Gamla Stan, Stockholm

View of Riddarholmen with the Riddarholmskyrkan, in Gamla Stan, Stockholm
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stockholm_Cathedral.jpg
Author: Tom Corser


Gamla Stan is the historic Old Town of Stockholm, in Sweden. It is located on the island of Stadsholmen (which means "city island") with parts of it on the outlying islands such as Riddarholmen to the west and Helgeandsholmen to the north.

Until the mid-19th century, the present area of Gamla Stan was the actual city of Stockholm, and was referred as själva staden, meaning "the city itself", as the surrounding areas were still rural countryside. As Stockholm began to develop and spread out, this area became known as staden mellan broarna, meaning "the city between the bridges". That was the popular and official name of the area, right up to 1980. Meanwhile, the popularity of the name Gamla Stan was enhanced when the Stockholm metro opened a station there by that name.

Ryning Palace, Gamla Stan, Stockholm
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ryningska_palatset.Munktorget.jpg
Author: Alexandru Baboş


The earliest location of Stockholm is widely believed to be on the western shore of present-day Stadsholmen, in Gamla Stan. The area may have been settled as early as AD 400. There are evidence of human habitation, based of discovery of logs cut from trees between AD 970 and 1020.

The original Old Town is a much smaller area during the Middle Ages. It was encircled with a city wall between two present-day streets, Västerlånggatan (Western Main Street) and Österlånggatan (Eastern Main Street), in the middle of Stadsholmen. There were two towers, both having been torn down a long time ago. There were only three or four narrow gates into the city, for security reasons, one gate on the east and the rest on the rest side.

Gamla Stan on Google Maps Street View

Interior of Storkyrkan, the Stockholm Cathedral
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stockholm-Storkyrkan_02.jpg
Author: Jürgen Howaldt


Today Gamla Stan is one of the major tourist destinations in Stockholm. It has a high concentration of historic buildings and streets.

Visiting Gamla Stan

Gamla Stan is serve by the Gamla Stan Metro Station of the Stockholm Metro.

Riksdagshust, Gamla Stan, Stockholm
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parliament,_Stockholm.jpg
Author: Olof Senestam

Places of Interest in Gamla Stan

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