Stortorget, Medieval square in Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Sweden
Stortorget is a square in Gamla Stan at the center of Stockholm, surrounded by narrow merchant houses with red, yellow and orange facades. A stone fountain stands in the middle of the cobblestone area, which measures roughly 31 meters wide and 56 meters long.
The square emerged in the 13th century as a marketplace for the growing town and became the site of executions during the Stockholm Bloodbath in 1520. After this event it remained a trading center as the city gradually expanded northward over the centuries.
The colorful houses date from the 17th and 18th centuries and once served merchants as combined homes and shops. Today visitors use the square as a meeting point, while street artists occasionally perform music or small shows.
The lanes around the square are narrow and winding, so it helps to orient yourself using the colored facades. The square sits centrally in the old town and is easy to reach on foot from all directions.
Since 1837 the square has hosted Sweden's oldest Christmas market every winter, with wooden stalls offering handcrafted goods and regional specialties. Small stone heads attached to the facades above the square are said to commemorate the victims of the bloodbath.
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