Stockholm/Gamla stan

Since the Ice Age, the land has been rising from the sea, at about half a metre per century (see Nordic countries#Understand). What is today Lake Mälaren, was part of the brackish Baltic Sea until AD 1000; in these times, Birka, Sigtuna and Uppsala were the most important settlements in Svealand; all being located at the Mälaren shore.
As Sigtuna was sacked in 1187, a fortress was built on the island to protect Mälaren from pirates. While most of the first houses were built of wood, and destroyed by fire through the years, some masonry basements remain from the Middle Ages. The first Royal Palace, Tre Kronor, burnt down in 1697.
In the mid-19th century, most buildings in central island had fallen into decay, and total redevelopment was considered. However, most buildings were restored instead, transforming the island from a slum to a high-class neighbourhood. Today, Gamla stan has 7,000 inhabitants and is full of trendy cafés and souvenir shops.

Gamla stan is connected to Norrmalm by four walkable bridges, all of which provide picturesque views and nice photo opportunities. From east to west those are Strömbron, Norrbro, Riksbron and Vasabron.
Södermalm is only connected to the Gamla stan via the Slussen, a transit node built over the water lock between the Baltic Sea and the Lake Mälaren. It is under renovation until 2023, with detours and blocked views. While pedestrians, bicycles, cars and buses can pass through, it gets congested around rush hours.

By tunnelbana

The Tunnelbana station Gamla stan is the only one within the district, and is located at the southeast edge of it. All trains of the red (13, 14) and green (17, 18, 19) lines stop at Gamla stan.
Alternatively, you can alight at the Central Station or at Slussen on the Södermalm side and take a bus or simply walk to the Gamla stan over one of the bridges.

By bus

These are the following bus stops in Gamla stan:

• On Munkbroleden at the western waterfront (buses 3 and 53 stop there):

• Riddarhustorget at the bridge to Riddarholmen
• Mälartorget at the Gamla stan T-bana station
• Kornhamnstorg at the namesake square in the south of Gamla stan

On Skeppsbron along the eastern waterfront (all other buses going to Gamla stan stop there):

• Slottsbacken by the Royal Palace
• Räntmästartrappan at the Slussen quays

Nota bene: It appears on the network plans provided by the SL that bus 59 goes through Gamla stan along with 3 and 53. In reality, the 59 passes by Gamla stan using Centralbron (a highway bridge) and does not stop in Gamla stan at all.

Cars are banned in inner Gamla stan. As in most historical districts, people with motion disabilities might have difficulties getting around, though many basement establishments have wheelchair lifts. Community bicycles are good for the waterfront roads, but they could be difficult to bring inside the alleyways.

• Stockholm Cathedral

  phone: +46 8 723 30 16
  address: Trångsund 1
  Storkyrkan is the oldest church in Gamla stan. Built in the 13th century in the Gothic style, the exterior was remodelled in Baroque style around 1740. The church is the seat of the Church of Sweden bishop of Stockholm. It contains two pieces of famous artwork: the 15th-century wooden statue of Saint George and a copy of the oldest known image of Stockholm, Vädersolstavlan ("The Sun Dog Painting"), a 1636 copy of a lost original from 1535.

• Riddarholmen Church

  phone: +46 8 590 350 09
  Riddarholm is the ancient core of Stockholm and this is the city's oldest building - though no longer the oldest church, as it's nowadays simply a museum. Built as an abbey in the late 14th century. Many Swedish monarchs are buried here, including Gustavus Adolphus (Gustav II Adolf) and Charles XII (Karl XII). But what about Nelson Mandela, Lord Mountbatten, Chiang Kai-shek and other notables? - no, their plaques are here as "Knights of the Order of Seraphim", a Swedish heraldic society.

• German Church

  phone: +46 8 411 11 88
  address: Svartmangatan 16A
  Officially named Sankta Gertrud, this Gamla stan church is the home of the first German-speaking parish outside Germany, giving some clue to the importance of German merchants in the history of Stockholm. On the site of the church, a German merchants' guild was founded in the 14th century. In the 16th century, the headquarters was converted into a church, which was later expanded. The interior is baroque in style, with large windows and white vaults. The church belongs to the Church of Sweden but holds services in German at 11:00 every Sunday.

• Royal PalaceAt times referred to by Swedes at the "Royal Castle". Built between 1697 and 1754, dominating the north-eastern part of the Old Town, the Royal Palace is the official residence of the king of Sweden. However, the Royal family lives at Drottningholm in Ekerö, using the Royal Palace only for official ceremonies. It is open to the public unless being used for a state ceremony. Entrance ticket includes The Royal Apartments, the Tre Kronor Museum, the Treasury, and Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities.

