Gamla Stan is one of Europe‘s most picturesque medieval districts, located in the centre of Stockholm. It is an intriguing network of cobblestone alleyways, squares, and historical architecture housing antique stores, second-hand and souvenir shops, and art galleries. Restaurants here frequently occupy spaces under old vaults. With numerous buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries, Gamla Stan is legally protected from the renovation.
The area, nearly a kilometre wide, serves as a natural boundary between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea and has a rich and well-preserved cultural history. Stadsholmen, the primary and largest island, is home to the Royal Palace, the Stockholm Cathedral, and the German Church. The National Bank and the Swedish Parliament are located on the islet of Helgeandsholmen to the north. To the east is Riddarholmen, home to Stockholm’s oldest church, the Riddarholmen Church, and other nobility residences that are now used for various governmental functions. Strömsborg is the smallest of the islets.
The district’s primary streets are Västerlnggatan and Österlånggatan, or ‘Western and Eastern Long Street.’ These streets were previously enclosed by a city wall that ran along today’s Prästgatan street. The oldest square in Stockholm is Stortorget, located in the centre of Gamla Stan and is enclosed by former merchant residences, and notably, the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building, which houses the Nobel Prize Museum today. The oldest street in Stockholm is Köpmangatan, first referenced in the fourteenth century, and runs from Stortorget. With a width of merely 90cm, Mårten Trotzigs Gränd is Gamla Stan’s narrowest alley.
Gamla Stan houses a thriving restaurant and bar scene with numerous culinary innovations. Visitors can discover several shops and restaurants etched in history, complementing the district’s character as a “living” museum. For instance, the oldest continuously-running restaurant, Den Gyldene Freden, has occupied the same spot in Gamla Stan since 1722.
Sweden’s capital city was established here in 1252. It was initially known as ‘själva staden’ in the 13th century, Swedish for ‘the city itself.’ Being an island settlement helped defend itself against armed attacks. It also benefited from being located near Lake Mälaren’s inlet, a crucial commerce route to and from the Baltic. German traders who purchased timber and iron in Sweden’s north transshipped their goods here. From the mid-19th century onwards, it was known as ‘staden mellan broarna’ – the city between the bridges – until 1980, when it became referred to as Gamla Stan, a literal Swedish translation for ‘Old Town.’
Germany strongly influenced the town’s development. A large portion of the population was of German lineage. The architecture can be characterized as North German, as the German Hanseatic League was integral to the growth of Gamla Stan. Attacks by Danes during the 14th century prompted the construction of the Gamla Stan fortress. With the exception of the Storkyrkan cathedral and the ‘Three Crowns’ tower, the city’s structures were built with wood. Three layers of wooden pavers under Västerlnggatan street are the oldest evidence of wood roadway pavings discovered during archaeological investigations. The roads began to be paved in stone later in the 14th century. The city was rebuilt in the 16th century and continued to grow in the following centuries.
Midway through the 17th century, the city experienced a tremendous expansion as Sweden briefly rose to power. Stockholm was pronounced as Sweden’s capital in 1634. Over time, the outmoded medieval wall was taken down, and new neighbourhoods arose both north and south. Skeppsbroraden – the ‘Row of Skeppsbron’ – was built along the island’s eastern shore, displaying a row of private palaces. In the area surrounding the Royal Palace, these stone structures were built in the late Renaissance style, influenced by Dutch and German architecture. The 17th-century square blocks and right-angled street network are still present in large portions of Gamla Stan.
The city continued development in the 17th and 18th centuries with the help of foreign architects. Large portions were burned down in the 18th century, and stone structures were built as substitutes. Many of Sweden’s literary clubs and scientific institutes were founded then, and Stockholm had already established itself as the country’s intellectual hub.
King Gustav III, who admired French culture and the Louis XVI style, significantly impacted Stockholm’s architecture. He invited French architects to Stockholm to design buildings. Consequently, the country developed its own architectural style – the Gustavian style, which continues to influence contemporary artists.
Before the onset of the industrial revolution, Gamla Stan was regarded as a slum as most of its structures were deteriorating, and the area had become densely populated. Waste was dumped into the alleys as the city lacked a sophisticated sewage system. The advent of municipally-run sanitation and cleaning in the middle of the 19th century aided in rapid population growth. The city was rebuilt around this time, and the historic areas underwent renewal, including Gamla Stan, which was transformed into an affluent neighbourhood. Many of today’s schools, museums, libraries, and hospitals were built, along with repaired buildings, roads, parks, and boulevards. Numerous satellite towns and suburbs also developed.
Swedish architects frequently took inspiration from their travels to Europe. In the 20th century, in particular, the United States of America served as their primary inspiration. Foreign trends typically arrived in Sweden later and were adapted to Swedish tastes. Neoclassicism evolved into the Swedish Gustavian style, while 1920s classicism, including Art Deco, became a distinctive aesthetic frequently referred to as ‘Swedish Grace.’ Gamla Stan developed a reputation for its Renaissance and medieval buildings in the 1970s and has remained an attractive tourist destination.
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