Page 59 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Stockholm

GA MLA ST A M  57

the royal household. The pulpit Town, and is usually
(1660) in ebony and alabaster is thronging with people –
unique in Sweden, and the altar, tourists and locals –
from the 1640s, is covered with shopping or strolling.
beautiful pain tings surrounded Starting at Mynttorget
by sculptures of the apostles in the north, where the
and evangelists. Chancery Office (Kansli­
The sculptures on the south huset) and Lejonbacken
porch by Jobst Hennen date are, the lively and
from 1643 and show Jesus, atmospheric street finish­
Moses and three figures por­ es at Järntorget in the
traying Faith, Hope and Love. south, where the export of
iron was once con trolled.
Alongside is Bancohuset,
which served as the head­
quarters of the State Bank
from 1680 to 1906.
The building at No. 7
has been used by the
Swedish Parliament since
the mid­1990s. Its late
19th­century façade has
a distinctive southern Västerlånggatan, Gamla Stan’s most popular
European influence. shopping street
No. 27 was built by and
for Erik Palmstedt, who also About 100 years later the
designed the Stock Exchange majestic­looking Post Office was
and the well at Stortorget. built, incorpor ating parts of the
Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, the narrowest street No. 29 is a very venerable 17th­century buildings already
in the city building, dating from the there. Stockholm’s only Post
early 15th century. The Office until 1869, it was
8 Mårten Trotzigs original pointed Gothic turned into the Postal
Gränd arches were revealed Museum in 1906.
during restoration Letters have
Map 4 C4.  Gamla Stan. @ 2, 3, 43, in the 1940s. been sent in Sweden
53, 55, 76. No. 33 is a good since 1636, and the
example of how museum’s permanent
At only 90 cm (35 inches) wide, new materials and exhibits include a
Mårten Trotzigs Gränd is the techniques in the Mauritian stamp in por trayal of early
city’s narrowest street, and late 19th century made the Postmuseum “peasant post men”
climbing up the 36 steps it possible to fit large fighting the angry
gives a good idea of how shop windows into old houses. Åland Sea in their boat Simpan.
different parts of the Old Town The cast­iron columns, which Also on display is the first post
vary so much in height and can be seen in many other bus, which ran in northern
how tightly packed together places, also date from this period. Sweden in the early 1920s.
the houses are. No. 68, Von der Lindeska The collection includes no
Mårten Trotzigs Gränd is named House, has a majestic fewer than four million stamps,
after a German merchant called 17th­century façade and a among which are the first
Traubzich, who owned two beautiful porch with sculptures Swedish stamps, produced in
houses here at the end of the of Neptune and Mercury. 1855. Also on display is the
16th century. After being fenced “Penny Black”, the world’s first
off at both ends for 100 years, stamp (dating from 1840), and
the street was reopened in 1945. 0 Postmuseum some stamps issued by
Mauritius in 1847.
Lilla Nygatan 6. Map 4 B3. Tel 010­436 The museum library holds
9 Västerlånggatan 44 39.  Gamla Stan. @ 3, 53. a large collection of literature
Open 11am–4pm Tue–Sun, Sep–Apr
Map 4 B3.  Gamla Stan. @ 2, 3, 43, (to 7pm Wed). 8 by ar range ment. on philately and postal history.
Among the many interactive
53, 55, 59, 76. 7 0 = & -
∑ postmuseum.se displays and exhibits, there is
Once a main road outside the also a charming workshop,
city proper, built along parts An attraction in itself, the The Little Post Office, where
of the original town wall, Postmuseum building takes up children can discover what
Västerlånggatan now runs a whole area bought by the it was like to work in a 1920s
through the heart of the Old Swedish Post Office in 1720. post office.

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