Gamla Stan

Step into Gamla Stan and the modern city falls away. Narrow lanes twist between ochre and rust-red buildings, some leaning in toward each other, with cafes in cellar rooms and tiny galleries behind old doors. This island is where Stockholm began, and its main square still has the tall, gabled merchant houses that once stood for the city's wealth. Wander early in the morning or in the evening when tour groups thin out.

Talking points

• The narrowest lane is barely wider than a person's shoulders.
• The old stock exchange building on Stortorget houses the Nobel Museum.
• Cafes in old cellars make perfect fika stops.