• The Royal Armoury

  phone: +46-8-402 30 30
  address: Slottsbacken 3
  Located in the Royal Palace, still an independent museum. In 1628, King Gustavus II Adolphus declared that his uniform from the Thirty Years War campaign in Poland should be put on display for eternity. Since then, the Royal Armoury keeps these objects, and other Royal memorabilia, branding itself "Sweden's oldest museum".
• The Royal Guards, Högvakten, used to consist of conscripts. Today, all Swedish soldiers are professional. A ceremonial changing of the guard occurs during June-August, as well as during major holidays, with the Mounted Guards arriving from Östermalm.

• Nobel Museum

  address: Stortorget (T Gamla stan)
  Located in the old Stock Exchange house in the middle of Gamla stan, this museum has lots of material on the Nobel Prize, including videotaped speeches by laureates. Gift shop sells "Nobel medals" that are big chocolate coins in stamped gold foil, great souvenir/gift.

• Museum of Medieval StockholmThe displays the dawning age of Stockholm. Small and hard to find, it provides a good historical background to a visit to Stockholm.

• PostmuseumSweden's only postal museum.

• Swedish ParliamentFree-entrance guided tours in Swedish and English.

• The House of NobilityPresents Swedish history from the perspective of the noble estate. Though most land in Sweden has been held by peasants, the nobility dominated the Swedish military.

• Uppland Runic Inscription 53

  address: Kåkbrinken 1
  A runestone from the Viking Age, older than Stockholm itself, built into a wall. The laconic inscription says Thorsteinn and Freygunnr had this stone in memory of their son. The stone has been part of the building since at least the 17th century.

• Rooftop TourLook at Stockholm from the roofs of Riddarholmen island. An exciting experience if you're not afraid of heights.

• Storkyrkobadet

  phone: +46 8 20 90 27
  address: Svartmangatan 20-22
  A small secret hidden in what once was a wine cellar in the old town, where you can take a bath beneath 18th century vaults. Men and women cannot visit the bath together.

• Musikvalvet Baggen

  address: Svartmangatan 27
  A cellar for intimate cross-genre concerts. The bar serves alcoholic beverages.

• Musikvalvet Brinken

  address: Kåkbrinken 5
  A second stage with the same concept as Musikvalvet Baggen.

Gamla stan has plenty of small stores selling souvenirs, art, handicraft and other items mainly geared towards tourists. Although there are a number of tourist traps with tacky, grossly overpriced merchandise, especially on Västerlånggatan, you can also find nice and interesting stuff. If you want a calmer experience, try Österlånggatan or any of the other streets.

• Christmas fair

  address: Stortorget
  A Christmas fair,

• Sweden Bookshop

  phone: +46 8 453 78 00
  Whether you’re looking for a Swedish cookbook, a glossy coffee-table book on Swedish design or Swedish fiction in English translation, this is the place to go. Part of the Swedish Institute, Sweden Bookshop is a specialized bookstore that supplies a broad selection of information about Sweden and Swedish literature in English and other languages.

• The Science Fiction Bookstore

  address: Västerlånggatan 48
  A bookshop selling science fiction, fantasy, horror, manga/anime, role-playing games, boardgames and popular science; a lot of it is in English.

• Castor

  address: Österlånggatan 27
  Contemporary arts and crafts.

• Duka

  phone: +46 8 22 88 07
  address: Västerlånggatan 78
  Duka is a Swedish chain selling both cheaper household items and a limited selection of glassware in several stores in central Stockholm.

• Nordiska Kristall

  phone: +46 8 10 77 18
  address: Österlånggatan 1
  Nordiska Kristall is a high-end shop for crystal design glass.

In the evening, Gamla stan has few cheap dining options; expect to pay around 120 kr for a starter and 250 kr for a main course. Check the evening menu price rather than the boards outside - the prices displayed outside are often lunch offers only. In winter months restaurant kitchens close at around 21:30, so dine early!

Cafés

While cafés are plentiful in Gamla stan, many of them are overpriced.

• Chokladkoppen & Kaffekoppen

  address: Stortorget 18-20 (T Gamla stan)
  Kaffekoppen and Chokladkoppen (literally, the Coffee Cup and the Chocolate Cup) are two LGBT-friendly sister cafes situated on the Stortorget in Gamla stan, just off the touristy Västerlånggatan. If one is full you can just walk over to the other one. The interior in both of them is small but cosy, probably not for the claustrophobic! Gigantic sandwiches if you're hungry, and if you're looking for something sweet try their chocolate cake!

