Stockholm Quay Palace tour

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 some of Stockholm's quays, 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.

Understand
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 city palaces. Neither word has a fixed definition.

The intercity Uppland history tour displays the cradle of Sweden in the Iron and Middle Ages. The pedestrian Stockholm history tour is a 1,000 year chronology of Stockholm.

Stockholm became a city in the 13th century. With Swedish independence in 1523, Stockholm became Sweden's undisputed capital, and its largest city.

Architecture of Stockholm
In Swedish history, the Middle Ages lasted from the 11th to the 16th century. 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 dismantled with the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Some medieval stone basements remain in Gamla stan, with 16-18th century façades, from the height of the Swedish Empire. Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist styles are prevalent in the Old Town. The 19th century saw the rise of Romantic architecture, which in Sweden references the Viking Age, the Middle Ages, and vernacular architecture; see Nordic folk culture.

The German word jugend is used for art nouveau, which was prevalent around 1900. 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.

Get around
The tour begins at Riddarholmen, and follows the quays of Gamla stan, through Norrmalm and further along Strandvägen in Östermalm. The tour can be done on foot; strollers and wheelchairs can get around with some detours. Cycling and personal electric vehicles can also be considered.

Riddarholmen
Riddarholmen, "the Knight Isle", is dominated by 17th- to 18th century nobility palaces. Most of them are today used by the judiciary. Some interiors are open during weekdays.

Norrström
Norrström is the stream north of Gamla Stan.

Munkbron
In the old days, Stockholm's citizens have thrown household waste in the water. As the land rose, much of the new surface consisted of dried waste, which compacted over the centuries. The waterfront buildings were built on top of this loose ground. Q10716850

Skeppsbron
Skeppsbron (literally The Ship Bridge) was Stockholm's main harbour during the Age of Sail. The buildings on the waterfront were commissioned by the merchants, affectionally called Skeppsbroadeln, ("the Skeppsbron Nobility") though not legally nobles.

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

Djurgården
Djurgården was a royal park; since the 19th century it has hosted museums and exhibitions. This is a presentation of landmarks visible across the water.



Go next

 * The Södermalm heights tour is a walk among more mundane 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
 * Functionalist architecture in Finland: Finland has a common history with Sweden, but became independent only in 1917. Most of Finland's monumental buildings are built in 20th-century style.