Gamla Stan’s island old town at the heart of Stockholm
Published on 09/07/2026 at 06:59 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Gamla Stan is Stockholm’s historic old town, a compact district of medieval streets and townhouses set mainly on the island of Stadsholmen between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. It is the original core of Sweden’s capital and for centuries was known officially as Staden mellan broarna, “the town between the bridges”.
The town between the bridges
Gamla Stan occupies Stadsholmen and extends to the neighbouring islets of Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen and Strömsborg, forming a tight cluster of land at the centre of Stockholm’s waterways.The Old Town consists primarily of Stadsholmen and is linked by bridges to Norrmalm to the north and Södermalm to the south.Gamla Stan sits at the geographic and historical center of Stockholm
The area developed from the thirteenth century onwards as the nucleus of Stockholm, with narrow lanes and small squares spreading out from the central marketplace at Stortorget.The Old Town dates from the 13th century While street plans and plot lines echo the medieval layout, many of the visible façades belong to houses rebuilt or remodelled in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as Stockholm grew into a baroque capital.
Streets, squares and façades
Walking into Gamla Stan means entering a dense mesh of cobbled streets and alleys framed by plastered townhouses in muted yellows, reds and browns.The Old Town is described as a labyrinth of cobbled streets and alleyways with rust-coloured townhouses Stortorget, the main square, holds a group of tall merchant houses with stepped roofs and coloured façades dating to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, their proportions reflecting the wealth of trading families based here.Stortorget is lined by red, orange and yellow merchant houses from the 17th and 18th centuries
Beyond the main square, streets such as Västerlånggatan and Österlånggatan run along the spine of Stadsholmen, once flanked by warehouses and shops serving ships in the harbour and now lined with ground-floor premises that follow the historic plots.Västerlånggatan and Österlånggatan are principal streets through the old buildings and gothic churches In between them, tight alleys drop towards the water or link one street to another, revealing small courtyards and rear façades that keep the scale of a medieval trading town.
Royal and civic landmarks
Gamla Stan concentrates many of Sweden’s most significant royal and civic buildings within a short walk. On Stadsholmen, the Royal Palace stands close to Storkyrkan, also known as the Cathedral or Church of St Nicolas, alongside the former House of Lords, government offices and the Stock Exchange building at Stortorget.Stads Island contains the Royal Palace, Storkyrkan, the House of Lords, government offices and the Stock Exchange The Nobel Prize Museum occupies part of the Stock Exchange complex, linking Gamla Stan’s historic core to contemporary scientific and cultural life.The Old Town contains the Nobel Prize Museum and the Post Museum
Across the narrow water channel on Helgeandsholmen, the Parliament House and the National Bank mark the transition from the old town to the modern city, yet remain structurally part of the Gamla Stan group of islands.The House of Parliament and the National Bank are on Helgeands Island On Riddarholmen, Riddarholm Church rises above former aristocratic palaces that now house various government functions, extending the historic skyline westwards over the water.Riddarholmen contains Riddarholm Church and several nobility palaces
Visiting Gamla Stan: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Gamla Stan stands at the centre of Stockholm on Stadsholmen, reached easily on foot via bridges from Norrmalm in the north and Södermalm in the south.
- The streets are paved with cobblestones and many lanes are narrow, with short gradients and occasional flights of steps between different street levels.
- Stockholm’s metro system has a station named Gamla Stan on the red and green lines, providing direct access to the district from other parts of the city.
- The official language is Swedish and the currency is the Swedish krona.
Searching for Gamla Stan on social platforms
These links open searches for Gamla Stan on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Gamla Stan
Where is Gamla Stan?
Gamla Stan is the old town of Stockholm in Sweden, centred on the island of Stadsholmen and extending to nearby islets between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea.
What should visitors expect in Gamla Stan?
Visitors encounter cobbled streets, historic townhouses, the main square at Stortorget and major landmarks such as the Royal Palace, Storkyrkan and Riddarholm Church.
What makes Gamla Stan distinctive among European old towns?
Gamla Stan’s identity lies in its island setting, medieval street pattern and concentration of royal, parliamentary and religious buildings within a small, continuously inhabited urban district.
