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Medieval Museum - Stockholm's history underground

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This weekend we visited the Medieval Museum in Stockholm and experienced Stockholm's history underground. Although we've lived in Stockholm for decades, we've never made it here, until now. And we highly recommend this museum! There are remnants of the real medieval Stockholm and beautifully constructed medieval environments. What's more, visiting the museum is completely free of charge.

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Stockholm's history underground

While building a garage for the Parliament building in the late 1970s, many artefacts from medieval Stockholm were unearthed. In addition to house foundations, they found Gustav Vasa's city wall, a 14th century cemetery wall, seven tonnes of human bones, three tonnes of animal bones and eleven boats. No small finds, then! Fortunately, the plans for a garage were cancelled and a medieval museum was built instead.

Medeltidsmuseet i Stockholm
The entrance to the Medieval Museum. The castle can be seen in the background.
Stockholms historia på Medeltidsmuseet
Welcome to Stockholm's history underground!

Medieval Museum in Stockholm

When you enter the Museum of the Middle Ages, you will find a lot of real remains from medieval Stockholm. In addition, they have built up medieval environments that you can stroll around in. Really nicely done!

Stockholms historia
The museum is structured around a number of fixed archaeological sites.

The medieval city

At the end of the Middle Ages, Stockholm had between 5,000 and 7,000 inhabitants. Swedes, Germans and Finns lived in Stockholm, and many were bilingual. So it is far from new that we have a multicultural city!

The city's population consisted mainly of merchants, craftsmen and servants. The majority of the population lived in the countryside, and it was there that food was produced so that the city could continue to grow.

Medeltiden
Experience the Middle Ages and the history of Stockholm

The medieval inn

Did you know that medieval Stockholm was required by law to have at least two inns to accommodate travelling visitors? Beer, mead and wine were served, with different levels of alcohol. The wine, which was relatively expensive, was bought from Germany, France and Spain, and its quality was checked at the wine merchants by the Council's appointed winemakers.

But you shouldn't get too drunk! The vomit law regulated drinking, and the amount of fines you had to pay depended on where you fell over or where you threw up... The Swedes have always had a somewhat bittersweet relationship with alcohol, and if you want to know more about it, you can also take the opportunity to check out Stockholm's Liquor Museum.

What about food? The Middle Ages included meat and fish (preferably dried, smoked or salted), sausages, pies, sole and dishes such as chicken fricassee and sheep-in-cabbage. The church also prescribed days of fasting, when you could not eat meat but could eat fish, and then it was often perch.

Värdshus på medeltiden
Maybe time for a snack in a medieval inn?

Medieval environments

The Museum of the Middle Ages is not a classical boring museum with stands, but a really nice way to show the medieval everyday life. The constructed environments tell the story of life in the Middle Ages and you can stroll through medieval streets, shops, inns, churches and herb gardens.

If you want, you can also walk over to the gallows hill and see an illustrative painting of all the creative ways to physically punish people who have committed a crime... This is where Stockholm's Middle Ages come alive again!

Medeltida målning, Stockholms historia
A medieval painting showing the phases of life ...
Stockholms historia på Medeltidsmuseet
The underground passageway remains since the Middle Ages
Örtagård på Medeltidsmuseet i Stockholm
A medieval monk takes care of his herb garden

Have you also been to the Medieval Museum? What did you think?

Find the Medieval Museum in Stockholm

  • Location: The Medieval Museum in Stockholm is located at Strömparterren 3, Norrbro (at the Old Town, between the Palace and the Opera). The museum is located under Norrbro, and stairs or a lift lead down to Strömparterren and the museum's entrance.
  • Underground railway: Go to Kungsträdgården or the Old Town, and walk from here.
  • Bus: You can take bus number 2, 54, 55, 57, 69 or 76 to Kungsträdgården. Another option is to take bus number 65 to Gustav Adolfs torg.

Guide: Opening hours and prices at the Museum of the Middle Ages

  • Opening hours: The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday every week (2019). On most days the museum is open from 12:00 to 17:00, but on Wednesdays it is open until 20:00. A guided tour is also organised every day at 13:00. Please note that opening hours are subject to change and the museum is closed on certain public holidays. For current opening hours, see the museum's website.
  • Prices: The Medieval Museum in Stockholm has free admission and it's great that Sweden offers this for free! The only cost is if you choose an audio guide, which will cost you 20 SEK.
  • Service: There is no café or restaurant in the museum. During the summer season, there is a café outside, at Strömparterren.
  • Accessibility: There is a lift from Norrbro to Strömparterren, and the door width of the lift is 90 centimetres. The museum is built on one level and can be accessed by wheelchair. Hearing loops are available in the reception and film room. Tours can be customised to suit your needs.
  • Read more: Museum website

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