Stockholm Quay Palaces tour

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The Stockholm Quay Palace tour is a roughly chronological showcase of architecture and public art; in particular the palaces, grand houses and other decorated buildings along the quays of Gamla stan (the Old Town) and Norrmalm (the business district), as well as monuments, statues, and other works of art. These buildings have been commissioned by the Swedish monarchy, as well as government agencies, nobles, and business leaders. Today they are used for various purposes: museums, conference sites, offices, or private residences. All palaces can be seen up close. Some have interiors open to the public.

The waterfront has an astounding view both of the buildings and the inner harbour, and is great for photography and urban sketching.

In Swedish, the words slott (from German Schloss) is used for a rural (sometimes fortified) building for a king or a local ruler. Palats (from French palais) is used for grand townhouses.

A historic background can be seen in the intercity Uppland history tour of the cradle of Sweden from the middle Iron Age (6th century BC) and the Middle Ages, or the pedestrian Stockholm history tour of Stockholm from around AD 1000 until today.

In Swedish history, the Middle Ages began around year 1000 as Sweden became Christian and unified, lasting to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

Stockholm became a city in the 13th century. With Swedish independence in 1523, Stockholm became Sweden's undisputed capital, and the rise of the Swedish Empire in the 17th century brought wealth and spectacular architecture to Stockholm.

Few intact medieval buildings remain in Stockholm. Wooden buildings tend to burn down or rot, and while monasteries were built from brick and stones, most of them were scavenged with the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Some medieval stone basements remain in Gamla stan, with 16-18th century façades from the height of the Swedish Empire. Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Classicist styles are prevalent in the Old Town. The 19th century saw the erection of many of the city's Royal statues, as well as Romantic architecture, which in Sweden references the Viking Age, the Middle Ages, and vernacular architecture; see Nordic folk culture.

In Sweden, the German word jugend is used for art nouveau, which was at its height around 1900, famous for plant- and human-shaped ornaments, and extensive use of coloured glass. Nordic classicism, also known as Swedish Grace, is a style of the 1910s-30s, usually seen as the Swedish variant of Art Deco; which is presented in the Swedish Grace tour. More austere modernist architecture, in particular functionalism (funkis), has been dominant in Stockholm since the 1930s.

The tour begins at Riddarholmen, and follows the quays of Gamla stan through Norrmalm, up to the Stureplan square. The tour is preferrably done on foot; strollers and wheelchairs can get around with some detours. Cycling and personal electric vehicles can also be considered. Driving is not recommended.

Riddarholmen, "the Knight Isle", has been settled since the 13th century, and is dominated by nobility palaces from the height of the Swedish Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. As of the 2020s, most of them host courts and other government functions. Some of them are open to visitors at limited hours.