• Chocolates Caffe House

  address: Österlånggatan 31
  An amazing little chocolate shop where milkshakes (with 3 scoops of ice cream, a chunk of chocolate) go for 70 kr, and 50ish SEK for four scoops of ice cream. You can also freely take the handmade chocolates by the cash register, and the owner is very friendly.

Budget

Some nearby low-budget supermarkets are in the basement of Galleria Slussen at Katarinavägen 1 about 700 metres away. If you can manage a longer walk there is a much nicer supermarket, Hemköp at Mäster Samuelsgatan 59 (bottom floor of Åhléns department store), around 2 km away.

• Burger King Gamla Stan

  address: Västerlånggatan 78
  American fast food with great view of the square.

Mid-range

• Aifur

  address: Västerlånggatan 68
  A Viking restaurant, branding itself as the only of its kind. Live Viking Age music.

• Hermitage

  address: Stora Nygatan 11
  Vegetarian restaurant.

• Shogun

  address: Stora Nygatan 3
  Opened in 1985, as Stockholm's first contact with the internationalized Japanese cuisine.

• Järntorgspumpen

  address: Järntorget 83
  A classical diner in a 500-year old building.

• Mr French

  address: Tullhus 2
  French-style restaurant on the waterfront.

• Lasse i Gatan

  address: Västerlånggatan 60
  A restaurant and bar in 18th century pirate style.

Splurge

• Pubologi

  address: Stora Nygatan 20
  A gastro-pub recognized by Guide Michelin, with mid-range prices.

• DjuretServes meat from one animal species, changing monthly.

• SvinetA pork barbecue, open during summer.

• TweedA British-style high-end bar.

• Den Gyldene Freden

  phone: +46 8 24 97 60
  address: Österlånggatan 51
  The members of the Swedish Academy (famous as the jury for the Nobel Prize in Literature) eat here every Thursday. Old traditions (traced back to 1722) in the old town. The reputation allows "The Golden Peace" to charge high prices.

• Frantzén/Lindeberg

  address: Lilla Nygatan 21
  Two Guide Michelin stars.

• Brasserie Le Rouge

  address: Brunnsgränd 2
  A French-style luxury diner.

• Zum Franziskaner

  address: Skeppsbron 44
  A German-themed restaurant tracing its history from the Hanseatic period, founded in 1471, in its current location since 1906.

Drinks in Gamla stan are quite expensive - expect to pay around 60 kr for a 500 ml lager in a cheap pub, rising to 95 kr for a microbrew beer in a nice pub. If you like to drink a lot, it's worth heading further afield, and avoiding the tourist bars.

• 6e Tunnan

  address: Stora Nygatan 43

• Secret Garden

  address: Kornhamnstorg 59
  An inclusive LGBT club with a dance floor.

Budget

The Old Town contains several low-cost hostels. As the beds are in high demand, especially during summer, advance booking is strongly recommended.

• Archipelago Hostel Old Town

  phone: +46 8 22 99 40
  address: Stora Nygatan 38
  Central location, clean & comfy.

• Castanea Hostel

  phone: +46 8 223 551
  address: Kindstugatan 1
  A hostel in a quiet central area.

• Old Town Lodge

  phone: +46 8 20 44 55
  address: Baggensgatan 25
  Stay in a vault of a 17th-century building in the centre of the island. Rate includes breakfast, tea and coffee all day and Wi-Fi, clean and modern.

Mid-range

The Collector's Hotels (+46 8 506 400 50) are a chain of three hotels themed for Lord Nelson. (That's forgiving of them, since he blockaded the Baltic and bombarded Copenhagen.) They're close together in Gamla stan and all booked through the central website.

• Victory Hotel

• Lord Nelson Hotel

Splurge

• Scandic Gamla Stan

  phone: +46 8 723 72 50
  address: Lilla Nygatan 25
  A four-star hotel in a 17th-century building.

• First Hotel Reisen

  phone: +46 8 22 32 60
  address: Skeppsbron 12
  Large 4-star hotel on east waterfront.

• Mälardrottningen

  phone: +46 8 120 900 00
  address: Riddarholmen 11
  A private yacht launched in 1924 and retired in 1982. Upper cabins with window, lower just have porthole.

• Sven Vintappare

  phone: +46 8 22 41 40
  address: Sven Vintappares gränd 3
  In a 1607 building, very central in Gamla Stan.

Beware of pickpocketing and illegal street gambling, especially around Västerlånggatan.