Sights in the Old Town! The old parts of Stockholm are not only charming and beautiful, but also full of history. After all, this is where everything happened once upon a time! We have walked through Helgeandsholmen, Old Town and Riddarholmen. Follow us around too!
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Attractions in the Old Town
There are endless attractions in the Old Town. It feels like you could write a book about every house and every alley. Imagine what has happened on these streets over the centuries!
We live in Stockholm, so of course we've been to the Old Town plenty of times. But it took a pandemic for us to get through the neighbourhood properly, alley by alley. We list 30 sights in the Old Town, and then some "bonus sights" on top of that.
1. Helgeandsholmen with Riksdagshuset and Strömparterren.
We start the tour on Helgeandsholmen. Here you can check out the magnificent Riksdag building and the open spaces Riksplan and Strömparterren. The Parliament House was built in 1897-1905 to the designs of architect Aron Johansson.
If you want, you can enjoy looking at all the figures and decorations. Above the ground floor windows, for example, there are 57 mascarons (stone portraits) representing people who the architect thought were important to the building's creation.
2. Medieval Museum
Helgeandsholmen is also home to the Medieval Museum. When a garage was being built for the Parliament building in the late 1970s, many artefacts from medieval Stockholm were unearthed. In addition to house foundations, they found Gustav Vasa's city wall, a 14th century cemetery wall, seven tonnes of human bones, three tonnes of animal bones and eleven boats. Amazing! Plans for a garage were cancelled, and now medieval Stockholm is showcased in this interesting museum.
3. Gustav III statue
If we then go over to the Old Town, round the castle and go down to Skeppsbron, we will see a statue of Sweden's King Gustav III. This statue was created by Johan Tobias Sergel and was unveiled on 24 January 1808.
4. the Ticino Palace
The Tessin Palace is a baroque palace located on Slottsbacken. The palace was built between 1694 and 1701 to the designs of Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, and today houses a Tessin-era parade floor, a representative floor and the governor's private residence.
In fact, I missed photographing the palace, which may be because it's in a setting where it doesn't stand out as more grand than anything else. But when we read up on it afterwards, we realised that there is a fully enclosed garden that seems amazing. We understand it's not normally open to the public, but we've borrowed a photo to show what it looks like inside the walls. We can't believe this is in the Old Town!
5. Church of Finland
The Finnish Church is located right next to the Tessin Palace, in a charming yellow building. The building was bought by the Finnish parish in 1725 and before that it was called the 'Little Ball House' because it was built in the 17th century to be used for ball sports.
6. Iron boy - looking at the moon
The statue 'Iron Boy' or 'Boy looking at the Moon' is a 1967 sculpture by artist Liss Eriksson, located on Bollhustäppan in the backyard of the Finnish Church. We had a little trouble finding it at first, which may be because it's only 15 centimetres high and known as "Sweden's smallest public monument". Apparently it's common practice to give money to the boy for good luck.
7. Gustav III's obelisk
Right next to the castle, on Slottsbacken, stands Gustav III's obelisk. The original obelisk was inaugurated on 3 October 1800, as a gift from Gustav III to the citizens of the city of Stockholm to show gratitude for their loyalty and vigilance.
Over time, cracks developed and in 2017 the obelisk was taken down due to the risk of collapse. The current obelisk is a replica built in 2020. The obelisk is just under 30 metres high and the new one weighs 280 tonnes, almost twice as much as the original.
8. The Royal Palace with the Castle Church, the Treasury and the Royal Armoury.
Then, of course, you have to check out the Royal Palace! The building, although magnificent, is perhaps not so exciting on the outside. Inside there are many beautiful rooms and exciting museums, which can be visited when the pandemic allows.
- Representation floors are the parade halls used for the King and Queen's representation, which are displayed to the public.
- Treasury displays the Imperial Regalia - the most important symbols of the monarchy.
- The armoury displaying parade armour, weapons and costumes.
- Museum Tre Kronor is the museum of the castle's earliest history, from the defence castle to the Renaissance castle destroyed in a fierce fire in 1697.
- Gustav III Museum of Antiquities from 1794 is one of Europe's oldest public museums, and displays sculptures purchased by Gustav III.
- The castle church offers architecture, interior design and works of art by masters such as Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, Carl Hårleman and Georg Haupt the Elder.
As we were unable to visit the interior of the castle at this time, we are showing two press photos, one from the representation floors and one from the Castle Church.