• 59.32498518.0651261 Information plaques (The rising land) (Birger jarls torg). Two tactile scale models of the island in 1620 and 1750, with Braille prints. The models display the expansion of palaces during the height of the Swedish Empire; most of them preserved to the 21st century. We can see how the coastline of Lake Mälaren has retracted, as the land in Stockholm rises around 5 millimeters per year; see Ice Age for context. This point rose from the sea around the birth of Christ, and around the Viking Age (1000 AD) the sea level was 5 metres higher than today, with lake Mälaren part of the Baltic Sea. Around 1200, Mälaren became a lake, with the elevation difference blocking boat traffic. During the height of the Swedish Empire (1650 AD) the level of the sea and the lake were 2 metres higher than today.  
• 59.32510618.0638532 Birger jarl statue. Birger was a 13th-century king who founded Stockholm (jarl is a title, compare "earl"). He wrote the first known letter that mentions Stockholm; as it is dated to 1252, this is considered to be the year that Stockholm was founded. Probably, the city and the fortress had existed years before that. The statue was made by Bengt Erland Fogelberg in 1854.  
• 59.3246518.064613 Riddarholmen Church (Riddarholmskyrkan). This is the city's oldest building - though no longer actively used for church service. Built as an abbey to a medieval monastery in the late 14th century, and the only one of those to survive in Stockholm, as many monasteries were torn down in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Fifteen Swedish monarchs are buried here, from Gustavus Adolphus (1594–1632) to Gustav V (1858–1950). One notable absence is Queen Kristina, who abdicated in 1654, converted to Catholicism, and is buried in St Peter's Church in the Vatican. 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. Occasionally open to the public. The spire has a history on its own. A wooden spire from the 1570s was destroyed in an 1835 fire. In 1839, new spires were made in cast iron, in neo-Gothic style. By the 1960s, they were corroded, and had to be replaced with new spires, with some ornaments preserved. In 2026, the main spire will again be dismantled to remove asbestos and PCB, to be restored in 2028. Limited opening hours.  
• 59.32579918.0627774 Normal vertical datum, Schering Rosenhanes gränd. One of Stockholm's more unusual destinations; a national point of reference for surveying. In 1898, this plaque became the vertical datum for Sweden, with elevation above sea level of 11.8 m (39 ft).  
• 59.32591718.0616675 Birger Jarl's tower (Birger Jarls torn). Posterity named this tower from the aforementioned Birger, due to a myth that he commissioned it; if true it would have been as old as Stockholm itself. It is more likely built in the 16th century by bricks scavenged by Sancta Klara monastery on Norrmalm, but still one of Stockholm's oldest surviving buildings. It is the seat of Sweden's Chancellor of Justice. Not open to the public.  
• 59.32518.06256 Wrangel Palace (Wrangelska palatset). Built on pieces from a 16th century fortification, the Wrangel Palace was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder for field marshal Carl Gustaf Wrangel. Following the 1697 fire in the Tre Kronor Castle, the Royal court was evacuated here, and remained until 1754, as the current Stockholm Palace was finished. Since 1756, it is the seat of Svea Court of Appeal. Partially open to the public during office hours, with a security checkpoint.  
• 59.32518.0613897 Evert Taube Terrace (Evert Taubes terrass). This open place has a statue of singer Evert Taube (1890-1976) and an abstract 1966 statue named Solbåt (Sun Boat). Taube honoured the Swedish tradition of sailor ballads and drinking songs. The statue of Taube wears a sombrero and a poncho, as most of his song re-tell his adventures in Argentina.  
• 59.32396718.0626611 Lady Hutton. Launched in 1924 as the world's largest diesel yacht, which had several owners until becoming a hotel ship in 1982.  
• 59.32055618.0530561 Münchenbryggeriet. A brewery built in the 1890s, used as a conference centre. Since the 21st century, there is a small craft brewery on the site.  
• 59.317518.03752 Högalid Church. A 1923 basilica in national romantic style, referencing medieval Swedish churches.  
• 59.327518.0547223 Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset). The city hall, where the Nobel Prize Banquet takes place every year, is an imposing brick building in the city centre. The building was finished in 1923, and as Stockholm is one of several cities claiming to be the Venice of the North, the City Hall's exterior was inspired by Venetian palaces, while the interior has similarities to a Viking-age longhouse. The origin of the Three Crowns (tre kronor) is unknown; they have been said to represent Norse gods Odin, Thor and Frey, the Biblical Magi, or the Papal Palace in Avignon. Guided tours are held daily.  
• 59.32444418.0272224 Västerbron. This 1935 arch bridge became Stockholm's first north-south bridge outside of the Old Town.  

Norrström is the stream from lake Mälaren down to the Baltic Sea dividing Gamla Stan from the mainland. The Parliament building is located on the Helgeandsholmen island, surrounded by government quarters.

• 59.32571918.0660448 Gustav Vasa. A 1770 statue by Pierre Hubert L'Archevêque. Gustav Vasa was arguably Sweden's most important king, as he liberated Sweden from Danish rule in 1523. Gustav Vasa carried out the Protestant Reformation, struck down many uprisings; since his rule 500 years ago, Sweden has been an independent, Protestant hereditary monarchy.  
• 59.3259318.065739 The House of Nobility (Riddarhuset). A 1674 Dutch Baroque building for sessions of the noble estate, and one of the four chambers of the Swedish Parliament until 1866, as most of the nobility's privileges were abolished, and Sweden got a two-chamber parliament with vote based on property ownership. In 2003, the nobility lost their last token privileges, essentially became a private organization. The building has plenty of statues. Occasionally open to the public.  
• 59.32548318.06704710 Ryningska palatset (Ryning Palace). Built for admiral Erik Ryning in 1644. In the 18th century it had a wine cellar and a brothel frequented by singer Carl Michael Bellman, later replaced by a coffee house and a chess club. Today, it is the seat of the Labour Court, and the archive of the Supreme Court. Not open to the public.  
• 59.32611118.06638911 Bonde Palace (Supreme Court). The Bonde Palace (Bondeska palatset) was built in Baroque style for 17th century count Gustaf of the Bonde family (ironically meaning "farmer"/"peasant"), who held different offices, including Lord High Treasurer. It was Stockholm's courthouse until 1915, and since then Sweden's Supreme Court. Nobleman Axel von Fersen was killed in the street in 1810, and he is rumored to haunt the building; see Haunted Stockholm tour. Limited public access.  
• 59.32666718.06861112 Brandkontoret (Stockholm Fire Insurance Office), Mynttorget 4. Since 1806, this building hosts the Stockholm Fire Office, a property insurance co-operative, founded in 1746 as Scandinavia's oldest surviving insurance company. In the mid-19th century, the company bought wooden buildings and had them replaced with stone buildings, most of which still stand today. To prevent fires, they invested in plumbing and gas lights; typical street lights can still be seen on the building.  
• 59.3264818.06875 Västerlånggatan. The Old Town's traditional main street. Purposefully avoided on this tour, as tourists are likely to end up on this street any way.  
• 59.3276918.068513 Swedish Parliament (Sveriges riksdag). The German-inspired word riksdag, literally "kingdom day", reveals that the assembly used to be occasional. In 1866, the riksdag became a permanent two-chamber parliament, and the original riksdag building on Riddarholmen turned out to be too small for the chambers. As the current building by architect Aron Johansson was finished in 1905, the Neo-Baroque style was criticized for being outdated. The size was also intended to rival the palace. It has a great collection of exterior sculptures, some of them from dismantled government buildings. Free guided tours in Swedish and English, and occasional access to sessions and debates.  

