. This was his not-so-subtle message to King Gustav Vasa that the church ranked above the monarchy. Petri was, to put it gently, not lacking in confidence.

Now look at the sky — the "sun dogs." These are rare atmospheric halos of light formed by ice crystals refracting sunlight, and that evening in the 16th century, several appeared simultaneously in the Stockholm sky. Petri interpreted them as a divine sign that the king was neglecting his religious duties, and had the event commemorated in paint.The wooden stilts visible in the painting — called "stocks" — and the island they support — a "holm" — are widely believed to be the origin of the name Stockholm. Stocks-holm. The name of one of Europe's great cities, derived from a painting, derived from ice crystals in the air, commissioned by a priest with a point to make. Stockholm is a city built on history, and the history is gloriously tangled.

Now turn around and head under the archway into the small lane called Skeppar Olof Grand. The lane was named after the shipman Olof, who was the shipman to Gustav Vasa. Many streets were named after a person that lived on them. Follow the lane around until you come to an entrance into a courtyard on the right. Step into the courtyard.

The iron Boy

The small iron sculpture, crafted by renowned Swedish sculptor Liss Eriksson, stands at a height of 15 centimetres. This artwork holds the distinction of being Sweden's smallest public monument. It portrays a young boy, possibly the artist himself, gazing skyward at the moon during nighttime. Illuminated by a spotlight, the sculpture serves as a focal point for visitors who leave tokens, small coins, and gently stroke its head while making wishes for a return to Stockholm.

Stop 23 — The Finnish Church

Walk to the Orange Finnish Church at the edge of the courtyard.

Before it was a church, this charming building had a rather more theatrical life. It served as a ballroom and popular venue for travelling German theatre companies — a lively, secular space in the middle of a religious neighbourhood. And it was right here, in this very building, that the very first opera ever performed in Sweden was staged, presented by King Gustav III himself — the same arts-loving monarch you met at the obelisk. He would have been pleased to know you've come full circle.

The building became the Finnish Church in 1725. Designed by architect Göran Adelcrantz , it served the Finnish-speaking community of Stockholm — services were traditionally held in both Finnish and Swedish, though today Finnish is the primary language. The Finnish congregation has maintained a continuous presence in Gamla Stan for three hundred years.

Inside, the remarkable organ by Olof Schwan , built in 1790, is constructed in twelve unique sections — an extraordinary piece of instrument-making history. Also housed here: one of the first translations of the Bible from Latin into Swedish, making this small church far more significant than its modest exterior suggests.

On certain days the doors are open and you're welcome to step inside to see the glorious interior.

Walk around the corner.

You are now standing back on Palace Hill — exactly where we started, with the water on both sides and eight centuries of Stockholm spread out before you.