9. The Great Church with St Göran and the dragon
Storkyrkan, or St Nicholas Church, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Stockholm and a church with an impressive history. Kings have been crowned and royal marriages performed here since the 14th century.
The exterior of the church is currently being restored, but you can still go inside. The church is grand and beautiful, but the main attraction here is of course the wooden sculpture of St Göran and the dragon. Sten Sture the Elder commissioned the sculpture to honour his victory over the Union King Kristian I at the Battle of Brunkeberg in 1471. The sculpture was placed in the church in 1489.
10. burnt plot
The so-called 'Burnt Plot' is a small open space on the corner of Kindstugatan and Själagårdsgatan. History tells us that the house located here was destroyed by fire in 1728 and never rebuilt. Today, a large horse chestnut grows here, which inspired the neighbouring restaurant's name "Under the chestnut".
11. St Göran and the dragon at Köpmanbrinken.
The statue of St Göran and the dragon on Köpmanbrinken is a replica of the wooden sculpture in Storkyrkan. The statue is made of bronze and granite and was inaugurated in 1912.
12. Stortorget with Börshuset and the Nobel Museum
Everyone who visits the Old Town will sooner or later end up at Stortorget. The square, with its beautiful colourful houses, is probably one of the most photographed motifs in the district. Here you can sit down for a cup of coffee if you want, or eat at the historic restaurant Stortorgskällaren. You can also check out the Börshuset, dating from 1773-1778, or visit the Nobel Museum, which tells the 100-year history of the Nobel Prize.
You can also reflect on the dramatic historical events that took place here. It was here that the Stockholm bloodbath took place in November 1520. Many people also check out the cannonball that sits in the corner building on Skomakargatan.
The story goes that the bullet was shot there during Gustav Vasa's siege of Stockholm in 1521, and that it was intended for Christian II but missed its target. In fact, it was furniture dealer Carl Adolph Grevesmühl who had it bricked into his house in 1795 to symbolise the 1521 siege.
13. Priest Street
Prästgatan is especially nice to stroll along, as it is a very nice and charming street. If you want to look for details, you can look for the rune stone that is walled in at the corner between Kåkbrinken and Prästgatan. The stone is from the 11th century and was probably used as a building material.
There is also a walled-in cannon pipe from the 17th century, which someone placed there as a corner protection against all the carriages. Another interesting detail is that the artist Carl Larsson was born at Prästgatan 78 on 28 May 1853.
14. German Church
The German Church, or St Gertrude's Church as it is also known, is located at Svartmangatan 16A. The church, which was inaugurated in 1642, boasts the highest point in the Old Town. The tip of the German Church's tower rises 150 metres above the ground. We peeked inside and were especially fascinated by the colourful windows, which often had motifs that we did not perceive as particularly religious, but rather everyday.
15. Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum in Stockholm is located in Stockholm's oldest synagogue. Between 1795 and 1870, the building was used as a synagogue and community centre for Stockholm's Jewish residents. Later, a police station and a sailor's church were run here, and much of the interior was lost. Now the small Jewish museum is located here, and when the pandemic allows, it is very interesting to join a guided tour here.
16. Mårten Trotzig's alleyway
Mårten Trotzigs gränd is only 90 centimetres wide at its narrowest point, making it the narrowest alley in Stockholm. The name comes from the German merchant Mårten Trotzig, who immigrated to Sweden in 1581 and bought several properties in the area. Mårten Trotzig was successful in his business, but was unfortunately beaten to death during a business trip in Kopparberg.
Do you react to the graffiti in the alley? Yes, when we were here it looked terrible. We've read about various proposals to stop the graffiti, but it's clear that they haven't succeeded so far.
17. Statue of Evert Taube at Järntorget.
Järntorget is a historic square in the Old Town, named after the ironworks that existed here until 1662. In this square you can see a statue of Evert Taube, created in 1985 by sculptor Karl Göte Bejemark. The location is fitting as Taube's favourite pub, 'Den Gyldene Freden', is just next door.
18. Västerlånggatan
You can't miss Västerlånggatan when you're in the Old Town. This is where you'll find all the tourist and souvenir shops selling moose, Dala horses and Viking helmets. Together with Österlånggatan, this street once became the main street.
19. postal museum
At Lilla Nygatan 6 you will find the Postmuseum, behind a grand facade with large pillars. Here, various exhibitions tell the story of the postal service and other things related to letters and parcels.