• 59.3279818.067514 Riksäpplet. The Globus cruciger is an ancient symbol for the monarch's divine right to rule on Earth. In Swedish it is more casually known as Riksäpplet, "the kingdom apple", and has been a piece of the Swedish Regalia since the 16th century (on display in the Stockholm Palace Treasury). 20 apples were made of granite for the Riksdag's roof. For a renovation in the 1930s, 14 of them were relocated, two on the ground near the riksdag. The 1980s renovation added glass fiber replicas of the apples to the roof.  
• 59.32741718.0673856 Parliament Chamber (Riksdagens plenisal). The west wing of the building, at Lake Mälaren, was built for the Riksbank office. Since a 1971 reform, the riksdag has only one chamber of 349 members, too many to seat in the old building. A renovation finished in 1983 made room for the new chamber in the west wing, with a bleacher for the public. The old building is used for parliamentary groups and committees.  
• 59.32847218.0658337 Rosenbad (Swedish Government Offices). The 1902 Jugend (art nouveau) building was built for a bank, and acquired by the Government of Sweden in 1922. Since the 1980s, most government ministries are located in the neighbouring buildings, connected by underground tunnels. During the 2000s, security has been tightened, with less access by cars. Not open to the public.  
• 59.32888918.0672228 Sager House (Sagerska huset). This 1900 neo-Renaissance building commissioned by Robert Sager was Stockholm's last private palace; the building was donated to the Catholic Church to allow dowager Vera Sager to live to her death in 1988. The 1986 assassination of Olof Palme called for increased security; since 1995, Sweden's Prime Minister lives here. Only open for occasional VIP events.  

In the Middle Ages, Stockholm's citizens have thrown household waste in the water. Much of the land with today's waterfront buildings consisted of dried waste, which compacted over the centuries. The waterfront buildings were built on top of this loose ground, and some of them have subsided. A 1625 fire destroyed the western part of the city; the following decades, a square street grid was laid out.

• 59.32476518.06695215 Riddarholmsbroarna. A 1981 sculpture which depicts the bridges that connected Riddarholmen to Stadsholmen.  
• 59.32452518.06733116 Petersenska huset. A Renaissance-style palace finished in 1659. The building has had several famous owners and tenants; in the 1940s, it was owned by Gunnar and Alva Myrdal, the couple of Social Democratic politicians credited with the foundation of the Swedish welfare state; see also Stockholm labour tour.  
• 59.32472218.06744417 Munkbron 9. This neo-Gothic building looks older than it is, being built in 1893 for Industrikreditaktiebolaget, a bank.  
• 59.324118.0679618 Postmuseum. Sweden's only postal museum, celebrating the Postal Service which was founded in 1636, and has had an office here from 1719 to 1905.  
• 59.32380618.06741719 Piper Palace. A 17th century palace used as an office.  
• 59.3233218.066989 Gamla stan metro station. While the Stockholm metro is renowned for its art, this station's design is more austere. The 1990s decoration features medieval weaving patterns. The station has an underground passage to Riddarholmen.  
• 59.32321618.06827220 Familjen (The Family). A 1973 statue by Pye Engström.  
• 59.32281118.07093321 Bågspännaren (The Crossbowman). A 1916 monument for early 15th century rebel leader Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson.  
• 59.32318.07122 von der Linde Palace (von der Lindeska huset). A Dutch Renaissance palace built in 1633 for Royal Treasurer Erik Larsson von der Linde. Said to be the last home of René Descartes, tutor of Queen Kristina, until he died of pneumonia.  
• 59.32218.072523 Victoriaslussen. Slussen ("the sluice") is a lock opened in 1642, to allow seagoing ships into Mälaren. Over the centuries, four different locks have succeeded each other, with new bridges for trains, bicycles and public transport. The 1850 canal, Nils Ericsons sluss is since 2024 a swimming route for fish (and occasional otters), visualized on a TV screen, restoring migration of fish from the Baltic Sea to Lake Mälaren. In 1935, Slussen was rebuilt for the automobile, with Europe's first cloverleaf interchange. The heavy concrete structure was improperly piled, and sank down the mud. Due to expected global warming and need to regulate lake Mälaren, Stockholm has built the fifth lock, named in honour to Crown Princess Victoria, planned to open for regular traffic in 2027. This is one of very few places in Stockholm carrying the name of a living person.  
• 59.31918.07210 Stomatol sign. Installed in 1909 as Sweden's first and oldest surviving mobile electric advertising sign. Blacked out during two world wars and renovated several times, this sign is not eligible for legal protection, but it is one of Stockholm's most iconic sights.  
• 59.3214818.07362624 Slussen art gallery. Below the bridge is a public art gallery, with of archaeological artifacts from the 13th to the 19th century found in the excavation together with contemporary replicas. Most of the objects are made of glass, pottery and wood.  

