Stortorget
Stortorget is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Stockholm audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~20 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Stockholm Stockholm guide
About Stortorget
The oldest square in Stockholm, ringed by colourful gabled merchant houses and the old Stock Exchange, and long remembered as the sombre site of the 1520 Stockholm Bloodbath.
Stortorget is the oldest square in Stockholm, the historical centre around which the medieval old town gradually developed. It is ringed by colourful merchant houses with stepped and decorated gables, several dating from the medieval and early-modern periods. Grillska huset, built in the 1640s, gained its blue colour, cloverleaf gables and Rococo portal in 1718, while Schantzska huset, standing no later than 1479, carries 82 white stones on its facade. The well Stortorgsbrunnen dried up in 1856 and was moved in the 1950s.
On the north side stands the former Stock Exchange, Borshuset, designed by Erik Palmstedt and built 1773-1776, now home to the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Prize Museum and the Nobel Library. In November 1520 the square was the site of the Stockholm Bloodbath, when Christian II had roughly ninety people executed over about three days. The square hosts Stockholm's traditional Advent Christmas market.
Did you know? On the north side stands the former Stock Exchange, built between 1773 and 1776; today the same building holds the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Prize Museum and the Nobel Library all under one roof.
How long should you spend at Stortorget?
Plan about ~20 min at Stortorget. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Stortorget worth visiting?
Stortorget is one of the 21 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Stockholm, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Stockholm
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Stortorget and read more:
Day 1 of the Stockholm in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Stortorget
Preview the Stockholm tour free in the Gingerguide app.