20 Branting Square
We ended up in Brantingtorget almost by accident, when we walked down a small alley out of curiosity. And wow, how cool that this oasis appears in the middle of the Old Town! Brantingtorget is a circular square named after Hjalmar Branting. In the centre of the square stands Ivar Johnsson's sculpture 'Morning', erected in 1962.
21. the Lars Johan Hierta monument
As we continue our walk towards Riddarholmen, we pass a monument to Lars Johan Hierta on Riddarhustorget. Lars Johan Hierta was a newspaperman, publisher, entrepreneur and politician, and founded Aftonbladet in 1830.
22. Riddarholm Church
Then we cross the bridge to Riddarholmen. One of the first buildings you see here is Riddarholmskyrkan. This magnificent church was inaugurated around 1300, and then under the name Gråbrödrakyrkan. Since the funeral of King Gustav II Adolf in 1634, Riddarholm Church has been used as a royal burial church. All Swedish rulers from Gustav II Adolf to Gustaf V, with the exception of Queen Kristina, are buried here.
23. Wrangel Palace
Right next to Riddarholm Church, at Birger Jarls torg 16, you will find the Wrangel Palace. Parts of the building are remains of a fortification from the 1530s. The palace you can see today was built in 1652-1670 by the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder for the count, military officer and counsellor Carl Gustaf Wrangel. Between 1697 and 1754, the palace served as the residence of the royal family. The Svea Court of Appeal has been housed here since 1756.
24. Stenbock's Palace and the Old National Archives
Opposite the Wrangel Palace is another majestic building, the Stenbock Palace. It was built around 1640 for Fredrik Gustavsson Stenbock and his wife Katarina De la Gardie.
In 1865, the Swedish National Archives moved into the building, combining the palace with the new National Archives building (now known as the Old National Archives). The National Archives remained in the building until 1968, and since then it has been home to the Supreme Administrative Court and the Svea Court of Appeal. The Old National Archives is probably best known today for its restaurants and Christmas parties.
25. The normal high point
In Schering Rosenhane's alley on Riddarholmen, there is an iron shutter and the text 'Normal high point for Sweden'. What is this? Well, this is the starting point of the first common precision weighing system in the country, from 1886. The point is engraved on a vertical silver rod attached to the rock, safely stored behind the locked door.
26. Birger Jarl's Tower
Birger Jarl's Tower is a defence tower in Gustav Vasa's fortifications from around 1530. Together with the southern tower of the Wrangelska Palace, this tower is the only remaining part of the defences and city walls that existed in the Middle Ages. But why is it called Birger Jarl's Tower? Well, it's because of a myth spread in the 18th century that the tower had been rebuilt during Birger Jarl's time, in the 13th century.
27. Evert Taubes terrace
On Riddarholmen you will also find Evert Taube's terrace. Here Evert Taube sits and plays, in the form of a statue, and you have a nice view of the City Hall. The ship and the restaurant Mälardrottningen are also located here - great location!
28. the House of Knights
If we leave Riddarholmen and walk towards Strömsborg, we pass Riddarhuset and Bondeska palace. Riddarhuset, or Riddarhuspalatset as it is actually called, is a palace built in 1641-1674. The palace is owned and managed by "Sveriges ridderskap och adel", which protects the historical heritage of all of Sweden's noble families. It is open to visitors for one hour a day on weekdays.
29. farmer's palace
Right next to Riddarhuset is the Bonde Palace. The palace was built in 1662-1793 as a residence for the national treasurer Gustaf Bonde. Between 1731 and 1915, the building served as a town hall, and today the Supreme Court is located here.
30. Strömsborg
We finish our tour of the sights in the Old Town by passing the small island of Strömsborg. In the past, there was a restaurant, bathhouse and skittle alleys on the island, but no bridge, so you had to hire rowing ladies to get back and forth. The building that stands on the island today was inaugurated in 1897 and now houses offices and a bridge connecting the island to the mainland.
More sights in the Old Town - alleys
Apart from the sights listed here, there is of course much more to see in the Old Town. In fact, just look around - you'll find little sights everywhere! For example, you can look for charming alleys, such as Stora Hopargränd and many others. Sometimes you can slip into a lonely little alley and wonder what life might have been like here in the Middle Ages...
More sights in the Old Town - monuments and statues
There are also countless monuments and statues. Wherever you look, you'll find a statue, and each one has a story to tell. In the pictures below, you can see Karl XIV Johan's statue on Slottsbacken, the artwork 'Young man mounting a horse' on Tyska stallplan and the 'Archer' on Kornhamnstorg.
