Start on Riddarholmen, the quiet islet of royal tombs and noble palaces, then cross into Gamla stan and keep to the parallel streets east of Västerlånggatan: Stortorget, the stair alley of Mårten Trotzigs gränd, Prästgatan, the medieval merchants' street Köpmangatan and Österlånggatan, ending on the Skeppsbron quay facing the harbour.
Best time: Early morning or a weekday evening, when the old town is quiet; the narrowest alley is closed between midnight and 06:00
The route, stop by stop
- 1Riddarholmen Church
The church of the former medieval Greyfriars monastery and the burial church of most Swedish monarchs, from Gustavus Adolphus to Gustaf V. Its congregation was dissolved in 1807; today it is used only for burials and commemorations. 15 min.
- 2Evert Taubes terrass
The stone terrace on the west side of Riddarholmen, laid out in the early 1960s. Willy Gordon's 1990 bronze of the troubadour Evert Taube points across Riddarfjärden to Södermalm, with City Hall behind him; Christian Berg's sculpture Solbåten (1966) stands at the south-west corner. 10 min.
- 3Birger Jarl's Tower
The defensive tower on the north-west corner of Riddarholmen. Parts of the lower walls date from the 1520s-1530s; the name comes from a 17th-century myth about the city's founding. 5 min outside.
- 4House of Nobility
The House of Nobility, the seat of the Swedish nobility's corporation; Axel Oxenstierna bought the plot in 1641 for a "magnificent house to the glory of the Estates", and the building took decades to finish. 10 min outside.
- 5Stortorget
Stockholm's oldest square, site of the Stockholm Bloodbath of November 1520 and of the city's first pharmacy (1575). The old Stock Exchange (Börshuset) has housed the Nobel Prize Museum since 2001; the Christmas market is held here every year. 15 min.
- 6Mårten Trotzigs gränd
The narrowest street in Stockholm: 37 steps up from Västerlånggatan and Järntorget to Prästgatan, tapering to 90 cm. Named after the merchant Mårten Trotzig (1559-1617), who had his shop here. 5 min.
- 7Prästgatan
The quiet "Priest's Street" running parallel to Västerlånggatan, mentioned as Prästegathen in 1586. Walk north past Tyska kyrkan, whose crypt is still used by the German parish, with Sunday services in German. 15 min.
- 8Järnpojke
Liss Eriksson's Iron Boy (1967), a 15 cm figure called "Sweden's smallest public monument", in the backyard of the Finnish Church (Bollhustäppan). People leave coins and pat his head for luck, and knitted scarves and caps have been made for him. 5 min.
- 9Köpmangatan
The medieval "Merchant Street", first named in 1323, which linked Stortorget with the fish market outside the eastern wall. 10 min.
- 10Österlånggatan
The old street outside the eastern city wall. Look for the statue of St George and the Dragon on Köpmanbrinken, and Den Gyldene Freden at no. 51, a restaurant since 1722 that Guinness lists as one of the oldest with an unaltered interior. 15 min.
- 11Skeppsbron
Finish on the quay that runs from Strömbron in front of the Royal Palace south to Slussen, facing the harbour. 10 min.
More walks in Stockholm
- Söder heights at sunset: Mariaberget, Monteliusvägen and Skinnarviksberget
- East Södermalm: Fjällgatan, Vita bergen and the 18th-century wooden houses
- Djurgården: Vasa, Rosendal and the art villas to Blockhusudden
- Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen: the museum island and the citadel
- Östermalm and Strandvägen: Hallwylska, the market hall and the waterfront boulevard
- Kungsholmen waterfront: City Hall, Norr Mälarstrand and Rålis to Västerbron
- Långholmen and Reimersholme: the prison island and the bathing rocks
- Hagaparken: Gustav III's pavilions and the Copper Tents on Brunnsviken
- Vasastan: Strindberg's Blue Tower, the observatory hill and Asplund's library
- Skogskyrkogården: Asplund and Lewerentz's Woodland Cemetery (UNESCO)
- Tunnelbana art ride: T-Centralen, Kungsträdgården, Rådhuset, Solna centrum, Stadion, Tekniska högskolan