Stockholm is the capital and most populous city of the Kingdom of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately 1 million people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Outside the city to the east, and along the coast, is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. The city serves as the county seat of Stockholm County.
Apart from being a large city with an active cultural life, Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, houses many national cultural institutions. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Stockholm County area: the Royal Palace Drottningholm and the Skogskyrkogården.
Gamla stan, until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna, is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. Officially, but not colloquially, Gamla stan includes the surrounding islets Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen and Strömsborg. It has a population of approximately 3,000.
Riddarholmen is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century. The main landmark is the church Riddarholmskyrkan, used as Sweden's royal burial church from the 17th century to 1950, and where a number of earlier Swedish monarchs also lie buried.
Stockholm Palace or the Royal Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. Stockholm Palace is in Stadsholmen, in Gamla stan in the capital, Stockholm. It neighbours the Riksdag building. The offices of the King, the other members of the Swedish royal family, and the Royal Court of Sweden are here. The palace is used for representative purposes by the King whilst performing his duties as the head of state.
The City of Stockholm is situated on fourteen islands and on the banks to the archipelago where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. The city centre is virtually situated on the water.
Södermalm, often shortened to just Söder, is the southern district of Stockholm City Centre.
Stortorget is a public square in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is the oldest square in Stockholm, the historical centre on which the medieval urban conglomeration gradually came into being. Today, the square is frequented by tens of thousands of tourists annually, and is occasionally the scene for demonstrations and performances. It is traditionally renowned for its annual Christmas market offering traditional handicrafts and food.
Fredrik August Lidströmer (1787–1856) was the son of Jonas Lidströmer. He was a Swedish architect, artist and marine officer, as well as Stockholm's city architect. Raised in the naval city of Karlskrona, he came to Stockholm to help his father with the construction of the Obelisk at Slottsbacken adjacent to the royal palace, and then continued with the construction of the quays surrounding the waters of the city. He is the architect of Stockholm's oldest official park, the Strömparterren, situated between the Royal Palace in Stockholm and the Opera House, just opposite the current parliament building.
Slottsbacken is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.
Bollhusgränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Named after Bollhuset, a historical theatre, it connects Slottsbacken to Köpmantorget, and as Baggensgatan extends the alley further south beyond Köpmangatan, together they form a parallel street to Österlånggatan and Själagårdsgatan.
'Bollhustäppan' is a small public space in Gamla stan, which is the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Named after Bollhuset, a historical theatre, it is located south of Slottsbacken just behind the Finnish Church, while two gates connects it to Trädgårdsgatan.
Mynttorget is a public square in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.
Källargränd is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, connecting Slottsbacken, the slope south of the Royal Palace, to the square Stortorget. It forms a parallel street to Trångsund and is intercepted by Trädgårdsgatan.
The German Church, sometimes called St. Gertrude's Church, is a church in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden, belonging to the German Saint Gertrude Parish of the Church of Sweden.
Djurgården or, more officially, Kungliga Djurgården, is an island in central Stockholm, Sweden. Djurgården is home to historical buildings and monuments, museums, galleries, the amusement park Gröna Lund, the open-air museum Skansen, the small residential area Djurgårdsstaden, yacht harbours, and extensive stretches of forest and meadows. It is one of the Stockholmers' favorite recreation areas and tourist destinations alike, attracting over 10 million visitors per year, of which some 5 million come to visit the museums and amusement park. The island belongs to the National City park founded in 1995. Since the 15th century the Swedish monarch has owned or held the right of disposition of Royal Djurgården. Today, this right is exercised by the Royal Djurgården Administration which is a part of the Royal Court of Sweden.
The architecture of Stockholm has a history that dates back to the 13th century, possibly even earlier. According to some sources, there might have been a simple defense structure, perhaps a small castle, on the northeast part of the island Stadsholmen. Buildings in Stockholm are characterized by their unique location between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The Hanseatic League during the great period of industrialization saw a strong desire to modernize the city.
The Djurgården ferry is an inner city ferry route in Stockholm, Sweden. It runs from a terminal near Slussen, in the old town of Gamla Stan, to Allmänna gränd on the island of Djurgården, with an optional stop at the island of Skeppsholmen. The service is integrated into Stockholm's public transport system, as route 82, and accepts all the relevant tickets of Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL). It is operated on behalf of SL by Waxholmsbolaget and its sub-contractors, Djurgårdens Färjetrafik.
Sculptures of Swedish rulers have been created since the 17th century. Most of the Swedish royal sculptures are located in Stockholm. Many of these can be seen in the city center around Stockholm Palace, in Gamla stan, Riddarholmen, Kungsträdgården and Stadshusterassen. Uppsala and Rottneros Park have three sculptures each. Gothenburg, Karlskrona, Örebro and Halmstad have two sculptures each.
