Stockholm‘s Old Town: A Scenic Island Walk

There‘s more to Stockholm‘s Old Town than meets the eye. On this walking tour around the medieval island, I‘ll share tales of Vikings, knights, monks and kings. You‘ll learn what life is like in the city today, as well as what it was like in the past.

The tour starts at the Klara Mälarstrand embankment, from where you‘ll explore the island of Riddarholmen. You’ll find out why some of the buildings in the Old Town are crooked and look much older than they actually are, and why nobody lives on Riddarholmen anymore. While you stroll past Parliament House and down some of the oldest streets like Drottninggatan, Prästgatan, and Norrbro bridge, I‘ll also share some of the Kingdom of Sweden‘s history.

As you make your way to the Royal Swedish Opera, where the tour ends, I‘ll point out architectural details that are easily missed. You‘ll learn what the tie-bolts are and why a Phoenix emblem decorates some of the houses. I‘ll also show you the Nobel Prize Museum and tell you stories linked to the great inventor, Alfred Nobel.

On this hour-long tour, you‘ll have a chance to:

• Find out what the word “Stockholm” means and hear the legend behind the city‘s unusual name
• Walk around some of the 14 islands that make up the city center and learn about their history
• Learn why Earl Birger is important to Stockholm as you pass the tower and monument in his name in Birger Jarls Torg (a public square)
• Discover what a rune stone is and find out the name of the most famous Viking
• See the city‘s smallest island with only one building on it, the Strömsborg
• Admire the monument to Gustav Vasa in front of the House of Nobility, and hear why he‘s so important to the country
• Spot the location of the first Synagogue in town, where the Judiska Muséet is today
• Take in the tiny Iron Boy sculpture that resembles a child who can‘t sleep, and see the St George and the Dragon statue, considered the first political monument in the country

Join me on this exciting hour-long walk around some of the city's islands and hear the stories that most tourists miss!