Skeppsbron (literally The Ship Bridge) was Stockholm's main harbour until the 19th century, and still receives commuter ferries and other medium-sized vessels. The buildings on the waterfront were commissioned by the merchants, affectionally called Skeppsbroadeln, ("the Skeppsbron Nobility") though not legally nobles.

• 59.32203118.07382525 Räntmästarhuset (Treasurer's house). A building from the 1660s, commissioned for treasurer Börje Cronberg. The house has two memorial plaques. One commemorates Georgian Prince Alexander Bagrationi, a general for the Russian Empire, who was taken as a prisoner of war at the 1700 battle of Narva, and quartered in this building. Another commemorates a medical clinic managed by Carl Linnaeus, the founder of systematic biology.  
• 59.3223718.073932 Zum Franziskaner ("Zum"), Skeppsbron 44. A German-themed restaurant tracing its history from the Hanseatic period, allegedly founded in 1471, in its current location since 1906. The wall sculptures have some interesting details, including a vagina. According to legend, the owner's wife cheated on him, and raindrops on the portrait resemble tears.  
• 59.32261718.07404426 Södra Bankohuset (Southern Bank House), Järntorget 84. The city's official iron weighing house was located here until 1662. It was replaced by the current building, Riksens Ständers Bank, later Sveriges Riksbank, the world's oldest surviving central bank. Since 2018, the building hosts a video game studio. Though Stockholm's main export commodities have changed from hardware to software, Järntorget still has many restaurants and taverns. Not open to the public.  
• 59.32233318.07530627 Sjöguden (Sea God). A bollard with a 1913 red granite sculpture by Carl Milles, depicting a smiling, monstrous sea god with a mermaid. While Milles was mainly inspired by Greek and Roman mythology, mermen and mermaids appear in legends around the world.  
• 59.32407518.07516928 Schönska huset, Skeppsbron 28. This building was commissioned by the Lübeck merchant Johan Martin Schön. The building has a memorial plaque for the Finnish War Children; the unaccompanied refugees who came to Sweden during World War II.  
• 59.32509718.07541129 Skeppsbron 18. A neo-Baroque building finished in 1910. As of the 2020s it is the office of the investment company Kinnevik.  
• 59.3256618.075213 First Hotel Reisen, Skeppsbron 12. Large 4-star hotel on east waterfront. The current building was finished in 1930.  
• 59.32674718.07497230 Gustav III statue. Gustav III ruled Sweden from 1771 to 1792. Inspired by the French Enlightenment, he was a patron of the arts, founding the Swedish Academy, the Opera, and a collection of ancient sculptures, today on display in the Palace. He was assassinated at a masquerade ball in the Opera House. The statue was erected in 1808 on the quay where he landed after his victory against Russia in 1790.  
• 59.3268318.0738231 Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet). The Royal Palace remains the monarch's official residence, but King Carl XVI Gustaf, reigning since 1973, lives in Drottningholm in Ekerö. Most of the palace 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. Since 2011, a restoration of the Palace's exterior is under way, scheduled to finish in 2050.  
• 59.3265318.0727511 Royal Palace's southern wing (Kungliga Slottet). The southern wing was intended to represent the Nation.  