More sights in the Old Town - ornaments and decorations
It is also very interesting to look upwards, at all the facades, doors, windows and balconies. Sometimes you don't realise what surprises you can find there. In the large image below, you can see 'Mother Svea', created by Rolf Adlersparre, on Stora Nygatan.
More sights in the Old Town - signs
While you're scoping out the facades, you might want to look for some nice and creative signs. Although many signs are probably more or less new, many have a style that evokes history and sometimes even fantasy worlds. There's no shortage of imagination and ingenuity!
Restaurants and cafes in the Old Town
This post is all about the sights in the Old Town, so we won't delve into cafes and restaurants. If you get hungry or hungry, you can be sure that there is plenty to choose from. Here you will find classic restaurants such as Stortorgskällaren, Den Gyldene Freden, Mårten Trotzig, Mr French, The Flying Elk, Djuret, Aifur and Sjätte tunnan, but also lots of others.
When you go out to eat in the Old Town, it is not only the food that matters, but also the environment. Last time we were here we went to a medieval cellar near Stortorget. To be honest, the food was nothing to wax lyrical about, but the environment with all the historical vibes and memories was fantastic.
Even more tips for attractions in the Old Town?
Do you have even more tips for attractions in Stockholm's Old Town? Feel free to share!
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Seija Viitamäki-Carlsson says:
Now I have been to Stockholm. A nice report. Thanks for the tour 👍
30 March 2021 - 7:28
Helena says:
Thank you so much Seija, glad you enjoyed the post!
30 March 2021 - 8:42
Mr Thimon says:
What a rich, informative, interesting and not least well-written report.
30 March 2021 - 8:32
Helena says:
Thanks for your nice comment Per, glad to hear it is appreciated!
30 March 2021 - 8:43
Maria's memoirs says:
I would still like to recommend the Royal Coin Cabinet, a very interesting museum if you also have a good guide like we had when we were there 😊 But great guide you made, now I get the urge to discover the old town again with new eyes! I'm also reading the book Pottungen, which is set in Stockholm from the late 1790s, so maybe I should pay more attention to the places mentioned and check where they are on the map.
30 March 2021 - 8:34
Helena says:
Glad you visited the Coin Cabinet Maria! I understand that it has moved to Östermalm, so it can still be visited but no longer in the Old Town. Exciting with the book you read! I can imagine that it will be even more interesting to visit the places in the Old Town after that reading!!!
30 March 2021 - 8:45
Ann-Louise Paulsson says:
The old town is so cosy, especially now that it's not as crowded as it usually is. Brända tomten is my favourite, but also Stortorget and Stenbockska palace.
30 March 2021 - 8:49
Helena says:
Yes, a bit special now that it's quieter than usual! Stenbockska palace and the entire Riddarholmen was more or less new to us. Nice and interesting!
30 March 2021 - 21:07
bmlarstravellingblog says:
With a few travel blogs on your phone, there's no need for guidebooks! This was a really solid guide to the Old Town, thank you for it!
30 March 2021 - 20:16
Helena says:
It was time we thought, to look around a little more properly in the heart of our own city 🙂 Funny if it was appreciated!!!
30 March 2021 - 21:08
BP says:
Yes, how often have I walked around the Old Town without knowing what I was looking at? The castle, the Obelisk, the churches and Stortorget as well as Västerlånggatan are about the only things I can name. I have never seen that cute little sculpture "Iron Boy" or rather stumbled upon it.
A very nice post.
PS. Stampen and Engelen are also a bit culty;-) DS.
30 March 2021 - 21:03
Helena says:
I know what you mean! We have also been to the Old Town lots of times, without reading much. Now it has become a new experience for us, interesting. And yes, absolutely right. Stampen and Engelen are worth mentioning!!!
30 March 2021 - 21:10
Only British says:
This was indeed a great guide. The only thing you might have missed was the Uppland-Södermanland border sign, but on the other hand I have read that the border was moved to Slussen in the 17th century.
31 March 2021 - 9:15
Lena - good for the soul says:
Wow, how much time you had on your walk. The Old Town is really a delicious place. But how strange it is to see all the pictures from there but without a lot of people. It is more or less always a crowd. In a way, it's smart to visit it now when it's quiet, but at the same time there is a certain atmosphere with all the people too.
Hug Lena
05 April 2021 - 7:58
matilda wiking says:
Thank you for your guide. I will take my children to the old town this weekend and your tips will be very useful. With kind regards Matilda Wiking
29 November 2021 - 8:41