Gamla Stan medieval secrets: hidden history of Stockholm's Old Town
Stockholm: secrets of Gamla Stan guided tour with fika option
Duration: ~2 hours
What are the hidden secrets of Gamla Stan?
Gamla Stan's most compelling secrets: the 90 cm Mårten Trotzigs Gränd alley (narrowest in Stockholm), medieval plague burial sites beneath the current street level, the Bloodbath memorial in Stortorget (plaques with the 1520 victims' names), secret courtyards accessible through unmarked archways, and the medieval city walls that survive below the current buildings — visible in the Medeltidsmuseet under Norrbron bridge.
Walking through seven centuries
Gamla Stan’s defining quality is density — the concentration of history within a small island (approximately 1 km² in area) that has been continuously inhabited since 1252. The street plan has barely changed. The buildings you walk past incorporate medieval foundations, 17th-century facades, 18th-century renovations, and 21st-century interiors. Every layer is built on or around the one before.
The secrets of Gamla Stan are not hidden in the tourist-destination sense — they are hidden in the sense that you only find them if you are looking. Most visitors walk Västerlånggatan and Stortorget without knowing what they are standing on.
The physical structure of medieval Stockholm
The island and the walls
Gamla Stan occupies Stadsholmen, an island connected to the mainland by bridges at its north and south ends. The island was chosen as a fortified city site in the 13th century because it was naturally defensible — the water channels on both sides were serious obstacles before bridge-building made them routine to cross.
The medieval city walls ran around the island’s perimeter. Sections of these walls survive beneath current buildings and below the street level on the island’s eastern and western shores. The most accessible surviving section is in the Medeltidsmuseet (Medieval Museum), accessible from a staircase below the Norrbron bridge at Gamla Stan’s north end — an actual walk-through of a medieval street excavation, with the city walls intact.
The street levels
Gamla Stan sits approximately 1–3 metres above its medieval street level. Centuries of construction, demolition, rubble deposit, and rebuilding have raised the ground level progressively. In the basements of many Gamla Stan buildings, you descend below current street level into spaces that were originally above ground.
The medieval well in Stortorget is a visible marker of this process — its top is at pavement level, but its shaft descends through several layers of historical accumulation. Several Gamla Stan restaurants and the Nobel Prize Museum basement give access to spaces where the medieval depth is visible.
The secrets: specific locations
Mårten Trotzigs Gränd
Entrance from Västerlånggatan (number 45); exit to Prästgatan via a staircase.
The narrowest street in Stockholm. At 90 cm, it is just wide enough for one adult to pass (two people need to turn sideways). The alley descends as a staircase from Västerlånggatan to the lower streets of western Gamla Stan. The narrowness is functional rather than decorative — the gap between two buildings that were built so close together that no wider passage was possible.
The name commemorates Mårten Trotzig, a German merchant who owned property adjacent to the alley and died around 1592. He had no particular historical significance beyond owning the property — the alley’s fame comes entirely from its extreme narrowness.
When to visit: early morning (08:00–09:00) or evening (after 20:00) to avoid the photographic queues that form at the Västerlånggatan entrance during tourist hours.
Stortorget and the Bloodbath memorial
The Great Square of Gamla Stan — the oldest square in Stockholm.
The plaques on the north side of the square (yellow building facades, upper level) record the names of the victims of the 1520 Stockholm Bloodbath — the mass execution ordered by Danish King Christian II. The plaques are not prominently signposted; most visitors walk past them without noticing.
How to find them: stand in the square facing north (with the Börshuset/Nobel Museum on your left). The memorial plaques are on the yellow building directly ahead, approximately 3–4 metres above pavement level.
See the full history: The Stockholm Bloodbath 1520.
The hidden courtyards
Gamla Stan has approximately 30 courtyards accessible through archways in the street-facing building blocks. Unlike the visible tourist streets, these courtyards are shared residential and commercial spaces that have barely changed in use since the medieval period. Finding them requires curiosity — looking for an archway, walking through, and seeing what opens up.
The most accessible are:
- Köpmantorget area (east of Stortorget): Several buildings in the streets around Köpmantorget have archway entrances to internal courtyards. Mostly accessible to pedestrians.
- Prästgatan (behind Västerlånggatan): The street itself runs along a lower level of Gamla Stan with connections through archways to the buildings above.
- Österlånggatan, south section: Archways lead to courtyards shared between buildings on both parallel streets.
Note: Some courtyards are private residential spaces. The archways without signs prohibiting entry are generally semi-public, but use judgment — if the courtyard has laundry or personal property, you are likely in a residential space.
Book: secrets of Gamla Stan guided tour with fika optionBelow the medieval city: the Medeltidsmuseet
Strömparterre, below Norrbron bridge at Gamla Stan’s northern edge.
The Medieval Museum is built around an archaeological excavation that was required before a car park was constructed in the 1970s. The excavation revealed a section of medieval Stockholm that had never been disturbed: the city walls, a series of medieval streets, a plague cemetery, and artefacts from everyday life in 13th–17th century Stockholm.
Visitors walk through the excavated area, with the original medieval masonry at eye level. This is not a reconstruction or a museum display — it is the actual medieval structure, preserved and lit. The plague cemetery section includes human remains and is genuinely striking.
Entry is free or low-cost. Worth 60–90 minutes. See the Medieval Museum guide.
The original Tre Kronor Castle ruins
Below the current Royal Palace.