• 59.3272818.0732112 Royal Palace's eastern wing. The eastern wing of the Palace was intended to symbolise the female, in particular the Queen. It contains a setback for a garden, Logården, open for special events.  
• 59.327718.0725513 Royal Palace's northern wing. The northern wing was intended to symbolise the Power. It is the oldest part of the palace (except the basement ruins) as construction began before the 1697 fire.  
• 59.32838318.07079414 Solsångaren (The Sun Singer.). A 1926 statue by Carl Milles.  

• 59.3297418.0705632 The Royal Swedish Opera (Operan) (T-Centralen). This 1898 building, stages classical operas in original language or Swedish, as well as classical ballets and concerts. The first opera house was built in 1782, commissioned by King Gustav III; 10 years later he was assassinated at a masquerade ball in the same building (which was torn down in 1892). The Opera House offers guided tours. Strömterrassen is a café open at summer, with an astounding view of the Royal Palace. The building will undergo a renovation from 2027.  
• 59.32972218.0755564 Grand Hôtel, Södra Blasieholmshamnen 8. A Grand Old Hotel opened in 1874 overlooking the Royal Palace, and the usual accommodation for visiting heads of state, Nobel laureates and pop stars. The first Nobel Prize ceremonies were held here, and room No 702 is the astounding Nobel Room, where the literature prize winners stay overnight. The restaurant gives an excellent Swedish smörgåsbord, and the piano bar is a delightful end-of-the-evening place to get a sophisticated drink.  
• 59.32861118.07805615 National Museum of Fine Arts (Nationalmuseum), Södra Blasieholmshamnen. Sweden's national museum for European art and interior design opened in 1866. The neo-Renaissance building is impressive in its own right, with central heating and large gallery windows. The collection features Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Renoir, Degas and Gauguin, as well as Swedish artists such as Carl Larsson, Ernst Josephson, C F Hill and Anders Zorn. The 20th century is represented only through industrial design; modern and contemporary art can be found in Moderna Museet on Skeppsholmen.  
• 59.3309118.0769933 Radisson Blu Strand Hotel, Nybrokajen 9. Founded in 1912, previously owned by the Swedish Freemason Order, this waterfront hotel is a prominent example of Swedish architecture.  
• 59.3331118.074555 Hallwyll Museum (Hallwyllska Museet), Hamngatan 4. This urban palace was built in 1898 for Walther och Wilhelmina von Hallwyl, collectors of art and antiques from around the world. Since 1938 it is a museum with a restaurant. While some rooms have a historic or geographic theme, the building is a showcase of upper-class life of the early 20th century.  
• 59.3324118.0752434 Playing bears. Made in 1909 by Carl Milles.  

Birger Jarlsgatan bears the name of Stockholm's founder, and marks the border between the Norrmalm business district, and Östermalm, the affluent residential district.

Östermalm was built in the 19th century, with residences of the rising capitalist class.

• 59.33333318.07694435 Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten), Nybroplan. Sweden's national theatre, built in Wienerjugend (art nouveau) style in 1908. The building has rich ornaments in gold and marble, and a row of sculptures, with a bust of playwright August Strindberg (1849-1912) whose play Master Olof inaugurated the building. A statue of actress Margaretha Krook (1925-2001) represents the theatre's later history. The building has a restaurant.  
• 59.33361118.0755566 Riche. Established in 1893, Riche is one of Stockholm's oldest surviving restaurants at the same address.  
• 59.33377818.07408336 Birger Jarlspassagen. Stockholm's oldest shopping arcade, opened in 1897.  
• 59.33472218.07341737 Bocander Palace. A 1900 jugend palace.  
• 59.33611118.07277838 Stureplan. While the Stureplan square is surrounded by banks and luxury shops, its name is more than anything else a metonym for Stockholm nightlife. The locals' mental image of Stureplan is not the palatial buildings, but instead mushroom-shaped concrete rain shelter first built in 1937 to much controversy, rebuilt in 1989.  
• 59.34527818.07888916 Stockholm Olympic Stadium. Built for the 1912 Olympic Games in a national romantic design by Torben Grut, and the world's oldest surviving Olympic stadium.  

• The Södermalm heights tour is a walk among vernacular 18th and 19th century buildings, with a panoramic view of Stockholm, and many arts and crafts galleries.
• Swedish Grace tour takes the timeline into the Roaring Twenties, with the Swedish flavour of Art Deco architecture.
• Stockholm labour tour describes the history of the Swedish organized labour movement from the late 19th century.
• Functionalist architecture in Finland: Sweden and Finland were the same country before being annexed by the Russian Empire in 1809, and independent 1917. Most of Finland's monumental buildings are built in 20th-century style.