Riddarholmen, Stockholm

Having gone down on Wrangelska Backen street by a palace, you will appear on the coastal Evert Taubes terrass. A magnificent view on the Town hall opens from there.

The terrace is named by a name of the poet and the musician, the monument to whom is installed there.

There are three more residences near to Wrangelska palatset: Schering Rosenshoen (architect N.Tessin - younger, 1650), Hasselstein palace (architect N.Tessin - younger, 1680) and Stenbock palace (architect N.Tessin - the senior, 1640-1677).

The palace of Charles Gustav Vrangel (Wrangelska palatset) is located on the western side of Birger Jarls Torg. The palace was built in the XVII century with the powerful round tower. It reminds of power of medieval kings.

The Swedish monarches including Charles XII lived there after a fire in the Royal palace. He brought a royal oath there in 1697.

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It is possible to see gravestones almost all Swedish monarches in the church. The oldest burial place (in the front of an altar) - Magnus Ladulos (1290), who was the founder of a church and a monastery. Gustav IV Adolf is buried in the most beautiful marble sarcophagus.

The church is open for visiting. On 15th May - 15th August Monday - Sunday, 10.00-17.00.16-31th August: Monday - Sunday 10.00-16.00, Saturday - Sunday 12.00-15.00.

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Riddarholmen island can be found out from apart on a unusual openwork spike of the main island sight - the brick church Riddarholmskyrkan. It is one of the most well-known churches of Stockholm, its construction began in the XIII century. The temple belonged to a monastery of Franciscans those time.

Chapels were repeatedly attached to a Gothic temple during centuries. In the XVIII century its interior was updated in style of a baroque. In 1835 a lightning destroyed a bell tower of a temple which was built up anew and was topped with a carved iron spike.

If you are through with the Gamla Stan, you will find even more pretty baroque houses in the Riddarholmen area, adjacent to the Gamla Stan on the island of Stadsholmen. The "riddarhuis" is famous because it contains the coat of arms of every noble family of Sweden.

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This has a separate tip as it is the most famous building on the island mentioned above, and quite beautiful and historic it is too. Apart from Queen Kristina who died in Rome, all Swedish royalties from Gustav II Adolf 1632 and onwards are buried here, and so are several of the Medieval ones like Magnus Ladulås. It is no longer a parish church, which means that it is closed to visitors in winter but summertime you can stroll around at your own leasure (mid May to mid September).

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A medieval part of the city, on a smaller island next to the Old Town. Its most famous sight is the distinctive Riddarholmskyrkan church which has its separate tip below, but there is also the court rooms in the old Wrangelska Palace (the white one in the picture) and you get a very good view of the City Hall across the water from here.