The original Tre Kronor Castle burned in a catastrophic fire on the night of 7 May 1697. The fire started in the roof timbers and swept through the medieval structure within hours. Most of the royal collection was saved; the architecture was not. King Karl XI had been attempting to modernise the castle; his son Karl XII authorised the construction of a new palace on the site.
The foundations and cellars of Tre Kronor survive beneath the current Royal Palace. These are accessible on certain guided tours of the palace. The palace museum includes displays on the history of the site and the 1697 fire. See the Royal Palace guide.
The medieval church undergrounds
Gamla Stan has three medieval churches still in active use: Storkyrkan (the Cathedral), Riddarholmskyrkan (the Riddarholmen Church, burial church of Swedish monarchs since 1290), and Tyska Kyrkan (the German Church, built for Stockholm’s German merchant community).
Riddarholmskyrkan is the most historically layered — it has been a burial church since the 13th century, and the interior is a sequence of royal and noble chapels from different centuries. The church is on Riddarholmen island, accessible by a short bridge from the western part of Gamla Stan. Entry is modest.
Storkyrkan (the Cathedral) has archaeological material below the current church level — foundations from earlier structures on the site. Guided tours occasionally access the lower levels; check with the cathedral directly.
The dark legends
The blood-red facades
A persistent local legend holds that the red facades around Stortorget echo the blood spilled during the 1520 Bloodbath. This is romantic but false — the facades are painted in traditional Swedish pigments (iron oxide red, ochre) that predate and postdate the Bloodbath. The practice of painting buildings in these colours is pan-Swedish, not specific to Gamla Stan or the Bloodbath site.
The legend persists because the combination of red facades and genuine Bloodbath history is compelling, and because ghost tour guides find it useful.
The ghost of Mårten Trotzig
Several ghost tour narratives include a version of Mårten Trotzig’s spirit haunting the alley named after him. There is no historical documentation of Trotzig being a remarkable figure or meeting a notable end — he was a merchant who owned property. The ghost story is an invention.
The alley’s reputation for supernatural associations predates the named connection and relates to its extreme narrowness — a physical space that genuinely feels liminal.
Guided tour options
For visitors who want a guide to Gamla Stan’s hidden layers:
Book: Old Town walking tour — stories and secretsThe secrets tour format specifically covers the hidden courtyards, the Bloodbath plaques, Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, and the medieval street layers — giving structured access to the material in this guide.
Frequently asked questions about Gamla Stan medieval secrets
How old is Gamla Stan?
Founded as a fortified city in 1252. The street plan has not fundamentally changed since the medieval period.
What is Mårten Trotzigs Gränd?
The narrowest street in Stockholm — 90 cm wide at its narrowest. Named after a 16th-century German merchant. Located between Västerlånggatan and Prästgatan.
Are there medieval plague sites in Gamla Stan?
Yes — the Medeltidsmuseet under Norrbron has an excavated plague cemetery from the Black Death period.
Are there hidden courtyards in Gamla Stan?
Yes — approximately 30, accessible through archways in street-facing buildings. Not all are public.
What happened to the original Stockholm Castle?
The Tre Kronor Castle burned in 1697. The current Royal Palace was built on its foundations 1697–1760.
Frequently asked questions about Gamla Stan medieval secrets
How old is Gamla Stan?
Gamla Stan (The Old Town) was founded as a city in 1252 — officially, King Birger Jarl chose the island of Stadsholmen as the site for Stockholm's fortified settlement. Archaeological evidence suggests settlement from the early 13th century. The street plan of Gamla Stan has not fundamentally changed since the medieval period — you walk essentially the same routes that medieval Stockholmers walked.What is Mårten Trotzigs Gränd?
Mårten Trotzigs Gränd is the narrowest street (alley) in Stockholm — 90 cm at its narrowest point. It runs as a staircase-alley between Västerlånggatan and the lower waterfront area. It is named after a 16th-century German merchant named Mårten Trotzig who owned buildings nearby and died around 1592. The alley is one of the most photographed spots in Gamla Stan.Are there medieval plague sites in Gamla Stan?
Yes — plague victims from Stockholm's three major epidemic periods (1350, 1413, and 1710) were buried in mass graves outside the medieval city walls and in other locations within what is now central Stockholm. The Medeltidsmuseet (Medieval Museum) under Norrbron bridge displays human remains from a plague cemetery discovered during construction in the 1970s. The street levels of Gamla Stan sit above earlier layers of medieval occupation.Are there hidden courtyards in Gamla Stan?
Yes — approximately 30 courtyards (gårdar) are accessible through archways in Gamla Stan's street-facing buildings. Some are semi-public (you can walk through), others are private residential courtyards visible only from the archway. The best way to find them is to look for any unmarked archway wide enough to walk through. Local guides know which are accessible; several ghost tour routes include courtyard passages.What happened to the original Stockholm Castle?
The original Tre Kronor Castle (the Three Crowns) — Sweden's main royal residence for centuries — burned in a catastrophic fire in 1697, leaving only the walls standing. The current Royal Palace (Kungliga slottet) was built on its site between 1697 and 1760, designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. The 1697 fire is one of the most significant architectural losses in Swedish history. Some of the medieval foundations survive beneath the current palace.What are the blood red stones in Stortorget?
The story is a local legend, not historical fact: the claim that the red facade of buildings in Stortorget reflects the blood of the Bloodbath victims. The reality is that the facades are painted in traditional Swedish pigments (red iron oxide, ochre, yellow) — colours that predate and postdate the Bloodbath. The legend persists because it makes compelling narrative in a square where mass executions genuinely occurred.
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